River Falls Area Hospital recognized by Chartis as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital

RIVER FALLS, Wisc. (March 10, 2025) — River Falls Area Hospital in River Falls, Wisc. today announced it has once again been named among the 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health (Chartis). 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®.

River Falls Area Hospital, part of Allina Health, joins seven other rural Wisconsin hospitals in achieving this year’s honor. This is the 11th year Chartis has recognized River Falls Medical Center with this distinction. 

"This recognition is meaningful as it signifies top performance in quality, care outcomes and patient satisfaction,” said Jill Ostrem, president, River Falls Area Hospital. "Each and every care team member plays a critical part in achieving this honor and I’m humbled to be part of the exceptional care they deliver to all members of our community."

"The Top 100 Critical Access 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, Executive Director, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. "This is our 15th year recognizing the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with this year’s winners."

The INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and 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.