JCH&L Among Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals for 2026

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FAIRBURY, NE – For the 11th time in 13 years, Jefferson Community Health & Life has been named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health.  Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.

“JCH&L is proud to provide quality and compassionate care to area residents. It is gratifying to be recognized for the results of our commitment,” said Holly Wolff, MHA, CEO of Jefferson Community Health and Life. “Our staff and providers constantly strive to provide exceptional care and inspire our community to a lifetime of health.”

Jefferson Community Health & Life scored in the top 100 of critical access hospitals (CAHs) on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™ for 2026, and previously in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, and 2014. The annual Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals award is regarded as one of the industry’s most significant designations of performance excellence.

Hospitals recognized as a Top 100 facility scored in the top 100 among more than 1,380 Critical Access Hospitals nationally. Now in its 16th year, the INDEX has established itself as the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

“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.”

The list of this year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals can be found at: https://www.chartis.com/top-performing-rural-hospitals

JCH&L is among 11 Nebraska critical access hospitals to make the Top 100 list for 2026. Others are: Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, Beatrice; Crete Area Medical Center, Crete; Community Medical Center, Falls City; Henderson Health Care, Henderson; Phelps Memorial Health Center, Holdrege; CHI Health St Mary’s, Nebraska City; Avera St Anthony’s Hospital, O’Neill; Memorial Health Care Systems, Seward; Brodstone Healthcare, Superior; York General Hospital, York.

In May 2020, JCH&L was recognized by The Chartis Center and the National Rural Health Association for being one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation for quality. In May 2018, JCH&L was recognized for being one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals overall in the nation.

In November 2025, JCH&L was recognized with a Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Quality. The Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance  (75th percentile and above) among rural hospitals in quality, outcomes and patient perspective. Jefferson Community Health & Life has previously been recognized with the NOSORH/iVantage Performance Leadership award for quality in 2024; quality and patient perspective in 2023, 2022 and 2021; quality in 2020; quality, outcomes and patient perspective in 2017, 2018 and 2019; and for financial strength and patient satisfaction in 2016.

“Recognition as one of the top Critical Access Hospitals in the nation reaffirms what we work hard to accomplish every day: exceptional health care,” Wolff said.

JCH&L Holds Annual Meeting for Fiscal 2025

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2025 brought many changes

The Jefferson Community Health & Life board of directors held the organization’s annual membership meeting for fiscal 2025 on Thursday, Jan. 15. Anyone who has donated $100 or more to Jefferson Community Health & Life is a member of the private not-for-profit corporation and eligible to attend the meeting.

Two board members were elected to serve four-year terms: Steve Snyder was elected to his second four-year term; and April Stone was elected to her first four-year term. Stone was elected to take the board seat that had been held by Carolyn Scherbarth for four years. Board members are elected from among members of the corporation and may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.

Ross Boeckner, board chairman, said 2025 was a year of strong performance despite challenges.

“We maintained solid financial health through effective leadership, the dedication of our outstanding staff and the steadfast support of this community,” Boeckner said.

He credited CEO Holly Wolff with superb guidance.

“Her contributions have helped us navigate uncertainty while staying true to our mission to provide exceptional health and life services for every person, every time,” Boeckner said.

He noted that the absence of two outstanding physicians is deeply felt, with the death of Dr. Craig Shumard and Dr. Brett Wergin leaving for another position.

He said JCH&L is excited about the future: new providers, the addition of robotic-assisted surgery, and construction of a new therapy addition. He said the improvements coming will enhance JCH&L’s ability to provide high-quality care for its community.

Highlights in the CEO’s annual report to members from Holly Wolff, CEO, included a number of awards and recognition: being named for the 10th time as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, receiving the Performance Leadership Award; receiving the Nebraska Quality Award; being named a Top Workplace for Healthcare; receiving culture awards for Appreciation, Professional Development and Employee Well-being; and being named a Top Workplace for Frontline Workers. JCH&L also earned a 5-Star rating from the National Rural Rating System. Gardenside long-term care also continued to receive a 5-Star rating.

Rick Blum, PA-C, was named JCHL’s Caring Kind employee the fall of 2025 (fiscal 2026.) Sarah Bauer, surgery manager, was named JCH&Ls Caring Kind employee in the fall of 2024 (fiscal 2025.)

