Top 100 Critical Access Hospital
Unity Medical Center Named to 2026 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital List
February 24, 2026
Unity Medical Center, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Grafton, North Dakota, has been named one of the Top 100 CAHs in the U.S. for 2026, according to the Chartis Center for Rural Health. North Dakota has ten CAHs named to this year’s Top 100.
Top 100 hospitals are top performers, excelling in financial efficiency, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers across the U.S.
Jody Ward, grant program director for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, oversees the North Dakota CAH Quality Network and the North Dakota Rural Health Clinic Network located at the Center for Rural Health (CRH), part of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
“We are proud to see so many North Dakota CAHs represented this year,” said Ward. “Our hospitals have continually kept up with an influx of patients while maintaining the high-quality patient care we are known for across North Dakota. To see ten of our hospitals being recognized in the Top 100 means we are doing things correctly.”
Jacob Warren, director of CRH, emphasized the importance of rural health throughout the state. “Particularly for our state, rural hospitals are the heartbeat of our communities, and the high level of care they provide, along with being mindful of costs, will continue to improve the health of our citizens.”
Other North Dakota hospitals receiving Top 100 recognition include: CHI Mercy Health of Valley City; CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington Medical Center; Langdon Prairie Health; Linton Regional Medical Center; McKenzie Health in Watford City; Pembina County Memorial Hospital in Cavalier; Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen; South Central Health in Wishek; and Towner County Medical Center in Cando.
The Chartis Group provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics and technology, and health analytics, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children’s hospitals, and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results. The Chartis Center for Rural Health is a division of the Chartis Group.
About the Center for Rural Health
Established in 1980 at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, the Center for Rural Health is one of the nation’s most experienced rural health organizations. It has developed a full complement of programs to assist researchers, educators, policymakers, healthcare providers, and most important, rural residents to address changing rural environments by identifying and researching rural health issues, analyzing health policy, strengthening local capabilities, developing community-based alternatives, and advocating for rural concerns. For more information, visit RuralHealth.und.edu.
