LVH–Schuylkill Among Pennsylvania’s Top Rural Hospitals

Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Schuylkill is among 16 rural hospitals in Pennsylvania and the only regional hospital to be recognized as a winner of the 2024 Performance Leadership Award.

Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards recognize top rural hospitals for quality, outcomes and patient perspective.

LVH–Schuylkill is recognized for patient outcomes.

“We are so very proud to receive this recognition,” says Terry Purcell, Senior Vice President, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), President, LVH–Schuylkill; President, Northwest Region. “This is yet another recognition in a series of awards for patient care and patient quality, and it speaks directly to each and every colleague on our team.”

The Performance Leadership Awards capture the commitment, diligence and innovation with which America’s rural hospitals approach the delivery of care within their communities.

LVH–Schuylkill received several recognitions reflecting its dedication to excellence, quality and compassion.

In 2024, LVH–Schuylkill was recognized with a Stroke Gold Plus Award from the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines™ program. Hospitals that qualify for this must meet strict standards for providing high-quality stroke care.

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania recognized LVH–Schuylkill with a 2024 Excellence in Patient Safety Program award. Hospitals that earn this award report better than the mean for health care associated-infections, including central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and clostridium difficile infections (CDI).

Additionally, LVH–Schuylkill is rated as high performing for maternity care by U.S. News & World Report. High performing hospitals are graded on several factors, including unexpected newborn complication rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial or ethnic disparities. U.S. News also rates hospitals on C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, exclusive breastfeeding rates and early elective delivery rates.

The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, a comprehensive and objective framework for assessing how rural hospitals perform. INDEX benchmarks are relied on by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health to measure performance across multiple areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

“Our rural hospitals play a crucial role in enhancing health care quality, patient experience and overall outcomes, while navigating the complexities of modern health care systems,” said Sandee Kyler, Rural Health Systems Manager and Deputy Director, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. “The leadership awards recognize the exceptional efforts and innovations these hospitals demonstrate in meeting high standards of care. Through their dedication, rural hospitals are driving positive change and achieving remarkable success, despite the challenges they face. This recognition celebrates their unwavering commitment to improving patient care and shaping the future of health care in rural communities.”