Evanston, WY (May 1, 2025)—, announced that it achieved a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
“We’re proud that Evanston Regional Hospital has earned the CAH designation,” said Cheri Willard, CEO of Evanston Regional Hospital. “This designation reflects our commitment to improving access to local emergency, preventive, and specialty care, as well as skilled nursing and rehabilitation services—close to home. Achieving this milestone required meeting rigorous standards, and we are grateful our team’s dedication and hard work.”
The CAH program aims to strengthen healthcare in rural communities by making certain residents have access to vital medical services, including the added benefit of swing bed services. Swing bed services provide patients with a place close to home for post-acute care, such as physical therapy or wound care. The hospital will continue to provide local access to 24/7 emergency care, primary care, diagnostic imaging and labs, specialties, and referrals, without patients needing to travel long distances.
This designation also reimburses hospitals for the expenses of caring for sicker patients who require more days in the hospital and incur higher supply and drug costs. Cost-based reimbursement for services for Medicare patients is critical to maintaining essential healthcare in rural areas like Uinta County.
“We are proud to be in this position of strength as we continue delivering care to the community we are honored to serve,” added Willard.
About Evanston Regional Hospital (ERH)
Evanston Regional Hospital (ERH) is proud to serve Uinta County. ERH is affiliated with the University of Utah to provide TeleStroke services for its Emergency Department and TeleCritical Care support for its Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The Chartis Group named ERH a Top 100 Rural and Community Hospital in 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 and earned the distinction of a Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital in 2023, 2024, and 2025. As Wyoming’s first hospital to achieve Chest Pain Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology, the hospital continues to maintain the accreditation today. ERH has also received national recognition for Performance Leadership in Quality among the nation’s rural hospitals in 2017, 2018, and 2019. For more information, please visit www.EvanstonRegionalHospital.com.