By Michael Howell

Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital was ranked among the top 100 Critical Access Hospitals this year by iVantage Health Analytics. The awards were announced at the National Rural Health Association’s 39th Annual Rural Health Conference. Recipients were determined to have outperformed other critical access and rural and community hospitals around the country in areas such as Quality and Outcomes, Patient Safety and Satisfaction, and Costs and Charges.
“This award is really important and very meaningful at this point,” said Dr. Don Lodmell, Hospital Board Chairman. “We earned similar recognition in 2013 and now again in 2016. It’s an indication that we are doing something right.”
One thing being done right is the addition of hospitalist staff and multiple patient-centered processes at the hospital. The study recognized that the hospital had added case managers, as well as specialized intensive care and obstetric nurses, which improves the overall delivery of care. Nursing staff improvements in communication with patients and each other resulted in more thorough admitting and discharge instructions, and more timely medication and pain management has reduced hospital readmissions. A new bedside reporting process and call system in patient rooms ensures that nurse response time is further reduced. All contributed to exceptional patient outcomes.
“I’m really proud of our hospital employees, from the medical staff to the kitchen staff, everybody pulls together,” said Dr. Jennifer Feighner, Chief of Staff and Medical Director of Hospitalists. “This award recognizes what we do every day for every patient and it’s great to be recognized for that.”
The hospital was also recognized for its financial stability. Over the past 10 years, the hospital has implemented a facility master plan that has resulted in cost savings and increased services to meet the healthcare needs of the community. Some of the much needed facility improvements were a new Emergency Department, Laboratory, Rehabilitation Center, Intensive Care Unit, Birthing Center and four new medical clinics, as well as a physical plant.
Lodmell said that the award speaks to the strength of Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital. He said times are hard for small rural hospitals. Since 2010, seventy-one rural community hospitals have closed their doors and another 673 are on the watch list.
“In these rapidly changing times for healthcare, Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital continues to function as a financially sound, non-profit and independent critical access hospital,” said Lodmell. “You don’t do that without a leader who is a visionary, like our CEO, John Bartos.”
“I realize this award is only possible because of the hard work and commitment of all Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital employees, physicians and board members,” said Bartos. “It is your commitment to provide quality, accessible, personalized healthcare to the residents of the Bitterroot Valley and surrounding areas that has made this award possible.”