Awards + Recognitions

2024

Myrtue Medical Center Named Among Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the Naton

Myrtue Medical Center has been recognized as one of the 20 highest-ranked Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the country by National Rural Health Association (NRNA), as scored by Chartis Center for Rural Health. This distinction places Myrtue in the top 1 percent of more than 1,300 critical access hospitals in the nation in the categories of quality, patient perspective, finance, and market share.

NRHA evaluates the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals based on eight essential pillars of strength: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and finance. The Top 20 award group was selected from the Chartis Center for Rural Health’s 2024 top 100 CAH list.

“We are celebrating a significant milestone of 70 years of service to our community. This recognition underscores the service our Board of Trustees, medical staff, and every team member has provided to our community over the last seven decades,” said Barry Jacobsen, CEO of Myrtue Medical Center. “It is an acknowledgment of the medical center’s vital role in ensuring the health and wellness of our community we serve.”

As Myrtue Medical Center continues to build on this foundation of excellence, it remains focused on enhancing its services for the future health needs of generations to come.

MMC Named Top 100 Critical Access Hospital 2024

Myrtue Medical Center TOP 100 CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS in the U.S. – Myrtue has been named one of the 100 highest-ranked Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®. Myrtue has received the Top 100 recognition in 11 of the last 14 years. There are only nine Critical Access Hospitals nationally that have received 11 or more Top 100 Critical Access Hospital awards.

“Chartis’ INDEX methodology uses publicly reported data to benchmark hospital performance in areas such as quality, outcomes, patient perspective, market share and finance,” said Barry Jacobsen, Myrtue Medical Center’s CEO. “Recognition from Chartis serves as a testament to the commitment and achievements of Myrtue Medical Center's team members in delivering quality healthcare services.”

Each of the 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals in the U.S. were considered for the Top 100 Critical Access Hospital rankings. The Top 100 CAHs play a key role in providing a safety net to communities across America – and the INDEX utilizes 36 rural-relevant indicators to assess performance.

2023

Senior Life Solutions Program of the Year Finalist

Myrtue Medical Center’s Senior Life Solutions has been named the 2023 Program of the Year Finalists, by Psychiatric Medical Care, which manages the program.

Psychiatric Medical Care (PMC) partners with more than 250 hospitals and health systems across the country to provide behavioral healthcare services. Top-performing employees and Senior Life Solutions programs are recognized annually based on their excellence in demonstrating PMC’s values of care, compliance, and community. Award recipients were chosen for providing outstanding patient care, excellent comprehension and execution of compliance regulations, and strong community engagement.

“It is a great feeling to receive the Program of the Year Finalist award for a 2nd straight year,” said Dave Bauman, RN, Myrtue’s Senior Life Solutions Program Director. “It’s a team effort and I’m very proud of our staff. In addition, we couldn’t do it without the support of a great administration. It is a pleasure to work with older adults. We take great pride in serving this demographic and make every effort to honor each and every individual that walks through our doors. Each person has a story to tell and we enjoy listening to every one of them. The Program of the Year Finalist award inspires us to continue to strive for excellence”.

Myrtue Medical Center’s Senior Life Solutions program supports the unique needs of individuals, typically 65 and older, experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, grief, and other mental health challenges that are often associated with aging. Senior Life Solutions program staff includes a board-certified psychiatrist, a nurse practitioner, a licensed therapist, a registered nurse, and other trained professionals to ensure each patient receives the best possible care.

Families, friends, community members, physicians, self-referrals, or other health professionals can refer people to the program.

The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) have recognized Myrtue Medical Center (MMC) for excellence in lactation care.

MMC has received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition for staffing professionals who hold the prestigious International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) certification and provide a lactation program for breastfeeding families. In addition, the facility demonstrated that it has recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

IBCLCs focus on preventive care, so they are available before, during, and after pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding and how to overcome breastfeeding challenges after birth. Cara Cacy, RN, IBCLC, is Myrtue’s in-house Lactation Consultant and is available to meet with patients here at the Birthing Center.

“I am deeply passionate about all aspects of breastfeeding and my role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities; prenatal education, assisting with newborns' initial feedings, and identifying and resolving complications that may arise during the breastfeeding process,” stated Cara. “My commitment to this cause is rooted in the vast amount of scientific research that supports the mother/infant bond and the numerous benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby. I am dedicated to sharing this knowledge and experience with all expectant and new parents, as they navigate the challenges of pregnancy and early parenthood. I feel privileged to play a part in helping families achieve their unique feeding goals and am proud to be part of the MMC Birthing Team.”

