NRHA Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program
Serve your patients and community with the highest quality care and confidence, by earning the NRHA Rural Hospital CEO Certification.
Developed for Rural Hospital CEOs, by Rural Hospital CEOs.
Participants engaging in this program will be empowered to lead rural hospitals as CEOs to thrive, not just survive, and to improve the quality of life in rural America by effectively leading their hospitals and communities to create a culture of wellness.
Get ready to make a difference!
What difference does leadership make?
All the difference! Study after study confirms the relationship between leadership effectiveness and organizational success. That is why rural hospital CEO excellence is a must have! It is not an option in today’s disruptive world! We also need to be prepared for CEO turnover. Did you know that hospital CEO turnover leads all other industries? And when the CEO leaves the hospital, initiatives come to a screeching halt, and other leadership positions usually turnover as well.
With over 130 rural hospital closures since 2010, and more than 40% of all rural hospitals at risk, there has never been a greater need for leadership excellence.
In response to the rural hospital CEO Turnover Study and hospital closure crisis, we are introducing the Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program to arm rural CEOs with the competencies and skill sets to take on the unique challenges of rural hospitals and be or continue to be a top performing rural hospital CEO.
Apply Now!Hear from our February 2020 Cohort:
“I have worked with boards and CEO’s for quite some time, but this class today gave me a different perspective of how different leadership styles and thought patterns succeed depending on the people they are influencing.”
"Being a part of this program at this time couldn't be more beneficial!"
"I found the material to be beneficial and the time spent to be valuable. I enjoyed learning and interacting with others; especially liked the time in the break out rooms."
Our Mission
Our mission is to improve life in rural America by stabilizing rural hospitals through education and engagement of current and future rural hospital CEOs to achieve leadership excellence resulting in healthy communities. We continue to work tirelessly with successful rural hospital CEOs to develop this rural hospital leadership program. This program is designed to take successful rural hospital CEOs to a new level of excellence, and to take aspiring rural hospitals CEOs to a solid foundation for leadership excellence. Leadership excellence in rural healthcare is critical to rural America!

Curriculum
The building blocks that make up the course curriculum were developed by successful rural hospital CEOs by answering this question: What do you know now that you wish you would have known then?
Leadership Building Block
Operational Building Block
Financial Building Block
Clinical Building Block
22% of the participants have been promoted!
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In our February 2020 Cohort, 14 participants were CEOs and 9 were aspiring CEOs.
Today, 18 of those participants are currently CEOs, as well as one Director who is now a C-Level executive.
Alania Pendarvis Cedillo, Administrator - Marion General Hospital, Jefferson Davis Community Hospital
Hunter Nostrant, CEO - Helen Newberry Joy Hospital
David Doorn, Administrative Director - Sublette County Rural Health Care District
Jason Bleak, CEO - Battle Mountain General Hospital
Brian Williams, CEO - Coal Country Community Health
Anna Anna, CEO - Tyrone Hospital
Jenni Word, CNO - Wallowa Memorial Hospital
John McReynolds, CEO - North Valley Hospital