ALPENA — MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena received multiple accolades during the month of March. The first was its recognition as a 2021 Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. For the second award, the Medical Center in Alpena was one of four hospitals in Michigan to receive the Improvement Award by the Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM).

The Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital acknowledgement by The Chartis Center is the 11th annual program honoring outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX.

Based on public data and utilizing 36 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses rural hospitals across eight pillars of performance, including market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. The INDEX framework is widely used across the nation by independent rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints and state offices of rural health, which provide access to INDEX analytics through grant-funded initiatives. Over the course of the last 11 years, the INDEX has grown to become the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance.

The EAM, a nonprofit group comprised of Michigan’s largest employers and unions, has hosted the EAM Hospital Patient Safety Awards for six years in a row. Hospitals can achieve two different awards — the Excellence Award and the Improvement Award. The Medical Center in Alpena was one of four hospitals in Michigan to receive the Improvement Award.

Hospitals receiving the Improvement Award participated in the annual Leapfrog Group survey and demonstrated improvement in letter grades for four consecutive grading terms with Hospital Safety Grade (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020). During the four terms, the grades must not trend backwards. The last term grade (Fall 2020) must be at least a “B” to qualify and hospitals must improve by two letter grades during the four terms. MidMichigan Medical Center in Alpena received an ‘A’ grade.

“We are proud of the efforts that our entire team of employees and health care providers have put forth to our achieving these honors this month,” said Chuck Sherwin, FACHE, president, MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena. “The recognition by Chartis, as well as the Economic Alliance for Michigan, is a reflection in the hard work and dedication we give each and every day for our patients and our community.”

The Chartis Group

The Chartis Group provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the health care industry. It brings critical thinking and deep industry experience paired with cutting-edge data, analytics, and technology to deliver #NextIntelligence. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, health analytics, informatics and technology, digital and emerging technologies, clinical quality and operations, and strategic communications, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children’s hospitals, and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results and build a healthier world. Chartis has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, and San Francisco.

Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM)

Founded in 1982, the EAM is comprised of businesses and unions working together with one clear objective — continued growth of Michigan’s economy by inspiring job growth and strengthening Michigan’s competitiveness for attracting companies and talent. The EAM seeks to use the collective voice of Michigan’s purchasers to serve as catalysts for change to ensure appropriate access to patient-centric, high-value health care.

MidMichigan Health

MidMichigan Health, a nonprofit health system headquartered in Midland, is a leader in providing award-winning, high-quality care to the 23-county region it serves. With Medical Centers in Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Midland, Mt. Pleasant and West Branch, MidMichigan Health provides a full continuum of care, including urgent care centers, home health, virtual care, as well as medical offices in more than 30 specialties and subspecialties including cardiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedics, vascular surgery, family medicine and more. MidMichigan Health partners with leading institutions to offer medical education programs that train medical students, physicians, nurse practitioner and physician assistant students, nursing students and other clinical experts for our region. Its more than 8,800 employees, volunteers, health care providers and other personnel work together to create healthy communities through solutions designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the 938,000 residents in the health system’s 23-county service area. In fiscal year 2020, MidMichigan Health provided more than $91 million in community benefits, and new equipment, services and programs with funds raised by the MidMichigan Health Foundation.