Archives for December 2022

Ortonville Area Health Services has been awarded a 2022 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Patient Perspective by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. Given as part of the National Rural Health Day celebration, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance (75^th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality, Outcomes, and Patient Perspective.

“Quality of care and our patient experience has been a primary focus at OAHS,” said Dr. Allan Ross, CEO of OAHS. “This recognition not only reflects on the care a patient receives from those providing direct patient care but also reflects on the numerous behind-the-scenes people who greatly contribute to the patient experience. I am very proud of the team we have at OAHS.”

The Performance Leadership Awards are given to rural hospitals based on the results of analysis from the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance in the United States. INDEX data is trusted and relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

About Ortonville Area Health Services

The mission of OAHS is to provide personalized, high-quality, and compassionate care through caring professionals in a healing environment. OAHS offers a broad scope of regional services:

• Northside Medical Clinic provides family medicine and specialized care in Family Medicine/Obstetrics, Emergency Medicine, and Psychiatry. Satellite clinics and outreach services are available in Wheaton, Canby, and Clinton, MN, as well as the OAHS Trojan Clinic within Ortonville Public Schools.

• The Ortonville Hospital, a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, is a state-of-the-art facility that provides obstetrical care, surgery, and outpatient services.

• Fairway View Senior Communities provides comprehensive services while cultivating a vibrant community culture that celebrates individuality in all stages of life. Services include catered living and assisted living apartments with numerous on-site amenities and opportunities for socialization. Fairway View Neighborhoods provides long-term care nursing services and support in a home atmosphere that honors choices through meaningful activities while respecting each resident’s individual preferences.

December 6, 2022: Ortonville Area Health Services is changing the appointment process for patients experiencing respiratory, influenza-like symptoms. Currently, this patient population is served in a location that allows them to avoid the main clinic area and entrance. This was necessary during the height of COVID to minimize the spread of illness while allowing OAHS personnel to see patients in a location where it was safe, effective, and efficient.

Now, patients with respiratory, influenza-like symptoms can once again receive care inside the clinic. Below is an overview of what to expect:

• When you schedule your appointment, please communicate all symptoms, including any respiratory symptoms you may be experiencing.
• Arrive at the clinic as you typically would. Enter through the clinic and report to the registration area. Most importantly, wear a mask.
• Registration staff will assist you to a designated room, bypassing the waiting room, where you will wait to see your healthcare provider.
• Your appointment will take place as it typically does. After your appointment is complete, you do not need to report to the registration area to check out.

The drive-in option will remain in place for patients who have found it the most convenient way to receive care, meeting the patient where they are and where they feel most comfortable.

As treatment options for COVID have expanded to include preventative vaccines, home testing, effective treatment options, and better knowledge of the virus, OAHS has readdressed how patients with respiratory symptoms are cared for in the clinic while still ensuring the best patient experience possible for everyone. We appreciate your patience as we navigate and work through this change to our process.