Eastern Shore Rural Health Named a Top Performer Nationwide

Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Inc. has once again been named among the top community health care networks in the country. On Nov. 6, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the top 10 percent of health centers, who received a Gold Health Center Quality Leader badge for achievements in improving health outcomes and providing high-quality care for patients in rural and underserved communities. Eastern Shore Rural Health was also recognized for both its efforts to address social risk factors to health and to advance use of health information technology.

Out of 1370 health center systems nationwide, 144 earned Gold status, putting Rural Health in the top 10.5% of health centers in the U.S. In Virginia, out of 26 health care systems Rural Health is one of four attaining gold status, with 15.3% of health centers in the state achieving this ranking.

Rural Health is among nine community health care systems in the state noted for collecting information on patients’ social risk factors, like lack of access to food, and connecting patients to services to help and reduce the negative impact on their health. Nationwide, 27% of community health care systems were recognized.

HRSA also acknowledged Rural Health’s use of health information technology, which involves the processing, storage, and exchange of health information in an electronic environment, for the benefit of its patients.

In 2022, Rural Health served 30,252 patients, which is roughly two out of every three people on the Eastern Shore of Virginia .

HRSA’s Health Center Program is a cornerstone of our country’s health care system, especially for people having difficulty finding a doctor or paying for the cost of care. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Rural Health offers discounts to patients who qualify based on income and family size.