Sentara logoSentara Halifax Regional Hospital was recently named one of the Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals in the United States by iVantage Health Analytics and The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

“This achievement is very gratifying and validates our daily commitment to providing the highest level of quality health care possible to our community, while maintaining an efficiently operated facility,” said Chris Lumsden, President and Administrator of Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital.

Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital scored in the top 100 of rural and community hospitals on iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength INDEX®. The INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive rating of rural providers. It provides the data foundation for the annual Rural Relevance Study and its results are the basis for many of rural healthcare’s most prominent awards, advocacy efforts and legislative initiatives. The Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals play a key role in providing a safety net to communities across America – and the INDEX measures them across eight pillars of hospital strength: Inpatient Market Share, Outpatient Market Share, Cost, Charge, Quality, Outcomes, Patient Perspectives, and Financial Stability.

“We are incredibly proud that we have been selected as one of the Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals in the country,” said Sherri Bee, RN, MSN, Director of Cardiovascular Services and Quality. “We work diligently every day to improve our quality scores and patient satisfaction. We believe this award showcases all of this effort and how it benefits our community.”

In 2016, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital also received the Quality Innovation Award given by Virginia Health Quality Center, a non-profit health quality consulting company, which conducts studies for exemplary infection control and patient safety. Only hospitals who scored in the top 10 percent of the Centers for Disease Control assessment for disease and infection prevention received the award.

“Quality healthcare is the backbone of what we offer here at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital,” says James Priest, DDS, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital. “We take infection control and patient satisfaction very seriously. Our quality indicators speak volumes about the kind of healthcare you will receive when you choose Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital.” In addition to infection control and patient satisfaction, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital is making strides regarding access as well. The goal for the amount of time that lapses between an abnormal mammogram and a subsequent biopsy is 8 days for Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital. In an incredible display of team work and customer-centric efforts, the hospital has managed to far surpass this goal, doing it in only 2 days.

“These clinical improvement initiatives work together to provide a symphony of efforts that ultimately improve the patient experience and the care that is provided,” says Habib Bassil, M.D., Chief Cardiologist and Chair of the hospital's Medical Affairs Committee, “When all of our goals are reached through the hard work and dedication of our staff, excellence is achieved for our community.”

Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital is continuing to push forward at every level to ensure that quality, innovation, and patient satisfaction continues to evolve and improve in the coming months and years.

“Such a prestigious award would not be possible for us if we didn’t have such an incredible team working together to best serve our patients,” says Lumsden. “Our unique model of working directly with our medical staff to provide outstanding acute care has made us one of the best community hospitals in America.”