Myrtue Medical Center’s Prestigious 2023 Hospice CAHP Elite Recipient

Myrtue Medical Center’s Hospice Department has been named a 2023 Hospice CAHPS Honors Elite Award recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst, a leading provider of revenue cycle management services, CAHPS and bereavement surveys, and advanced analytics for hospice organizations. This prestigious annual review recognizes agencies that continuously provide positive patient and caregiver experiences and high-quality care. It acknowledges the highest-performing agencies by analyzing the performance of the Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey satisfaction and quality measures.

Honors Elite is a special recognition awarded to those hospices that score above the national performance score on 100%, or all twenty-four, of the evaluated questions. Myrtue is honored to receive the Honors Elite award.

“We are excited about being named a 2023 Hospice CAHPS Honors Elite Award recipient. This award is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the quality patient care we provide to our community and meeting the unique needs of those in our care,” said Dr. Brelje, Hospice Medical Director. “Receiving the Elite Honor by scoring above the national average is exceptional and recognizes our care as among the best.”

The Myrtue Medical Shelby County Hospice Department has a tradition of providing compassionate, high-quality care to our community. The Hospice Department performed over 5,800 visits, including various services such as nursing, physical therapy, social worker, and home care aide.

The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health that Myrtue has been recognized for overall excellence in patient outcomes and patient perspectives based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX.

This Performance Leadership Award recognizes top quartile performance (75^th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in the United States in the areas of Quality, Outcomes and Patient Perspective. Data for this award is gathered independently by Chartis and is used to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance. It also is an acknowledgment of the efforts of hospitals, along with their staff, who are driven to deliver high quality care in rural communities.

“It is an honor to be recognized in the top quartile of performers for high quality of care at Myrtue. The innovative, personalized care we give to patients is exceptional, and our commitment to delivering positive outcomes is a top priority,” stated Dr. Brian Anderson at Myrtue Medical Center.

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Myrtue Medical Center has received American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Referring Center Gold Plus recognition for its commitment to ensuring science-based treatment for all people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks.

The American Heart Association (AHA) once again has awarded Myrtue its Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Referring Gold Plus quality achievement award. Myrtue has been recognized the last five years for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

2023 – Gold Plus 3rdyear in a row
2022 – Gold Plus 2nd year in a row
2021 – Gold Plus
2020 – Gold
2019 – Silver

This award recognizes hospitals that have met or exceeded recommendations in treating patients with severe heart attacks, called STEMI heart attacks. A STEMI “ST-elevation myocardial infarction” is a serious form of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart. Every year, more than 280,000 people experience a STEMI that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

“Myrtue was the first critical access hospital in Iowa to receive the Gold Plus award in 2021, and to receive it for a third year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment. “Looking to the future of EMS in Shelby County, it is imperative that we continue to offer the same lifesaving and rapid transport service that Medivac Critical Care Ambulance Service offers. The ability they have to urgently present to transfer a STEMI patient to the cath lab is truly something desired statewide. This recognition for our level of cardiac care is truly an honor but I am also so very proud of the EMS system and teamwork we have here in Shelby County,” said Jenny Lefeber RN BSN TCRN, manager of Myrtue’s Emergency Department.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program aims to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. The national, community-based initiative aims to improve systems of care by streamlining processes to speed the delivery of proper treatment for time sensitive, neuro-cardiovascular disease states.

Myrtue Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for promptly diagnosing STEMI patients and transferring them to hospitals that provide emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed.

“We are pleased to recognize Myrtue Medical Center for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

2022

Myrtue Medical Center is pleased to announce that Dave Bauman, RN, Program Director, and Lynne White, Office Patient Coordinator, for the Myrtue Medical Center Senior Life Solutions program, have received the 2022 Program of the Year Finalist award.

2022 Program of the Year Finalist award recipient, Dave Bauman, RN, said “It is with great honor that Lynne and I receive the 2022 Program of the Year Finalist award. I’ve heard it said that you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. We have aligned ourselves with the mission of Myrtue Medical Center and are supported by an incredible administrative team at Myrtue Medical Center and Psychiatric Medical Care. In addition, we recognize the therapists who provide outstanding coverage in a safe, non-judgmental space for clients to explore a range of issues that may be troubling them.

