Audubon County Memorial Hospital today announced it has been recognized as a 2026 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The Top 100 awards program celebrates outstanding performance annually among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.
Callen Weispfennig, Chief Executive Officer of Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinic proudly states, “This national recognition reflects the exceptional work happening across our organization every single day. It speaks to our employees commitment to quality, operational excellence, patient experience, and responsible stewardship of our resources — all in service to our community.
Rural healthcare is more complex and demanding than ever. Achievements like this do not happen by accident. They happen because of our team’s resilience, teamwork, innovation, and unwavering dedication to our mission.
Thank you to the ACMH staff for the care you provide, the standards you uphold, and the difference you make for our patients and for one another. This recognition belongs to every member of our team.”
“The delivery of care within rural communities is perhaps more complex today than at any point in recent memory. This year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals have emerged as true leaders – committed to their mission through a powerful combination of resilience, dedication and innovation,” said Michael Topchik, Executive Director of The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We’re delighted to recognize this year’s winners and celebrate their Top 100 status.”
Now in its 16th year, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is utilized nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations, quality, patient perspective and finance.
Audubon County Memorial Hospital & Clinics (ACMH) is a 17 bed, Critical Access Hospital serving Audubon County and the surrounding areas, with the mission of “Excellence With Quality and Compassion to Those We Serve.”
ACMH services include emergency services, acute care, laboratory, radiology, heart and vascular services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and surgical services. In addition, we offer several specialty services including behavioral health, care coordination & referrals, cardiology, dermatology, ENT, OB/Gynecology, hand specialist, nephrology, obesity medicine (weight management), orthopedics, pain management, podiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology, and urology.
ACMH operates two rural health clinics, Audubon Family Health Clinic and Exira Medical Clinic. These clinics offer complete care providing adult and well child exams, same-day sick visits, certified DOT exams, chronic condition management, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), preventive screenings and vaccines.
Audubon County Memorial Hospital & Clinics is proud to once again be named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health.
