JRMC earns Becker’s top workplace honor for second straight year

Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s latest national recognition is about more than a plaque in the lobby. By making Becker’s Hospital Review’s 165 Top Places to Work in Healthcare list for a second straight year, the hospital is being judged on the kind of workplace it has built for nurses, therapists, technologists and support staff who keep care moving in Jamestown and across Stutsman County.

Becker’s published the 2026 list on Feb. 23, after nominations remained open through Jan. 31. JRMC said its return to the list reflects more than salaries or open positions. The hospital pointed to above-average engagement scores, a generous benefits package, transparency, career-development pathways, wellness programs, leadership training, peer recognition, work-life balance and professional development.

That matters in a rural health system where the stakes are immediate. JRMC says it was founded in 1929 and now serves more than 55,000 people in south-central North Dakota. Its 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment puts the service area at nine counties within a 60-mile radius of Jamestown, a footprint that makes staffing continuity part of the public-health picture. When a hospital can recruit and keep employees, patients are more likely to see familiar faces, and a stretched workforce is less likely to show up in longer waits or harder-to-fill shifts.

Mike Delfs, JRMC’s president and CEO, has framed the recognition as evidence that the organization is trying to build a place where employees feel valued, supported and able to grow while still delivering strong care. Delfs joined JRMC in spring 2019 after starting his career as a certified medical assistant, and the hospital says its culture and award-winning care were part of what drew him there.

The recognition also lands in the context of JRMC’s broader standing as a rural medical center. The hospital says it has maintained critical access designation since 2009, a designation that underscores how essential smaller hospitals are to communities far from major medical hubs. JRMC also says more than 35 local physicians and visiting specialists serve the area alongside its own staff and other Jamestown providers.

JRMC’s workplace profile has been building for several years. The hospital said it ranked 56th in Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in 2025, up from 69th in 2024. For Jamestown patients and workers, the latest Becker’s honor is only meaningful if it continues to translate into stable staffing, stronger retention and reliable local care.