2026 Excellence Award Winners: Celebrating Innovation in Oregon's Rural Communities
At the annual Oregon Rural Health Conference, ORH recognized four organizations with the 2026 Oregon Rural Health Excellence Award for their outstanding contributions to improving health and healthcare in rural Oregon.
The Excellence Award honors organizations that demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, collaboration and commitment to strengthening the health of rural communities. Awards are presented in five categories: rural hospitals, rural clinics, rural EMS agencies, rural public health and rural community-based organizations.
Please join us in congratulating the 2026 Excellence Award winners:
- Rural hospital: Legacy Health, Silverton
- Rural clinic: Lake Health District
- Rural EMS: Milton-Freewater Rural Fire & EMS
- Community-based organization: Eastern Oregon Cancer Center
No applications were received for the public health category this year. ORH encourages public health agencies to apply for the 2027 Excellence Awards.
Learn more about this year’s awardees below.
Legacy Health, Silverton | Rural Hospital Excellence Award
Legacy Health received the Rural Hospital Excellence Award for its nurse-driven mobility initiative, a project designed to reduce patient falls with injury through earlier and more consistent patient mobilization.
By bringing together nursing leadership, physical therapists and occupational therapists, the organization implemented standardized mobility practices, improved communication across care teams and equipped nursing staff with tools and training to support patient movement safely.
The results have been significant. Between FY25 and FY26, falls with injury decreased by 75%, while patient mobility improved and delays in ambulation were reduced. The initiative demonstrates how collaborative, evidence-based improvements can enhance patient safety and outcomes while providing a sustainable model for other rural hospitals.
Lake Health District | Rural Clinic Excellence Award
Lake Health District was recognized for a multi-year effort to improve diabetes management and patient engagement within its rural health clinic.
In 2022, clinic leaders identified that more than one-third of patients with diabetes either had poorly controlled blood sugar levels or were overdue for essential HbA1c testing. Working within existing staffing and financial resources, the clinic implemented a series of workflow improvements, including electronic health record reminders, targeted patient outreach, point-of-care testing and enhanced patient education.
As a result, the percent of patients with uncontrolled or unmonitored diabetes was cut in half, dropping from 36% to 18% between 2022 and 2026. Annual patient engagement rates also increased from 54% to 96%, demonstrating the power of data-driven quality improvement and team-based care in rural settings.
Milton-Freewater Rural Fire & EMS |Rural EMS Excellence Award
Milton-Freewater Rural Fire & EMS was recognized for Grow Your Own, an innovative workforce development program designed to address the ongoing shortage of EMS professionals in rural communities.
Rather than relying solely on external recruitment, the program invests in local students and young adults, providing education, mentorship and support to help them pursue careers in emergency medical services. Participants receive guidance navigating training opportunities and financial assistance while gaining firsthand experience within the organization.
By creating a pipeline of locally trained emergency responders, Grow Your Own is helping build a sustainable rural EMS workforce and offers a model that can be replicated by other rural communities facing similar staffing challenges.
Eastern Oregon Cancer Center | Community-Based Organization Excellence Award
Eastern Oregon Cancer Center received the Excellence Award for its leadership in restoring access to cancer care in northeastern Oregon.
Following the closure of the region's only radiation oncology center, the organization launched a community-driven recruitment effort to rebuild a specialized cancer care workforce. Those efforts led to the successful reopening of the radiation oncology facility in January 2026 and the restoration of critical treatment services for rural patients.
Since reopening, the center has expanded access for Oregon Medicaid members and maintained uninterrupted services without treatment disruptions caused by staffing shortages. By bringing radiation therapy back to the region, Eastern Oregon Cancer Center has reduced travel burdens for patients and families while strengthening the local healthcare system and improving access to life-saving care close to home.
ORH extends its sincere congratulations to each of the 2026 Excellence Award winners for their dedication to improving health outcomes and strengthening healthcare access in Oregon's rural communities.
Nominations for the 2027 Rural Health Excellence Awards are now open. If you have a project you would like to submit to receive an award in 2027, please visit the award webpage to learn how to apply. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 31, 2027.