JCH&L hired Abby Hanzlicek, MD, to join JCH&L Fairbury Clinic and Syed Akbar, DO, to join JCH&L as family medicine physicians. A new Behavioral Health department was added, and Nicole Topliff, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP, and Caitlin Tucker, PMLHP, were hired as behavioral health providers. Megan Knutson, FNP-C, and Kensly Williams, PA-C, were certified through The National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy for wound care and began offering wound care clinics through the outpatient specialty services area.

To better serve our staff members and enhance retention and recruitment efforts, JCH&L increased benefits. PTO accruals and maximums were increased (new max of 240 hours for part-time staff and 400 hours for full-time staff). Retirement benefits were also enhanced – matching by JCH&L now begins right away, and matches range from 4 percent to 10 percent based on the employee’s years of service.

In November 2025 (Fiscal 2026) JCH&L announced it will add the Intuitive da Vinci 5® surgical platform in early 2026. In December 2025 (Fiscal 2026), JCH&L began a fund-drive to help purchase the THINK TMINI ® robotic system for orthopedic surgery, which will also be added in early 2026. Heartland Bank has pledged matching funds up to $50,000 for the fund drive.

JCH&L earned designation in July as a Level IV (Basic Level) Trauma Center by the NDHH Office of Emergency Health System/Nebraska Statewide Trauma System.

JCH&L Occupational Health staff members began providing services for inmates at the Jefferson County Jail in August.

JCH&L entered into a partnership with Avel eCare in October 2025 (Fiscal 2026). Avel eCare is a telemedicine provider that supports hospitals with virtual emergency services. At the push of a button, local emergency room staff have immediate virtual access to Avel’s team of board-licensed emergency physicians and expert nurses.

In Fiscal 2025, the Board approved significant updates to the hospital’s Financial Assistance Policy to further strengthen access to care for patients and families. Eligibility for financial assistance was expanded from 300 percent to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, and additional consideration is now given to patients whose medical bills exceed a defined percentage of annual household income. These changes reinforce the hospital’s commitment to affordability, equity, and community access while aligning with best practices for rural healthcare organizations.

JCH&L remained active in community collaboration and events. JCH&L partnered with the Fairbury Public Schools, Nebraska Hospital Association and Nebraska Healthcare Foundation to bring the Health Care Heroes League to Fairbury third graders for its second year. JCH&L hosted the Nebraska Community Blood Bank bloodmobile and directed the NCBB Hometown Heroes donation the  Fairbury Rural Fire Department. JCH&L and the Fairbury FBLA worked together to raise cancer awareness and fund-raise for the Alzheimer’s Association. Many other events and projects were offered to benefit our area residents.

Chance Klasek, CFO, presented a report containing a comparison of financial data over the past five years. Chance noted that our gross revenues increased to just under $53 million in fiscal 2025. After bad debt and contractual adjustments of $13 million and expenses of $36.8 million, this left us with $2.1 million of operating income which equated to a 5.37 percent operating margin. We recognized gains on investments and grants of roughly $2.3 million for a total increase in net assets of $4.4 million.

At the regular monthly board meeting which followed the annual meeting officers were elected for 2026. Officers are: Ross Boeckner, chairman; Steve Snyder, vice chairman; and Diane Wellsandt, secretary-treasurer.

JCH&L Fairbury Clinic Adds Handicap Parking at Negative Pressure Entrance

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JCH&L Fairbury Clinic has added designated handicap parking at the Negative Pressure Entrance. Patients may be directed to the Negative Pressure Entrance when they have symptoms which might indicate a transmissible disease.

The Negative Pressure Entrance is handicapped accessible, and the new designated parking makes it even more accessible. There are also spaces which are not handicapped accessible which are designated for the Negative Pressure Entrance.

If you are making an appointment and are asked to use the Negative Pressure Entrance because of your symptoms, you will be asked to park in one of the designated parking places and call 402-729-3361, option 1, for instructions.  You will wait in your car until a nurse brings you in.

JCH&L Fairbury Clinic wants to provide exceptional service for all patients and keep everyone safe. The Negative Pressure area, which has two exam rooms, is a tool that was incorporated into the clinic to help to provide an area to see patients with communicable diseases without continuing to spread the disease.

JCH&L Gardenside Receives 5-Star Rating

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FAIRBURY – JCH&L Gardenside has again received a 5-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.  Gardenside has been a 5-Star facility nearly continuously since the rating system was started by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid in 2008.

