Butler Health System has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. The difference, now, is that the entire country knows it.

That’s because earlier this week the health system was among 100 hospitals honored by IBM Watson Health as the nation’s top-performing health systems.

The top hospital designation highlights the best-performing hospitals in America, based on clinical, operational and patient satisfaction data. That includes things like survival rates, shorter lengths of stay, shorter wait times in the emergency department, and high marks patient satisfaction.

BHS CEO Ken DeFurio credited the honor to the system’s 400 doctors and 2,500 employees. We think DeFurio, who was named CEO 12 years ago, when the hospital employed about 20 doctors, deserves some credit too.

“I like this one because we did not apply for this award,” DeFurio told the Eagle. “It’s based on actual results.”

BHS didn’t just earn a glitzy designation as one of the nation’s best-performing hospitals. It was also recognized for hard work and improvement, and was one of only 13 hospitals nationwide to earn an Everest Award for greatest improvement over a 5-year period.

It’s not hard to see where that improvement is coming, as the hospital continues to add physicians and other health care professionals to its stable of employees, and new facilities and technology to its campuses.

All of that’s been accomplished as regional health care behemoths like UPMC and AHN continue to snatch up community health systems, or expand their operations, in surrounding counties. It’s indisputable that Butler County and the communities here have benefited from having an independent hospital system that’s committed to growing and improving while maintaining its roots in the community.

“We have studied, is bigger necessarily better?” DeFurio said. “We have come to the conclusion that’s not always the case. Doing the right thing is.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Congratulations to BHS on a well-deserved honor.