Myrtue Medical Center’s Senior Life Solutions department is a program designed to meet the unique needs of individuals, typically 65 and older, experiencing depression and/or anxiety related to life changes that are often associated with aging. Myrtue Medical Center’s Senior Life Solutions program staff includes a board-certified psychiatrist, a nurse practitioner, a licensed therapist, a registered nurse, and other trained professionals to ensure each patient receives the best possible care.

Families, friends, community members, physicians, self-referrals, or other health professionals can refer people to the program.

Myrtue Medical Center congratulates Michele Monson, RNC-OB, Director of Myrtue Medical's Birthing Center, for being selected as one of the 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2022.

Nurses selected for this honor represent many sectors of healthcare, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and school and office nurses.

Amy Hoffmann, a Parent Educator in Myrtue Department of Public Health's Learning for Life program, was recently announced as the June Home Visiting Hero by the Iowa Family Support Network! Help us with congratulating Amy on this amazing achievement.

Amy's supervisor, Lori Hoch, stated the following, "Amy Hoffmann joined Myrtue Medical Center's Public Health Department as a parent educator in November 2021 after providing parent education and support for the previous twenty-two years in Pottawattamie County. Since transitioning to Shelby County, Amy has worked tirelessly to raise awareness for the Parents as Teachers program to which she has devoted much of her working life. Amy has the ability to adjust her education style to meet the needs of each parent and child she serves, which translates into better outcomes and customer satisfaction. In a tireless manner, she continues to improve her knowledge, skills, and abilities by learning new information or re-visiting training to ensure that each child and parent receive consistent, quality support. Additionally, Amy shows leadership by mentoring her coworker, who is new to the Parents as Teachers curriculum. Our community is very fortunate to have Amy's extensive education, experience, creativity, and caring attitude for the families living in Shelby County."

Myrtue Medical Center TOP 100 CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS in the U.S. – Myrtue has been named one of the 100 highest-ranked Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™. Myrtue has received the Top 100 recognition for 10 of the last 11 years. Only seven of approximately 1300 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation have received this award 10 or more times placing Myrtue in a very elite group.

“Our mission and goals revolve around improving community health, providing quality patient care and high patient satisfaction, and being fiscally responsible. The Chartis Group’s INDEX methodology uses publicly reported data to benchmark hospital performance in areas such as quality, outcomes, patient perspective and market share,” said Barry Jacobsen, Myrtue Medical Center’s CEO. “It is an honor to be recognized for the great work that our team members do every day at Myrtue. Even though the last two years have presented many extraordinary challenges for our staff, they continue to perform with resilience and dedicated commitment to our community.”

Each of the 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals in the U.S. were considered for the Top 100 Critical Access Hospital rankings. The Top 100 CAHs play a key role in providing a safety net to communities across America – and the INDEX utilizes 36 rural-relevant indicators to assess performance.

2021

Myrtue Medical Center congratulates Lori Hoch, RN, Director of Myrtue Medical Center’s Public Health Department, for being selected as one of the 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2021.

Lori has dedicated service to the Public Health field for more than 14 years, overseeing Public Health at Myrtue for the last five years. Under her leadership as Public Health Director, Myrtue has navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic. “Lori has been the rock solid, central core of our county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lori has worked nonstop since the arrival of COVID-19 in February 2020. She has been preparing, monitoring, surveying, identifying, intervening, evaluating and implementing our COVID-19 response,” said Karen Buman, Chief Nursing Officer. “She is always on top of what is new or changing with COVID-19 and providing education to the county. She has worked closely with the local nursing homes to prevent outbreaks, healthcare to provide safe and effective care to COVID-19 patients, essential personnel to keep businesses operational, and most importantly, she has worked with the public to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.”

“Lori has demonstrated incredible character in showing accountability, integrity and advocating for improving quality of life for residents of Shelby County,” said Phil Markham, Board of Health Chairman. “She never misses an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of her patients, families and our community, and there is no one with more time and effort invested in our county’s response to the SARS COVID-19 pandemic.”

Nurses selected for this honor represent many sectors of healthcare, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and school and office nurses.

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Myrtue Medical Center has received the Mission: Lifeline® Gold Plus Referring Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. Myrtue is the first Critical Access Hospital in the state of Iowa to receive this elite cardiac care designation.

This is the third year in a row that the American Heart Association has recognized the hospital for saving lives. In 2019, Myrtue received the Mission: Lifeline® Silver Referring Quality Achievement Award. In 2020, Myrtue received the Mission: Lifeline® Gold Referring Quality Achievement Award by applying the most up-to-date evidence-based treatment guidelines to improve patient care and cardiac outcomes in our community.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. The initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.

