(Atlantic, Iowa) — Cass Health, in Atlantic, was recently named one of the four finalists for the 2023 Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award from the American Hospital Association. Hospital officials say the award recognizes small or rural hospital leadership teams who guide their hospital and community through change and innovation. The awardees display outstanding leadership, responsiveness to their community’s health needs, and a collaborative process that has led to measurable outcomes.

Cass Health CEO Brett Altman says “Cass Health’s staff is dedicated to our vision to be the best rural hospital in the country. Meeting that goal means we do a lot of behind-the-scenes work to really delve into our community’s needs, research solutions, recruit quality providers to allow greater access to specialty care and invest for the future. We’re very proud of our entire team to be one of the finalists for the American Hospital Association award, and I hope the many southwest Iowa communities we serve feel the same.”

The American Hospital Association shared that Cass Health was selected due to their work in three main areas. First, for labor and delivery services and growth in maternal health services. Second, their student experience program that provided around 120 clinical opportunities in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, radiology, and other healthcare careers last year. Lastly, Cass Health was selected due to their Healthy Equity Committee, which focuses on health disparities, social determinants of health, and social needs.

The winning recipient of the Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award was Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital, in Waimea. Other finalists included the teams at Providence Alaska in Seward, Valdez and Kodiak, Alaska; and Hannibal Regional Healthcare System in Hannibal, Missouri.