Chartis, a leading healthcare advisory firm, today announced the 2026 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and the 2026 Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals. This annual awards program, which is based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals.

“The delivery of care within rural communities is more complex today than at any point in recent memory. This year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals have emerged as true leaders—committed to their mission through a powerful combination of resilience, dedication, and innovation,” said Michael Topchik, Executive Director of The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We’re delighted to recognize this year’s winners and celebrate their Top 100 status.”

This year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals includes 16 first-time recipients, as well as 15 facilities that have been recognized 10 or more times. The states of Iowa and Kansas each have 12 Critical Access Hospitals in the Top 100.

Among the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals are 14 facilities earning their first Top 100 award. There are 21 hospitals being named to the list 10 or more times. Michigan and Minnesota topped the list at the state level, each with 7 hospitals in the Top 100.

The lists of this year’s award winners in each category can be found at https://www.chartis.com/top-performing-rural-hospitals.

Now in its 16^th year, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging a methodology that utilizes publicly available data, the INDEX is used nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations, quality, patient perspective, and finance.

About Chartis

The challenges facing US healthcare are longstanding and all too familiar. We are Chartis, and we believe in better. We work with more than 900 clients annually to develop and activate transformative strategies, operating models, and organizational enterprises that make US healthcare more affordable, accessible, safe, and human. With more than 1,350 professionals, we help providers, payers, technology innovators, retail companies, and investors create and embrace solutions that tangibly and materially reshape healthcare for the better. Our family of brands—Chartis, Jarrard, Greeley, and HealthScape Advisors—is 100% focused on healthcare and each has a longstanding commitment to helping transform healthcare in big and small ways. Learn more.

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