Caryn Bommersbach to serve as National Quality Improvement Mentor for Critical Access Hospitals

Caryn Bommersbach of Redwood Falls, CentraCare Manager, Quality Assurance & Medical Staff Compliance was selected as a national Virtual Quality Improvement Mentor by Stratis Health supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Mentors were chosen from a pool of candidates across the country who were nominated as quality improvement leaders.

Bommersbach, a Redwood Falls resident, started her nursing career in 1995 in the Long Term Care setting and was the Director of Nursing at Wood Dale Nursing Home before joining Redwood Area Hospital in 2001 as the Home Care Manager.  In 2014, she became the Quality Risk Manager and in 2020, advanced to the Manager, Quality Assurance and Medical Staff Compliance position for the CentraCare system.

“I am passionate about quality because it takes everyone—every department, every provider and staff member—working together in providing a safe, high-quality, excellent healthcare experience for the patients we have the privilege to serve,” said Bommersbach.

Twelve mentors were selected to represent the diversity of Critical Access Hospitals across the nation, with varying rural locations, service lines, and patient volumes. They each successfully report and use data to support quality improvement activities in rural hospitals.

“Critical Access Hospital” is a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) designation given to eligible rural hospitals, with 25 beds or less, to reduce the financial vulnerability and improve access to health care by keeping essential services in rural communities. The Virtual Quality Improvement Mentors will share examples and advice addressing common quality improvement challenges that occur in Critical Access Hospitals. The program will capture these strategies, tips, and ideas to disseminate them broadly to others serving in CAH quality roles.

“We’re proud of the work Caryn does to ensure quality care at CentraCare and the Regional CAHs,” said Kay Greenlee, CentraCare VP Performance Excellence. “Because of her leadership in quality improvement, our purpose is lived by our staff as they provide excellent care to the family, friends, and neighbors we serve.”