Swain Community Hospital earns 2024 Performance Leadership Award from The Chartis Center for Rural Health

Swain Community Hospital is proud to announce it has earned a 2024 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Patient Perspective. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards recognize top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality, Outcomes and/or Patient Perspective.

The Chartis Center’s Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, an objective framework for assessing how rural hospitals are performing. Based on publicly available data sets, the INDEX benchmarks performance across eight pillars including quality, market share, and patient perspectives. INDEX benchmarks are relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure performance across multiple areas impacting hospital operations.

“We’re honored to receive the 2024 Performance Leadership Award for Patient Perspective. This recognition reflects the hard work and commitment of our team to deliver exceptional care and ensure a positive experience for every patient who walks through our doors,” said Ashley Hindman, CEO of Swain Community Hospital and Harris Regional Hospital.

Swain Community Hospital, a 48-bed critical access hospital established in 1948, is a cornerstone of healthcare for Swain County and the surrounding areas, providing access to essential services. The hospital offers access to primary care, emergency medicine, inpatient services, short-term rehabilitation and physical therapy, mental health services through Senior Life Solutions, and subspecialty care through its partnership with Harris Regional Hospital. The hospital’s transitional care program, also known as a swing bed program, allows patients under Medicare coverage to extend their recovery following a surgery or hospitalization with daily physical therapy, tailored dietary support, and continued access to nursing and physician care.

“This award highlights the dedication of our staff to providing compassionate, patient-centered care, which is our main focus,” said Stephen Plemmons, Senior Nursing Officer for Swain Community Hospital and Harris Regional Hospital. “We’re proud to be recognized for our ongoing efforts to enhance the patient experience and deliver quality care.”

With its longstanding commitment to the community and partnership with Duke LifePoint Healthcare since 2014, Swain Community Hospital continues to be a vital resource for the region’s healthcare needs with a mission of making communities healthier and strong core values that place the patient experience at the forefront of that mission. To learn more about the hospital and its services, visit MySwainCommunity.com.