The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) recently recognized Fairfield Memorial Hospital for its ongoing commitment to exceptional quality of care, during a ceremony held November 10th during ICAHN’s Annual Conference at the I-Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois.

As part of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program (MBQIP), Fairfield Memorial Hospital and other critical access hospitals were asked to voluntarily participate in four defined domains of quality outcomes. These four domains include: Patient Safety/Inpatient; Patient Engagement; Care Transitions; and Outpatient Measures. Fairfield Memorial Hospital was honored for being a top performer in all four domains.

“Often, in rural hospitals, having a devoted staff member to abstract and submit this data can be both time-consuming and burdensome,” said Laura Fischer, ICAHN Flex Coordinator. “This hospital realizes how important quality of care and an engaged staff is for its patients. From its top leadership on throughout the facility, each strives for continued quality on a daily basis, and that is what we are celebrating today.”

Fairfield Memorial Hospital was recognized for being in the top 10% of all critical access hospitals in the country for outpatient quality measures.

“We are very proud of our team for achieving this level of excellence in health quality.  Quality healthcare is a team effort and we have a great team here at Fairfield Memorial Hospital! This award recognizes our dedication to delivering a healthcare experience of which our patients, staff, and community can be proud to call their number one choice for Healthcare.” said Kathy Bunting-Williams, Chief Executive Officer.

The Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program began in 2011 as a way for Critical Access Hospitals to demonstrate the quality of care that they provide. This program has continued to evolve, adding new measures and removing outdated ones.

ICAHN, located in Princeton, IL, is a network of 58 small rural Illinois hospitals dedicated to strengthening the operations of its member hospitals through collaboration. The organization is composed of Illinois hospitals who have earned critical access hospital designation by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. ICAHN is recognized nationally for its work with rural healthcare and administers several state, federal, and private healthcare programs.

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