News and Announcements

June 25, 2020

National Rural Health Resource Center recognizes Mason District Hospital

CAH recognition spotlights innovative care coordination initiatives to improve population health
Critical Access Hospital recognition was established by The Center and FORHP to recognize the excellent work in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural safety net providers throughout the country. In this round of CAH Recognition, these four hospitals received national recognition for demonstrating innovative care coordination initiatives to improve population health:
  • Lexington Regional Health Center — Lexington, Nebraska
  • Lincoln County Medical Center — Ruidoso, New Mexico
  • Mason District Hospital — Havana, Illinois (Spotlighted below)
  • Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital — Genevieve, Missouri

Mason District Hospital (MDH) built their care coordination program from the ground up. When the Care Coordinator at MDH accepted her position, there was not a care coordination program in place. This worked to their advantage by allowing them to align their initial areas of focus with the patient-centered goals promoted by their Accountable Care Organization (ACO). MDH joined the Illinois Rural Community Care Organization (IRCCO)–an ACO who provided them a playbook that laid out a framework of best practices that could be implemented to increase care coordination while reducing the overall patient spend for attributed Medicare patients.
MDH hardwired basic quality initiatives such as promoting Medicare Wellness Visits before adding additional levels of care coordination. A few months later they introduced full care coordination to all providers practicing in their three rural health clinics. “As providers began to realize the benefits of care coordination, the number of participating patients grew”, said Doug Koiser, Mason District Hospital CEO.

Doug Kosier, CEO , Mason District Hospital, and Amy Ewalt, Care Coordinator, proudly accept the National Rural Health Resource Center’s Certificate of Recognition for demonstrating excellence and innovation in care coordination initiatives.
Positive Outcomes
  • Patient participation in the care coordination program grew from three patients at the end of 2018 to over 132 patients at the start of 2020.
  • HbA1c levels have been successfully lowered by providing education and medication management via care coordination for diabetic patients.
  • Depression screening quality score improved for on MDH clinic, from 2.9% in 2018 to 67.3% in 2019.
Top Accomplishments
“We’re honored to have received this national recognition for our care coordination efforts. We’ve put a lot of work into implementing a chronic care management program to offer to patients within our rural health clinics,” said Doug Kosier, Mason District Hospital CEO. Doug shared that the CCM program was developed with guidance from ICAHN’s 12-week development course in 2018. “Now that it has grown, our providers are beginning to see the difference in the care of their patients who are enrolled. One of them recently said he is ‘thrilled with his patients in the program and is more up-to-date with their care than he has ever been’ in reference to specialist referral tracking.  CCM puts the patient at the center of their care by providing them a personalized care plan to share with all of their providers and caretakers.”

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About ICAHN

The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) advances the strength, sustainability, and transformation of Illinois’ rural hospitals through collaboration, advocacy, and shared solutions that improve performance and community health. Representing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, ICAHN is a nationally recognized rural health leader supporting sustainable hospitals, strong communities, and a healthier rural Illinois—Better Together.