PINCKNEYVILLE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL NAMED ICAHN IMPACT AWARD WINNER FOR ITS CAREFIRST JOURNEY

The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) announced Pinckneyville Community Hospital as a 2025 IMPACT Award Winner for the hospital’s CareFirst Journey during the organization’s Annual Conference held November 3 - 4 at the I-Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign.

The Community Award showcases ICAHN member hospitals that initiated a new approach to improve patient relationships and care, implemented a new process flow or life-safety improvement, found a creative way to motivate and inspire staff, and improved the well-being of staff or patients.

Pinckneyville’s CareFirst Journey is a shared commitment to compassion, excellence, and continuous growth built on three pillars: Care of Employees, Care of Patients, and Care of the Community.

The program implemented and enhanced a number of employee-empowering projects, from staff training and workshops to fun, clever ways to celebrate innovation and achievement. In support of the program’s Care of Patients pillar, cross-functional innovator teams were created to enhance process and elevate the patient experience. The organization’s CEO, COO, and Director of Quality and Risk Management personally round on hospital patients to gather real-time feedback and demonstrate leadership’s commitment to listening, learning, and improving care from the bedside up.

The group’s Day of Caring, a full-day volunteer experience where 15 – 20 frontline staff step away from their regular roles to serve the community hands-on, has, along with other Care of the Community steps, deepened the community’s trust and connection with the hospital.

The CareFirst Journey has sparked meaningful change across the hospital from the inside out, boosting staff retention and cross-department collaboration, enhancing the hospital’s reputation and giving patients more personalized care, leading to higher satisfaction scores.

Located in Princeton, IL, ICAHN is a network of 60 small, rural hospitals dedicated to strengthening the operations of its member hospitals through collaboration. The organization is composed of Illinois hospitals who have earned critical access hospital designation by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is recognized nationally for its work with rural healthcare, administering several state, federal, and private healthcare programs.