Nursing Home Compare’s star rating system allow consumers to compare information about nursing homes. It contains quality of care, staffing and survey information for more than 15,000 Medicare- and Medicaid-participating nursing homes. Facilities are assigned star ratings from a high of 5 stars to a low of 1 star based on health inspection surveys, staffing information and quality of care measures. Five stars indicate much above average quality, while a one star indicates much below average quality. The ratings are publicly available on the agency’s Nursing Home Compare website at  www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare.

“Our goal is not only a 5-Star rating – but excellent care for our residents. Gardenside staff work hard to ensure that our residents receive compassionate and quality care,” said Laura DeBoer, RN, director of nursing at JCH&L Gardenside.

JCH&L Gardenside has been providing long-term care to area residents since 1963. Currently, Gardenside is licensed for 40 beds, and has one dedicated Hospice room available. Gardenside has an aviary and a variety of activities in which residents can participate including organized activities in the evenings and on weekends.

Gardenside prides itself on having a homelike environment, and being a small, family-oriented care facility. Three enclosed courtyards provide outdoor space for residents and their families to enjoy.

“What really makes our facility special and our care exceptional is our wonderful staff,” DeBoer said. “Their hard work, dedication and care for our residents truly makes us an outstanding facility.”

The Nursing Home Compare statistics can be accessed by going to www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare and selecting Jefferson Community Health & Life Gardenside.

Parkinson’s Support Group to Meet Feb. 18

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The Parkinson’s Support Group will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. in the Jefferson Community Health & Life Clinic Conference Room.

The program will be on “Understanding Parkinson’s,” featuring videos from the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Khan Academy, and materials from the Parkinson’s Foundation.

For easiest access, park in the H Street parking and enter through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the signage to the Clinic Conference Room.

The Parkinson’s Support Group is an opportunity for area residents to share their experiences with Parkinson’s disease. Those who have Parkinson’s Disease, caregivers of those with Parkinson’s Disease, and those who have family and friends with Parkinson’s Disease and want to learn and share are welcome.

There is no cost or obligation. For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at (402)-729-6855.

Caregivers Support Group to Meet Feb. 12

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The Caregivers Support Group offered by the Alzheimer’s Association will meet on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 4:30 p.m. in the Jefferson Community Health & Life Clinic Conference Room. The program will be a video on “Wandering and Dementia.”

Easiest access will be by parking in the H Street parking and entering through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the signage to “Caregiver’s Support.”

The Caregiver’s Support Group is a program of the Alzheimer’s Association. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month in the JCH&L Clinic Conference Room.

The support group is designed for those who are caregivers and family members of those who have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.  The group provide an opportunity anyone interested to share their experiences with Alzheimer’s Disease and learn from other’s experiences. There is no cost, and no pre-registration required.

For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at 402-729-6855.

Fairbury Rural Fire Department Earns Hometown Heroes Donation

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The Fairbury Rural Fire Department was presented with a check for $750 from Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB) on Jan.13, 2026, because of the community’s successful participation in the NCBB Hometown Heroes campaign.

The NCBB Hometown Heroes program takes place each year from Memorial Day to Labor Day and is an opportunity for community members to join forces, help save lives, and enrich their community. Money is allocated from NCBB to blood drive partners when they reach their blood drive collections goals.

The Jefferson Community Health & Life qualifying blood drives took place on June 10 and Aug. 5, 2024, and collected a total of 66 units of blood and welcomed 2 new blood donors.

The hometown hero program will continue in 2026 as Jefferson Community Health & Life will be hosting blood drives during the summer qualifying period on June 2 and July 28. To make an appointment please visit us at www.ncbb.org and use the sponsor code JCHC or call NCBB at 402-486-9414.

Every two seconds, someone needs blood. Because blood cannot be synthetically made, only volunteer blood donors can help save lives. If you are interested in being a hero in your community, visit NCBB.ORG/heroes or email blooddrives@NCBB.org

The NCBB bloodmobile visits JCH&L six times each year. The next drive date will be Feb. 16.

JCH&L Earns Great Plains Top Workplaces Award

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Jefferson Community Health & Life has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2026 honor by Great Plains Top Workplaces 2026.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

The Great Plains Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage  LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling Respected & Supported, Enabled to Grow, and Empowered to Execute, to name a few.

JCH&L has previously been awarded the Top Workplaces Frontline Workers award for 2026, Top Workplaces for Healthcare 2025, and Culture awards for Professional Development, Employee Well-Being and Employee Appreciation.

“Jefferson Community Health & Life is honored to be recognized for Top Workplaces awards,” said Holly Wolff, JCH&L CEO. “We know we have a top workplace and top employees – it’s great to have our survey confirm that our employees agree.”

