Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals
The National Rural Health Association recognizes the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals from a list of the Top 100 CAHs as determined by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The 20 overall winners and 40 best practice recipients (in the quality and patient satisfaction categories) have achieved success based on the the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™. The top 20 critical access hospitals in the country (in all categories) are honored annually on the final day of NRHA's Critical Access Hospital Conference.
View the 2025 Top 20 CAH press release.
Logo usage guidelines for Top 20 CAH recipients.
Review the criteria used to select Top 20 CAH overall winners and Top 20 CAH best practice recipients.
View Top 20 CAH history by state.
2026 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital winners
Amery Hospital & Clinic - Amery, Wis.
Avera St. Anthony's Hospital - O’Neill, Neb.
Cass Health - Atlantic, Iowa
CHI Mercy Health of Valley City - Valley City, N.D.
CHI St Alexius Health Carrington - Carrington, N.D.
Cobleskill Regional Hospital - Cobleskill, N.Y.
Cox Barton County Hospital - Lamar, Mo.
Fairview Hospital - Great Barrington, Mass.
Hedrick Medical Center - Chillicothe, Mo.
Jefferson Community Health & Life - Fairbury, Neb.
Kingman Healthcare Center - Kingman, Kan.
Mayo Clinic Health System - Waseca - Waseca, Minn.
Memorial Health Care Systems - Seward, Neb.
Mosaic Medical Center - Albany - Albany, Mo.
Pembina County Memorial Hospital - Cavalier, N.D.
Rio Grande Hospital - Del Norte, Colo.
River Falls Area Hospital - River Falls, Wis.
Rooks County Health Center - Plainville, Kan.
South Central Health - Wishek, N.D.
Virginia Gay Hospital - Vinton, Iowa
2025 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital
Best Practice in Quality recipients
Beaver County Memorial Hospital - Beaver, Okla.
Big Sandy Medical Center - Big Sandy, Mont.
Comanche County Hospital - Coldwater, Kan.
Coteau des Prairies Health Care System - Sisseton, S.D.
Emplify Health by Gundersen Friendship - Friendship, Wis.
Grafton City Hospital - Grafton, W.Va.
Lady of the Sea General Hospital - Cut Off, La.
McCone County Health Center - Circle, Mont.
Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital - Medicine Lodge, Kan.
Mercy Hospital Logan County - Guthrie, Okla.
Mercy Hospital Tishomingo - Tishomingo, Okla.
Mercy Hospital Waldron - Waldron, Ark.
Mille Lacs Health System - Onamia, Minn.
Mitchell County Hospital - Colorado City, Texas
Myrtue Medical Center - Harlan, Iowa
Palacios Community Medical Center - Palacios, Texas
Rio Grande Hospital - Del Norte, Colo.
Seymour Hospital - Seymour, Texas
Towner County Medical Center - Cando, N.D.
Virginia Gay Hospital - Vinton, Iowa
2025 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital
Best Practice in Patient Satisfaction recipients
Adair County Health System - Greenfield, Iowa
Aspirus Lake View Hospital - Two Harbors, Minn.
Callaway District Hospital - Callaway, Neb.
CHI Health Mercy Corning - Corning, Iowa
Community Memorial Hospital - Burke, S.D.
ECU Health Bertie Hospital - Windsor, N.C.
Electra Memorial Hospital - Electra, Texas
Fishermen's Community Hospital - Marathon, Fla.
Henderson Health Care Services - Henderson, Neb.
Hillsboro Health - Hillsboro, Ill.
Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond - Belmond, Iowa
Lynn County Hospital District - Tahoka, Texas
Marshall Medical Center - Lewisburg, Tenn.
Midwest Medical Center - Galena, Ill.
Ochsner Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital - Kaplan, La.
Saint Joseph Berea - Berea, Ky.
Sanford Webster Medical Center - Webster, S.D.
Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital - Solvang, Calif.
Sleepy Eye Medical Center - Sleepy Eye, Minn.
Tallahatchie General Hospital - Charleston, Miss.
Learn more about The Chartis Center for Rural Health's Top 100 CAH and Top 100 Rural Community Hospital honorees.
For more information about NRHA’s Top 20 CAH recognition program, contact Donna Douglas.