Dear Critical Access Hospital Employee,

The Center for Public Health Practice and Research (CPHPR), located within the Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, is conducting an independent staff engagement assessment, on behalf of Georgia Critical Access Hospitals as part of the Flex Operational and Financial Improvement grant program. Your hospital is participating in this study, and your input is invaluable for this important study. Therefore, we are requesting that you complete the attached survey. The survey is designed to comprehensively assess organizational climate and staff preferences and should take approximately 15-25 minutes to complete.

Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. Please note that your employer will not have access to your actual responses. Your confidentiality will be assured as all data will be held in a secured file by the principal investigator at Georgia Southern University. All responses will be reported in aggregate form, and no unique individual identifiers will be reported. Thus, your participation in this study will have no adverse impact on you or your relationship with your employer. We also do not anticipate you experiencing any discomfort or risk as a result of your participation in this study. However, if you do, you may stop participating at any time you wish.

Participants have the right to ask questions, and the research team will do their best to answer them. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Bettye Apenteng [bapenteng@georgiasouthern.edu or 912-478-2416]. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Georgia Southern University Institutional Review Board under tracking number H#16338. For questions concerning your rights as a research participant, contact the Georgia Southern University Office of Research Services Sponsored Programs at 912-478- 5465.

Your completion of the attached survey represents your consent to participate in this study.

Thank you for your participation in this initiative.

Sincerely yours,

Bettye A. Apenteng, PhD

P.O Box 8015,

(912) 478-2416,

bapenteng@georgiasouthern.edu