KRMC named one of America's top 100 hospitals

Kalispell Regional Medical Center was named one of “America’s Top 100 Hospitals” on Monday by IBM Watson Health, a health technology company that recognizes the nation’s hospitals which best combine excellent patient care with efficient business practices.

Kalispell Regional Medical Center was one of 20 hospitals named in the “medium community hospital” category and is the only hospital in Montana honored this year.

The top 100 list, released annually since 1993, independently evaluates 2,740 nonfederal hospitals using publicly available data on organizational efficiency, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. IBM Watson Health identifies top hospitals as ones that outperform others along several metrics, including: better survival rates, lower rates of complications or infections, shorter patient stay, shorter emergency department wait times, lower in-patient expenses, higher overall profit margins and higher patient satisfaction.

This is the first time that the medical center has achieved this distinction. According to the IBM Watson Health announcement, the top 100 hospitals do not submit their names to be considered for the honor and do not pay to publicize it.

“We are thrilled that Kalispell Regional Medical Center was named a 100 Top Hospital,” said Pamela Robertson, president and CEO of Kalispell Regional Healthcare, in a press release Monday. “This study recognizes that we have clearly demonstrated excellence in care, efficiency and community value. I am incredibly proud of our leadership, medical staff and employees – together as a team – who have met national benchmarks for the highest-balanced performance in the U.S.”

Reporter Adrian Horton can be reached at ahorton@dailyinterlake.com or at 758-4439.