Essentia Health’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center, St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes recognized as top 100 rural hospitals

For the fourth year since 2020, Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center has been recognized as a top 100 Rural and Community Hospital by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. 

The designation from Chartis, a highly respected advocate for rural health care that is committed to improving patient outcomes, honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals. St. Joseph’s Medical Center is the only hospital in the Brainerd Lakes Area to make the prestigious list, and one of only six in Minnesota — including Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes.

“We believe our care teams are among the best at what they do, and this recognition from Chartis reinforces that belief,” said Sandy Zutz-Wiczek, Essentia’s vice president of operations for the Brainerd Lakes Area. “This is a testament to their passion, professionalism and commitment to delivering the best care across the region.”

St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes continues to shine

For the second time in three years, Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes has been recognized as a top 100 community hospital.

St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes made the Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals List in 2022, when it ranked 17th out of more than 800 in the “small community hospitals” category. It also has received a four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the second-highest rating possible.

“This is a reflection of the dedicated and thoughtful care teams we have at St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes,” said Tanner Goodrich, senior vice president of operations for Essentia. “They go above and beyond in everything they do to ensure we are providing the best care for our friends, families and neighbors in the area.”

These awards for St. Joseph’s Medical Center and St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes highlight Essentia’s commitment to making health care better in the communities we serve. We are passionate about ensuring expert care is always available close to home for our patients, who expect and deserve nothing less.

More about the Chartis program

These accolades are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, a comprehensive, data-driven and objective assessment of rural hospital performance.

Overall, there are about 2,100 hospitals nationwide that Chartis considers to be rural.

“The Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals award program elevates the very best performers and helps create a roadmap for those seeking to improve financial and operational performance while continuing to care for the communities they serve,” said Michael Topchik, Chartis executive director.