LCH, MHS earns Chartis Performance Leadership Awards

Memorial Health System in Abilene and Lindsborg Community Hospital were both recognized with 2025 Performance Leadership Awards from The Chartis Center for Rural Health as part of National Rural Health Day on November 20.

Both hospitals earned Top Quartile recognition in Patient Perspective, reflecting strong patient experience performance compared to rural hospitals nationwide. In addition, Lindsborg Community Hospital received a Top Quartile Performance Leadership Award in Quality, further highlighting its clinical excellence.

The annual Performance Leadership Awards are based on results from the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, a comprehensive benchmarking tool used across the country to evaluate rural hospital performance. INDEX results are relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems, hospital associations and state offices of rural health to assess performance in areas critical to hospital operations, finance and community care.

“These recognitions reflect the commitment, professionalism and compassion of our teams,” said Kimberly Haverly, Administrator at Memorial Health System. “Every day, our staff works to provide patient-centered, accessible care close to home, and this recognition underscores those efforts.”

Lindsborg Community Hospital Administrator, Mark Rooker, echoed the sentiment. “This

recognition places LCH among the top quartile of rural and Critical Access Hospitals nationwide and reflects the dedication of our entire team — from physicians and nurses, to support staff and volunteers — who work each day to provide compassionate, high-quality care to our community. Earning awards in both Quality and Patient Perspective demonstrates that our commitment goes beyond clinical excellence. It speaks to the personal, patient-centered experience that defines who we are as a hospital.

“These awards affirm that even as a small rural hospital, we continue to deliver big results — ensuring that exceptional care and genuine compassion remain at the heart of everything we do,” Rooker said.

Michael Topchik, executive director of the Chartis Center for Rural Health, said the awards reflect the excellence found across rural communities.

“The areas of quality, outcomes and patient perspective are cornerstones of health care delivery across rural America, and this year’s Performance Leadership Award recipients are establishing a standard of excellence for their rural peers to follow,” Topchik said. “We are delighted to shine a spotlight on such strong performance and honor the achievement of these hospitals on National Rural Health Day.”

Both Memorial Health System and Lindsborg Community Hospital are affiliates of Salina Regional Health Center in a partnership that supports local access to care and enhances specialty and service options across the region. The shared affiliation presents the opportunity to jointly celebrate this achievement and demonstrate the strength of health care collaboration across central Kansas.

For more information about the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, contact Billy Balfour at wbalfour@chartis.com.