Cobleskill Regional Hospital Achieves Top Honors

COBLESKILL — Cobleskill Regional Hospital, part of Bassett Healthcare Network, has been distinguished as a 2024 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital in the U.S. by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). The National Rural Health Association’s Top 20 critical access hospitals are an elite subset of the prestigious Chartis Center for Rural Health Top 100 honorees, selected from more than 1,300 critical access hospitals across the United States.

Notably, Cobleskill Regional Hospital is the only hospital in New York State to be recognized as a 2024 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital.

“Receiving news a few weeks ago that Cobleskill Regional Hospital was named among the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation was outstanding. To be further awarded the prestigious honor of a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital is so exciting it’s hard to put into words. We are absolutely over the moon,” says Susan Oakes Ferrucci, DNP, MSN, RN, CNS, President of Cobleskill Regional Hospital and Chief Hospital Executive of Bassett’s Critical Access Hospitals Division. “This remarkable achievement would not be possible without the dedication of our caring and compassionate staff. We are committed to serving our community with exceptional care while treating them like family.”

As a Critical Access Hospital, Cobleskill Regional Hospital is Schoharie County’s only provider of acute inpatient medical care, emergency care, short-stay inpatient rehabilitation, and many other diagnostic and therapeutic services. Schoharie County extends over 600 square miles in rural central New York State.

Bassett Healthcare Network also maintains outpatient clinics throughout Schoharie County, including Cobleskill Health Center, Middleburgh Health Center, Schoharie Health Center, Sharon Springs Health Center, plus a School-Based Health Center in Middleburgh.

“Cobleskill Regional Hospital’s achievement as a Top 20 critical access hospital is extraordinary. Their daily dedication to excellence in care, collaborative culture, and connection to the community goes beyond traditional caregiving,” says Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, President and CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network. “At Cobleskill Regional Hospital, every employee is an important part of a patient’s care journey. They are the heart and soul of the hospital.”

Cobleskill Regional Hospital achieved its Top 20 distinction by providing high quality care as evidenced by rigorous quality metrics. The NRHA award program recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, which includes metrics like inpatient and outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient satisfaction, and financial performance.

“Everyone at Cobleskill Regional Hospital is dedicated to excellent healthcare close to home and to providing the best possible experience for the residents of Schoharie County and surrounding areas,” says Steven Kroll, Chair of the Cobleskill Regional Hospital Board of Trustees. “It is an honor to be recognized as one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. This designation is a testament to the staff and clinicians of Cobleskill Regional Hospital and Bassett Healthcare Network. We couldn’t be more grateful for their commitment to caring and excellence.”

Critical Access Hospital is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Critical Access Hospital designation is designed to reduce the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improve access to healthcare by keeping essential services in rural communities. Eligible hospitals must have 25 or fewer acute care inpatient beds, be located more than 35 miles from another hospital, maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less for acute care patients, and provide 24/7 emergency care services.