The Top Workplaces program has a 17-year history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations nationally and across 60 regional markets. Top Workplaces awards are based on feedback from a research-backed employee engagement survey.

JCH&L participates in the Employee Engagement survey provided by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces.

JCH&L Receives 5-Star Recognition from National Rural Rating System

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Jefferson Community Health & Life has been recognized with a prestigious 5-star rating for the second consecutive quarter from the National Rural Rating System (NRRS) — a top-tier honor that celebrates excellence in rural healthcare delivery across the United States.

This distinguished award reflects the hospital’s steadfast dedication to providing exceptional care, earning high marks in patient satisfaction, quality outcomes, and overall performance. The NRRS 5-Star Rating highlights hospitals that go above and beyond in serving rural communities, often under challenging conditions where resources can be limited but compassion and commitment run deep.

JCH&L has received 5-star recognition for the fourth quarter of 2025, after being named 5 Star for the third quarter of 2025 in October, 2025.

“Continued 5-star recognition affirms that JCH&L continues to provide outstanding care to our patients,” said Holly Wolff, CEO. “Our goal is to consistently offer the highest quality care with true compassion. We’re incredibly proud of our team for the care they provide for every patient, every time.”

The NRRS star system was developed to showcase excellence among rural and critical access hospitals that may not qualify for traditional CMS star ratings due to smaller patient volumes. Despite smaller numbers, facilities are still evaluated using rigorous standards, including data from certified patient satisfaction surveys (HCAHPS) and clinical quality indicators.

“This award is a reflection of the unwavering dedication and deep compassion these hospitals bring to rural healthcare,” said Brock Slabach, chief operating officer of the National Rural Health Association.

Jefferson Community Health & Life is proud to serve Jefferson County and the surrounding area, offering 24-hour emergency care, surgical services (most recently adding robotics), acute and swing bed care, family medicine clinic, behavioral health, outpatient specialists, long-term care, home health, occupational health, and a community fitness center. JCH&L has been a cornerstone of health and healing in the region since 1963. With a mission to provide exceptional care to every customer every time, JCH&L remains committed to meeting the needs of its community with compassion, innovation, and integrity.

This 5-star rating not only celebrates past accomplishments — it sets the tone for continued excellence and trust in rural healthcare.

Learn more about the NRRS and the Five-Star Rating System at FiveStarRatings.org.

JCH&L Recognized as Age-Friendly Health System

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Jefferson Community Health & Life has achieved special recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence in our ongoing efforts to ensure age-friendly care for all older adults we serve.

Over the last three months, we have collected data about the count of older adults who received a set of evidence-based elements of high-quality care, known as the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. We are excited to continue our ongoing commitment towards reliable practice of the 4Ms. More than 5,200 hospitals, practices, convenient care clinics, nursing homes, and home health care organizations have been recognized as Age-Friendly Health Systems – Committed to Care Excellence.

The 4Ms:

  • What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across settings of care.
  • Medication: If medication is necessary, use Age-Friendly medications that do not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across settings of care.
  • Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium.
  • Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day to maintain function and do What Matters.

JCH&L is proud to join the growing ranks of these organizations in putting the 4Ms into practice. Globally, more than 5,470,000 older adults have been reached with 4Ms care.

“Our commitment to sharing data and learning only grows stronger as we further our efforts to improve care delivery for those most in need,” said Erin Smith, RN, JCH&L chief operating officer. “We continue to strive toward reliable implementation of age-friendly best practices for all of our hospital patients who are 65 and older. JCH&L has always been committed to care excellence and is proud and humbled to have achieved this external recognition.”

This age-friendly movement is guiding us to continue to provide excellent care to all of our patients.

“The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative continues to be an important part of our overarching vision to provide every older adult with the best care possible. Above all, we aim every day to earn recognition of excellence from the older adults we serve,” said Holly Wolff, JCH&L chief executive officer.

Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the US (CHA).

“I applaud the team at Jefferson Community Health & Life for continuing your journey to advance age-friendly care,” said Camille Burnett, PhD, MPA, APHN-BC, BScN, RN, DSW, FAAN, Vice President for Health Equity, Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Burnett continued, “We know that older adults and staff alike want equitable, evidence-based quality care centered on what matters most to each individual. Together, we can move toward a future in which every older adult, during every care interaction, receives age-friendly care.”

For more information, visit ihi.org/age-friendly

2200 H St., PO Box 277, Fairbury, NE