The value of rural health clinic accreditation

Founded in 1920 by pioneer physician O.C. Newman, Newman Memorial is a critical access hospital located in Shattuck, Okla. With 25 beds and a team of experienced medical professionals, Newman Memorial serves citizens in rural communities across northwest Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and the panhandle of Texas.

Now, more than 100 years since its founding, Newman Memorial continues to uphold the values of quality care and patient experience that O.C. Newman established. To enhance these values and elevate our organization, we decided to participate in The Joint Commission’s Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Pilot Program.
 

Breaking barriers

I have worked in many different hospitals, all of which were Joint Commission accredited. When I took on a leadership role at Newman Memorial, I was determined to bring Joint Commission accreditation to life, knowing its positive impact on both urban and rural communities and the care patients receive.

The reality for many rural health care facilities is that they are isolated from what many in urban settings view as the gold standard in health care. To improve and raise the bar for other rural health care organizations and identify opportunities to enhance care delivery and patient experience across the care continuum, we applied for the pilot program.
 

Education through accreditation

Participating in the pilot program provided Newman Memorial with an educational experience that empowered our staff to transform the way we deliver care. The survey directed our focus on future improvements in a collective and collaborative environment.

With the Joint Commission surveyor adopting a more collaborative role, our staff gained an optimistic perspective. They realized that with some guidance our organization could significantly improve patient safety and quality of care. By the conclusion of the survey, we had a framework of actionable steps to help deliver the quality of care our patients truly deserve.
 

Setting a new standard for rural health care

The pilot program has driven significant growth at our hospital. Since receiving Joint Commission accreditation, Newman Memorial has increased both our volume of services and provider participation by 76 percent over a 20-month span.

Our staff has grown by 63 percent, allowing us to avoid costly staffing firms and enhancing the quality and intimacy of our care. This growth has enabled us to successfully redesign our clinical workflow and operating models without negatively impacting quality or patient experience. Our quality metrics and patient experience outcomes have improved alongside our expanding service lines. Newman is now the first choice in regional care and has launched women’s health, infusion, advanced orthopedic surgery, and ENT services.

Our Joint Commission accreditation achievement has earned Newman Memorial credibility from physicians and surgeons, who have introduced us to other reputable medical professionals eager to work with us. Additionally, our community has recognized our efforts to improve patient outcomes and has begun to allocate tax support to fuel further growth.

Overall, Newman Memorial is grateful for the opportunity to be awarded Joint Commission accreditation. We are proud to demonstrate to other rural facilities that high-quality, evidence-based care is achievable, regardless of a facility’s size or location.

NRHA adapted the above piece from The Joint Commission, a trusted NRHA partner, for publication within the Association’s Rural Health Voices blog.

About the author: Tom Vasko serves as Chief Executive Officer of Newman Memorial Hospital in Shattuck, Oklahoma. Vasko is a Board Member of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. In recognition of his contributions, he was named Oklahoma Rural Health Hero of the Year for 2023 and to Becker’s Healthcare’s Top Rural Health CEOs to Know for the past two consecutive years.