Hospitals must meet all criteria during the grant year to qualify. The grant year is September 1 – August 31. Facilities will be able to apply for two awards – the PIN Award and the Quality Program of the Year Award.  By meeting the outlined award criteria, your hospital demonstrates leadership, community, willingness to share with peers and a commitment to improvement.  Award criteria is outlined below.  Facilities will have to submit separate applications for PIN and Quality Program of the Year awards.

2025-2026 MT PIN Award Criteria

2025-2026 CAH Quality Program of the Year Award Criteria

PIN Award Submission (will open late June)

Quality Program of the Year Submission (will open late June)

St. Luke Community Healthcare was recently awarded the Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network’s Quality Program of the Year Award for its efforts in quality patient care.

Over the last few years the staff at St Luke’s noticed a rise in their 72-hour readmissions within the ED. Looking at their PIN data (a measures set provided by the Quality team at MHA) they were able to confirm that the numbers were in fact rising at a troubling rate.  The project’s goal was not only to reduce avoidable readmissions but also to enhance the continuity and quality  of emergency care for the rural communities that St. Luke serves. By focusing on improving care coordination, identifying high-risk patients earlier, and strengthening post-discharge follow-up, the team aimed to close critical gaps in the system.

• Barrett Hospital & HealthCare -Improving SDOH Screening Rates
• Logan Health-Whitefish – Implementing SDOH Screening in the OB Unit
• Sheridan Memorial Hospital Association – Implementing SDOH Screening Documentation
• Central Montana Medical Center – Reducing Blood Culture Contamination Rates
• Glendive Medical Center – Increase Bar Code Scanning Rates
• Mountainview Medical Center – Improving Troponin Turn Around Time
• Sidney Health Center – Improving Responsiveness of Staff HCAHPS Domain
• Community Hospital of Anaconda – Improving Concurrent Prescribing; Opioid Safety
• Daniels Memorial Healthcare Center – Sustaining Financial Viability
• St. Luke Community Healthcare – Reducing ED 72-Hour Readmissions
• Stillwater Billings Clinic –  Reducing Sepsis Mortality Rates
• Big Sandy Medical Center – Promoting Interoperability Patient Portal Access

• Recognition at the MHA Fall Convention during the Chairman’s Welcome Reception and Awards Celebration.
• Plaque with facility name and date of award. Plaques distributed in early fall.
• Recognition in the PIN Newsletter, PIN Website, and MHA Weekly Newsletter.
• Press kit, press release and photos taken at regional meetings provided for hospital marketing.
• Quality Program of the Year recipient will receive on-stage recognition by MHA President and photo op during the MHA Annual Convention General Session.

• Official tracking done by MT Flex. Status updates provided quarterly.

Contact Lindsay Konen at lindsay.konen@mtha.org or 406-457-8002.