Great Bend, Paola hospitals recognized for quality care

The University of Kansas Health System announces that Paola Hospital and Great Bend Campus have been recognized as top 10 performers in the 2026 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Ranking by Vizient®. The hospitals were among 220 Vizient provider clients in the small community hospital cohort recognized for demonstrating excellence in delivering high-quality care based on the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study. The recognition reflects work for the period spanning July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

Paola Hospital, recognized in the survey by its former name, Miami County Hospital, was recognized as No. 1 overall among 220 small community hospitals, with No. 1 performances in mortality, safety and variation in care and a No. 5 ranking in patient centeredness.

"I am incredibly proud and excited to see Paola Hospital recognized as the No. 1 hospital in the Vizient small community hospital cohort," says Aubree Slayman, Paola Hospital administrator. "We talk with our teams every day about the importance of quality, patient experience and outcomes, and we know the exceptional work happening here. This recognition takes that pride to another level. What makes me most proud is what this recognition represents: A team that consistently puts our patients at the center of everything we do."

Great Bend Campus improved from No. 21 to No. 7 among 220 small community hospitals, with strong performances in mortality, safety and variation in care.

"Our formula starts with our people: Supporting a strong team and keeping quality and service at the center of everything we do," says John Worden, Great Bend Campus CEO. "Being recognized by Vizient as the No. 7 hospital among 220 small community hospitals is a tribute to the incredible work every member of our team does each day. This recognition reflects the consistent progress we're making in our march toward becoming the safest hospital and delivering the best possible outcomes for our patients in the region. I'm proud of our people and their commitment to those we serve."

The Vizient Quality and Accountability Study measures performance on the quality of patient care in 6 domains: safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency, patient centeredness and equity of care. The study factors in measures from the Vizient Clinical Data Base and includes performance data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey and the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network.

The Vizient Quality and Accountability Study helps participating hospitals and health systems understand their performance against their peers and identifies structures and processes associated with high performance in quality and safety across a broad spectrum of patient care activity.