UP Health System – Bell Earns 2024 Performance Leadership Award from The Chartis Center for Rural Health

ISHPEMING, MI | Nov. 21, 2024 | As part of National Rural Health Day, UP Health System – Bell (UPHS – Bell) today announced it has earned a 2024 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in patient Outcomes. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards recognize top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality, Outcomes and/or Patient Perspective. 

“This award is so meaningful to us because it reflects the heart of what we’re trying to do—provide access to consistent, quality healthcare in our small corner of the world,” said Mitch Leckelt, chief executive officer at UPHS – Bell. “It’s not easy, but our dedicated team shows up and makes it happen every single day. It’s worth every effort when we see the impact in our communities. This recognition fuels our passion to keep doing better, together.”

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 are performing. INDEX benchmarks are relied upon 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.

“The Performance Leadership Awards capture the commitment, diligence, and innovation with which America’s rural hospitals approach the delivery of care within their communities,” said Troy Brown, Network Consultant, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “It’s a tremendous honor to be able to recognize the efforts of this year’s award winners and celebrate their achievement as part of National Rural Health Day.”