Glacial Ridge Health System has been named one of the 100 Critical Access Hospitals to Know for 2026 by Becker’s Hospital Review, a national recognition that places the Glenwood hospital among the best rural hospitals in the country. There are 1,383 critical access hospitals in the United States and 88 in Minnesota. Of the top 100 nationwide, seven are in Minnesota.
Becker’s selects hospitals that expand access to care, reduce how far patients have to travel, and bring advanced services to their communities. Glacial Ridge Health System stood out for doing exactly that, while staying fully independent and community governed.
A Few of the Reasons Glacial Ridge Made the List:
- Top patient ratings: Ongoing 5-star CMS ratings for patient experience, patient recommendation, staff responsiveness, cleanliness, and quietness.
- A staff vacancy rate of just 1.7%: A stable team, far below the 13% average vacancy rate across Minnesota hospitals, at a time when many rural hospitals struggle to stay fully staffed.
- Advanced services that rival larger hospitals: This includes a physician-led medical weight loss program, and technology such as resuscitative TEE (transesophageal echocardiography) and POCUS (Point-of-Care Ultrasound) in the Emergency Department.
- Trauma ready care: Level IV Trauma designation, continuing participation in Minnesota’s coordinated trauma network since 2008.
- Community-driven growth: Guided by its Community Health Needs Assessment, Glacial Ridge has expanded care over the past three years. That includes food insecurity screening that connects patients with local food resources, new dermatology services, additional midwifery and family medicine providers, and a behavioral health team of three therapists plus the Senior Life Solutions mental health program.
“Recognition like this reflects what our community already knows,” said Kirk Stensrud, CEO of Glacial Ridge Health System. “Our team shows up every day to deliver high-quality, heartfelt care. To be counted among the top hospitals in the country, while staying independent and rooted in this community even as we grow, is something we’re all proud of.”
A Workplace That Earns Recognition
Glacial Ridge also earned top workplace honors in 2025 — named a Top Workplace in Minnesota by the Star Tribune, a national Healthcare Top Workplace, and recognized by the Minnesota Hospital Association as an Exceptional Minnesota Hospital Workplace, with its environmental services team named Department of the Year.
View more: Awards & Designations/Accreditation – Most Recent 5 Years