Iowa Specialty Hospital-Clarion Earns 2026 Iowa Flex Healthcare-Associated Infection Spirit Award
Iowa Specialty Hospital-Clarion Medical-Surgical team is proud to announce they are recent recipient of a 2026 Iowa FLEX Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) Spirit Award by Compass Healthcare Collaborative. This recognition honors hospitals that have demonstrated exceptional performance in preventing healthcare-associated infections by maintaining zero reportable infections across all monitored HAI measure areas—including MRSA bloodstream infections, CAUTI (Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections), CLABSI (Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections), Clostridioides difficile (C.diff), and Surgical Site Infections (SSI) during the 2024–2025 reporting period.
The Flex Award is given through the Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program from the Iowa Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Iowa MBQIP is a quality improvement activity under the Flex program of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). The goal of MBQIP is to improve the quality of care provided in critical access hospitals (CAHs) by increasing quality data reporting by CAHs and then driving quality improvement activities based on the data. This project provides an opportunity for individual hospitals to look at their data, measure their outcomes against other CAHs, and partner with other hospitals in the state around quality improvement initiatives to improve outcomes and provide the highest quality care to each and every one of their patients. (source)
Representatives from Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics recently attended the Medica Rural Iowa Hospital Flexibility Program Annual In-Person Meeting on July 21, 2026, in Altoona, IA. They were joined by hospital quality leaders, population health leaders, and educators from throughout the state of Iowa where they discussed best practices for improving quality, patient safety, and team engagement as well as gained practical strategies of using inpatient measures to foster a culter of continuous improvement that supports patients, families, and communities.
"Receiving this award is an incredible accomplishment, “stated Rayne Premo, Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics Quality Officer. “Healthcare-associated infections remain one of the most significant patient safety challenges across the country, and achieving zero infections across every monitored category requires an unwavering commitment to evidence-based practice, teamwork, and attention to detail. This recognition reflects thousands of daily decisions made by our caregivers—from hand hygiene and sterile technique to environmental cleaning, patient education, and adherence to infection prevention protocols. This achievement belongs to every member of our Clarion Medical-Surgical team. We thank them for the dedication, professionalism, and commitment they bring to patient care every day. We are incredibly proud of their commitment to providing safe, high-quality care for every patient, every day.”
To learn more about Compass Healthcare Collaborative’s Iowa MBQIP Flex Award Quality Improvement Program, visit their website at https://www.compasshcc.org/initiatives/hospital/mbqip-flex.
ABOUT COMPASS HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
Compass Healthcare Collaborative is dedicated to sustainable healthcare transformation. Compass has a long history of serving as a prime contractor for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), building and sustaining large networks to raise the standard of care. Compass has been working with hospitals, clinicians and communities to help them thrive in a value-based environment and devise new solutions to today’s challenges.
Pictured left to right: Wanda Hilton, EdD, CHES (Rural Hospital Flex/SHIP Program Coordinator, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services), Tom Butler (ISH&C HIPAA Privacy Officer and Safety Officer); Rayne Premo (ISH&C Quality Leader)
Recipients of CAH Quality Infrastructure Certificates
Pictured: Members of ISH Med Surg Staff with Iowa Flex Spirit Award
