Bingham Memorial Hospital
Takes Innovative Approach to Population Health With Nurse-Led Care and Technology
As the national nursing shortage grows, rural healthcare facilities like Bingham Memorial Hospital are among the hardest hit. The National Rural Health Association projects a shortage of 95,000 nursing assistants by 2030, a challenge Bingham Memorial is tackling head-on. Led by Chief Nursing Officer Holly Davis, the hospital uses a proactive population health strategy focused on nurse-led care and smart technology.
Bingham Memorial reduced discharge documentation time by 75% after it equipped nurses with EHR-integrated smartphones and refined workflows. More importantly, nurses now play a central role in operational and technology decisions — boosting staff retention and reducing burnout.
“By integrating MEDITECH Expanse EHR data into daily workflows, care teams can create individualized care plans and set personal health goals with patients,” said Davis. “It supports a more proactive, collaborative model.”
Microenvironments for macro improvements
Bingham Memorial created patient “microenvironments” — segments defined by shared clinical or demographic characteristics — to analyze trends, tailor interventions, and track outcomes. The hospital’s registries target major local health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and maternal health.
“We group patients with chronic conditions to monitor progression, identify care gaps, and implement targeted strategies,” said Davis. “We’ve put patient data into the hands of the back office, front office, and providers.”
Keeping score to improve care
A provider scorecard embedded into clinical workflows helps teams track performance metrics like fall risk, depression, A1C, blood pressure, and preventive screenings.
“We use the scorecard in both primary and specialty care to ensure every interaction supports broader quality goals,” Davis explained.
This data-driven approach is paying off. Bingham Memorial now regularly exceeds national benchmarks in chronic care management and preventive screenings. Improvements include:
- Breast cancer screening: +4.83%
- Colorectal screening: +7.40%
- Depression screening: +41.3%
- Fall risk screening: +12.06%
- Diabetic A1C control: +0.96%
- Hypertension control: +4.02%
- Flu vaccination: +3.84%
“We knew we were doing quality work, but it wasn’t until we focused on data that we could truly measure our impact,” said Davis.
Forging ahead with whole-person care
Davis noted that Bingham Memorial will continue to focus on early detection and intervention, as metrics indicate they are helping reduce reliance on emergency department visits and hospitalizations. By catching health concerns early, care teams can intervene to prevent the escalation of issues, improve patient outcomes, and help control overall healthcare costs.
Next, Bingham Memorial plans to expand virtual connected care, including telenursing and telehealth. These tools will integrate case managers, psychiatrists, nutritionists, and social workers to support bedside teams, reduce nurse burnout, and enable real-time, whole-person care.