RHPTP Spotlight: Pioneers Medical Center

Pioneers Medical Center

The National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center) and Stratis Health traveled to Pioneers Medical Center (PMC) on June 19, 2026, for a Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP) on-site technical assistance (TA) visit. PMC is a 16-bed critical access hospital located in Meeker, Colorado. The facility offers a variety of services to its community and surrounding area including inpatient, swing bed, emergency, imaging, surgical, orthopedic, laboratory, therapy, cardiopulmonary and long-term care services.

Stratis Health provided TA related to quality improvement (QI) activities, HCAHPS, patient experience measurement, and the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). The visit aimed at supporting PMC leadership and staff in strengthening organizational quality improvement structures, enhancing data accuracy and HCAHPS performance measurement, and identifying strategies to increase PFAC participation and engagement while fostering a sustainable culture of improvement.

Pioneers Medical Center
Pioneers Medical Center

The Center and Stratis Health met with hospital leadership, quality staff, and members of the PFAC and patient experience workgroups. Education and guidance were provided to strengthen quality infrastructure, utilizing data dashboards, and reporting processes, implementing SMART goals and PDSA methodologies, and advancing a culture of quality throughout the organization.  The PFAC and patient experience workgroups also received recommendations to improve participation, engagement, community involvement, communication, organizational structure, resiliency, sustainability and HCAHPS performance.

 

Upon completion of the visit, noted areas for opportunity included: 

  • Alignment and standardization of QI initiatives across departments
  • Organizational understanding of HCAHPS and patient experience measurement
  • Participation, structure and long-term sustainability of the Patient and Family Advisory Council 
  • Staff education regarding value-based care and individual contributions to organizational goals

 

Key takeaways from the visit included a strong and committed leadership team who continues to value a culture of quality improvement, strives to perfect interactions that influence patient perceptions, focus on employee satisfaction and reduced turnover, building relationships within the community, and making the necessary adjustments to ensure a strong foundation for a value-based care payment system.

Next steps include working closely with the new QI Director, providing guidance and tools for forming strong relationships with departments, strategy, and building a culture of quality. Stratis Health will provide virtual PFAC 101 education at an upcoming council meeting, and patient experience and PFAC workgroups will evaluate various strategies and recommendations to confirm the structure, priorities, and sustainability of the group while building organizational trust and commitment to improve overall patient experience. Pioneers Medical Center will also continue identifying strategies for improvement of HCAHPS sub-measures. Virtual QI Basics workgroup education and ongoing bi-weekly TA will also continue.

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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided financial support for this Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project. The award provided 100% of total costs and totaled $800,000. The contents are those of the author. They may not reflect the policies of HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

As a technical assistance provider to rural health care organizations, the National Rural Health Resource Center provides access to a wide range of resources on relevant topics. Inclusion on the National Rural Health Resource Center’s webpage or presentations does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by the National Rural Health Resource Center or the Health Resources and Services Administration.

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