Myrtue Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for promptly diagnosing STEMI patients and transferring them to hospitals that provide emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed.

“Teamwork among providers and staff at Myrtue, Medivac, Shelby County Emergency Responders, and the receiving hospitals, is the reason this award is possible. The ability to quickly get a patient to a cath lab is heart muscle saving. This recognition for our level of cardiac care is truly an honor,” said Jenny Lefeber, manager of Myrtue’s Emergency Department.

2020

Myrtue Medical Center congratulates Jennifer “Jenny” Lefeber, RN, Manager of Myrtue’s Emergency Department, for being selected as one of the 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2020.

Jenny has worked as a nurse at Myrtue for nearly 25 years. Under her leadership as ER Manager and Trauma Program Manager, Myrtue has received repeat recognition by the American Heart Association as a Mission: Lifeline STEMI Referring Center for meeting or exceeding recommendations in treating patients with STEMI heart attacks. Jenny also serves as Incident Command Operations Chief and collaborates with regional and local healthcare partners to deliver the best in critical (or emergency) care.

“Jenny’s most notable quality is her nursing leadership,” says Karen Buman, Chief Nursing Officer. “As an emergency department manager, Jenny is confident, results driven, and quick to make knowledge-based decisions in emergency situations. As a nurse, Jenny is inspiring and compassionate. She has an empathetic heart and truly cares about her patients and staff.”

Nurses selected for this honor represent many sectors of health-care, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and school and office nurses.

Myrtue Medical Center TOP 100 CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS in the U.S. – Myrtue has been named one of the 100 highest-ranked Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™. Myrtue has received the Top 100 recognition for 10 of the last 11 years. Only seven of approximately 1300 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation have received this award 10 or more times placing Myrtue in a very elite group.

“Our mission and goals revolve around improving community health, providing quality patient care and high patient satisfaction, and being fiscally responsible. The Chartis Group’s INDEX methodology uses publicly reported data to benchmark hospital performance in areas such as quality, outcomes, patient perspective and market share,” said Barry Jacobsen, Myrtue Medical Center’s CEO. “It is an honor to be recognized for the great work that our team members do every day at Myrtue. Even though the last two years have presented many extraordinary challenges for our staff, they continue to perform with resilience and dedicated commitment to our community.”

Each of the 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals in the U.S. were considered for the Top 100 Critical Access Hospital rankings. The Top 100 CAHs play a key role in providing a safety net to communities across America – and the INDEX utilizes 36 rural-relevant indicators to assess performance.

2019

Myrtue was named one of the 100 highest-ranked Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. Myrtue is the only Iowa hospital to receive this award nine years in a row and is among only seven other CAH hospitals in the U.S. that have received the award nine times. Regarded as one of the industry’s most significant designations of performance excellence, the annual Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals award is based upon the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX® from iVantage Health Analytics. Each of the 1300 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States were considered for the rankings.

In addition to the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals award, Myrtue Medical Center is the first Critical Access Hospital in the state of Iowa to receive American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Silver Referring achievement award. Myrtue Medical Center has received the Mission: Lifeline® Silver Referring Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. Myrtue is the first Critical Access Hospital in the state of Iowa to receive this elite cardiac care designation.

2018

Myrtue Medical Center was recently named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

“This achievement is very gratifying and validates our daily commitment to providing the best healthcare possible to our community, while maintaining an efficient and effective facility. I am especially proud of being a seven-year recipient of this award. ” said Barry Jacobsen, CEO Myrtue Medical Center. “Very few hospitals, big or small, can make that statement. I also know we have received this recognition repeatedly because we have a tremendous staff comprised of dedicated, competent, and caring individuals.”

Myrtue Medical Center scored in the top 100 of Critical Access Hospitals on the iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength INDEX®. The INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural provider performance and its results are the basis for many of rural healthcare’s most prominent awards, advocacy efforts and legislative initiatives. The list of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals can be found at www.ivantageindex.com/top-performing-hospitals.

The Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals play a key role in providing a safety net to communities across America – and the INDEX measures these facilities across eight pillars of hospital strength: Inpatient Share Ranking, Outpatient Share Ranking, Cost, Charge, Quality, Outcomes, Patient Perspective, and Financial Stability.

“I am incredibly proud of Myrtue and all my co-workers for this honor, but it does not surprise me,” said Dr. Hannah Johnk. “I see excellence on a daily basis from every department, with patients always at the center of our efforts. You can see the care each person puts into their work in order to make this such a great place.”