ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano has been named among the 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.
“This designation is a testament of our dedication to providing comprehensive, compassionate and high-quality care for our communities,” said Kellie Diedrick, Vice President of Critical Access Hospitals. “We’re grateful to the patients and families who trust us with their health and care every day. We’re also proud of our team members who continue to deliver safe and specialized care for each person.”
ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano is among eight of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the state of Wisconsin. The hospital provides care to communities in and around the Shawano area. The facility offers nearly 15 specialty services to patients and families, including general surgery, obstetrics, physical therapy, imaging and more.
According to the Chartis Center for Rural Health, the determining factors for recognition include an objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is utilized 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 and finance.
“Rural hospitals are incredibly unique,” explained Diedrick. “We must address the specific issues and needs of our small communities, which include a person’s medical background, risks, lifestyle, personal values and goals. We are proud to be in this community to empower our patients and families with the knowledge they need to help them live their unique, best lives through better health.”
The term Critical Access Hospital (CAH) is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
According to CMS, here are some of the criteria for a Critical Access Hospital:
- Have 25 or less acute care beds.
- Maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours per patient for acute inpatient care.
- Be 15 to 35 miles away from the nearest hospital, depending on the local system of highways.
- Provide emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This is the 15th year recognizing the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals. The list of this year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals, as well as the INDEX methodology, can be found at chartis.com/services/ccrh/top-performing-hospitals.
