Hays Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital formed by the 1991 merger of two religiously affiliated facilities, and provides the only tertiary level services in the region. The organization's Vision Statement, developed collaboratively with local and regional physicians, hospital administrators and community board representatives, was refined to a single core purpose: "To Help People Be Healthy," and an overriding goal: "To Be the Best Tertiary Care Center in Rural America."