Wabash General Hospital honored for excellence in quality of care

MT. CARMEL, IL – The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) recently recognized Wabash General Hospital, Mt. Carmel, for its ongoing commitment to exceptional quality of care, during a ceremony held November 10th at the I-Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign, IL.

As part of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program (MBQIP), Wabash General 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.

“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 Grant Project Manager. “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.”

Wabash General Hospital was recognized for being among the top 10% of all critical access hospitals in the country, gaining the title of a high-achieving HCAHPS hospital. The hospital was also recognized for exceptional outpatient care and care transitions.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a survey instrument developed to measure a hospital patient’s perception of their care. These HCAHPS ratings awards include hospitals that received top scores greater than 90% for the global questions as well as hospitals that received four- or five-star ratings.

“We are very proud of our team for achieving this level of excellence in health quality,” said Karissa Turner, CEO, Wabash General Hospital. “This is truly a team effort that recognizes our dedication to delivering a healthcare experience of which our patients and staff can be proud.”

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 This program has continued to evolve, adding new measures and removing outdated ones. In 2016, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy deemed it necessary for CAHs to participate in at least one measure of one domain to receive Flex funding opportunities. Each year, FORHP has increased the level at which the hospital must participate to remain Flex fund eligible.

The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (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.