CCMH Named Top 20 Critical Access Hospital in US Again
July 18, 2025
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Carroll County Memorial Hospital was recently named one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the country, for the second time.
Chartis Center for Rural Health has been recognizing rural hospitals for 15 years. CCMH is excited to announce that they have been in the Top 100 for the last three years, and the Top 20 for two of those three years.
“The hard work and dedication of our staff is reflected in the acknowledgements of being a Top 100 and then a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital,” Scott Thoreson said, CCMH Chief Executive Officer. “It also speaks of the consistency that we have with our patients, and it isn’t just something that we somehow stumbled upon.”
The Top 20 CAHs, including CCMH, held the leading score among CAHs as determined by the Chartis Center for Rural Health for overall performance. The rankings were recently declared by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA).
The Top 20 CAHs have achieved success in overall performance based on a composite rating from eight indicators of strength: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and finance. This group was selected from the Chartis Center for Rural Health’s 2025 Top 100 CAH list, which was announced earlier this year.
CCMH is a 25-bed critical access facility serving Carrollton and the surrounding communities. It offers 24-hour emergency care, specialized services such as advanced diagnostics, outpatient specialty clinics, post-acute skilled care (swing bed) and comprehensive family care.
A critical access hospital is limited to 25 beds available, located approximately 30 miles away from another hospital, and has decided to be paid by Medicare based on their allowable costs. Larger hospitals are paid on a different basis; that is a diagnostic-related group methodology. In Missouri, there are 35 critical-access hospitals. Other Missouri CAHs that made the Top 100 list, but not the Top 20, can be found in Fairfax, Lamar, and Louisiana.
“We are in an enviable position,” Thoreson said. “Many hospitals set out to achieve Top 20 status as there are about 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals in the country, which puts CCMH in the top 1.5 percent of all of these small rural hospitals in the country. While we didn’t expressly set out to achieve this goal, we appreciate the accolades and notoriety that go along with it and set us apart from the other 34 Critical Access Hospitals in Missouri.”
Other hospitals achieving recognition as a Top 20 CAHs honor include Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital and Clinic - Miller, S.D.; Barrett Hospital & HealthCare - Dillon, Mont.; Beatrice Community Hospital - Beatrice, Neb.; Bitterroot Health – Daly Hospital - Hamilton, Mont.; Boone County Health Center - Albion, Neb.; Carroll County Memorial Hospital - Carrollton, Mo.; Cass Health - Atlantic, Iowa; Central Montana Medical Center - Lewistown, Mont.; CHI St Alexius Health Carrington - Carrington, N.D.; Community Medical Center - Falls City, Neb.; Hampshire Memorial Hospital - Romney, W.Va.; Jamestown Regional Medical Center - Jamestown, N.D.; Lafayette Hospital + Clinics - Darlington, Wis.; Mt. San Rafael Hospital - Trinidad, Colo.; Nemaha Valley Community Hospital - Seneca, Kan.; New Ulm Medical Center - New Ulm, Minn.; Phelps Memorial Health Center - Holdrege, Neb.; Rio Grande Hospital - Del Norte, Colo.; Towner County Medical Center - Cando, N.D.; and UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center - Anamosa, Iowa.
“When I speak with new employees at orientation, I hear a lot say the reason they chose CCMH was because of the ‘family environment’ that we have here,” Thoreson said. “Many new employees know others that work here, have been treated here as a patient, or perhaps observed our services as a family member or visitor. We are very proud of the environment we have built here.”
For more information about the services at Carroll County Memorial Hospital, visit our website http://www.carrollcountyhospital.org or call 660-542-1695.
About CCMH: Carroll County Memorial Hospital (CCMH), the area’s premier healthcare resource, is a 25-bed Critical Access facility serving Carrollton and the surrounding communities. It offers 24-hour emergency care, specialized services such as advanced diagnostics, post-acute skilled care (swing bed) and comprehensive family care. CCMH is dedicated to the Health and Well Being of All We Serve. For more information, visit carrollcountyhospital.org.
About NRHA: NRHA is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and wellbeing of rural Americans and provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, and research. NRHA’s membership is made up of diverse individuals and organizations from across the country, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health.
About Chartis: Chartis is a comprehensive health care advisory firm dedicated to helping clients build a healthier world. Chartis works across the health care continuum with more than 600 clients annually, including providers, payers, health services organizations, technology and retail companies, and investors. Through times of change, challenge, and opportunity, Chartis advises the industry on how to navigate disruption, pursue growth, achieve financial sustainability, unleash technology, improve care models and operations, enhance clinical quality and safety, and advance health equity. The teams convened bring deep industry expertise and industry leading innovation, enabling clients to achieve transformational results and create positive societal impact. For more information, visit www.chartis.com.