Atmore Community Hospital will become a Tier 1 hospital effective April 1, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama.

BCBS puts hospitals in its network in different tiers based on the quality and affordable healthcare they provide.

ACH moved from a Tier 2.

Infirmary Health CFO Joe Denton said the drivers that contributed to Atmore’s move in tier are quality and cost.

“One of the drivers of quality is the favorable number of lower readmissions to the hospital,” Denton said. “The previous criteria that Blue Cross Blue Shield felt it was difficult for a rural facility to get a Tier 1 status.”

Denton said the transition for ACH into the Infirmary Health system has been great.

“We’re very excited about our relationship with Atmore,” he said. “We had a very successful conversion over to the infirmary system. We have really enjoyed working with the staff and doctors, and look forward to being there for quite some time.”