WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) today announced the recipients for the 2026 Provider Achieving Care Excellence (ACE) Awards Program, formerly known as the AHCA/NCAL Awards Program. Each year, AHCA/NCAL recognizes the outstanding contributions of leaders and frontline staff in the long term and post-acute care profession from around the country. The awardees demonstrate a commitment to excellence, improving the lives of seniors and individuals with disabilities in their communities.
“The honorees exemplify outstanding leadership, professionalism, and dedication to both their residents and their colleagues,” said AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Clif Porter. “We are proud to recognize their commitment to delivering exceptional care, fostering innovation, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve every day.”
The 2026 Provider ACE Awards recipients are:
AHCA Leader of the Year: Donna Baker, Director of Quality, Risk and Compliance at Maine Veterans’ Home in Augusta, Maine
With more than 32 years of experience dedicated to long term care, clinical leadership, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, education, and resident advocacy, Baker has devoted the past 19 years of her career to Maine Veterans’ Homes, where she provides strategic leadership and oversight across the organization’s long term care communities. Baker is certified in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement and healthcare compliance. Her leadership has contributed to significant organizational achievements, including three Maine Veterans’ Homes attaining the AHCA/NCAL Gold Quality Award for sustained excellence in quality and performance. Baker remains a visible and trusted presence, demonstrating that exceptional leadership is rooted in service, connection, and purpose.
AHCA Noble Caregiver: Macy McMann, Social Worker at Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo, Iowa
As a social worker, McMann plays a critical role in enhancing the well-being of the Rose Haven residents through individualized support, ensuring that each resident's emotional, social, and psychological needs are fully addressed. She builds meaningful relationships with residents, advocates for resident choice, and serves as a trusted resource to staff across all disciplines. From her beginnings as a certified nursing assistant to her current role, McMann has remained deeply committed to serving others in this small, rural community. Her compassion, advocacy, and unwavering respect have enriched the lives of residents and strengthened the entire Rose Haven community.
NCAL Leader of the Year: Melissa McCorquodale, Senior Living Administrator at Good Samaritan Society – Ridge View Estates in Pipestone, Minn.
A champion of quality with a lifelong career in long term care, McCorquodale led Ridge View Estates to earn the 2025 AHCA/NCAL Silver Quality Award. Her dedication extends beyond her own community, serving as a national examiner for the program and has supported other Good Samaritan Society facilities in achieving both Bronze and Silver Quality Awards. McCorquodale extends her leadership at the national level by serving as a member of the NCAL Policy & Regulatory Committee and the NCAL Quality Committee and was a former AHCA/NCAL Future Leader. In addition, McCorquodale is involved at the state level with Care Providers of Minnesota and contributes to her local community through various committees.
NCAL Noble Caregiver: Kyle Grover, Maintenance Manager at Brookdale Senior Living Florence in Florence, N.J.
For the past four years, Grover has overseen the upkeep, safety, and overall comfort of the community's residents. Grover exemplifies a genuine passion for his work, combining hands-on technical skill with a deep commitment to the wellbeing of the seniors he serves each day. He approaches every task not simply as a job to complete but as an opportunity to connect with and support the people around him. His calm, steady presence and willingness to go above and beyond have made him a trusted figure among residents, families, and staff alike, and his unwavering dedication makes him an invaluable part of the Brookdale Florence community.
In addition to these awards, the Provider ACE Awards Program also includes the Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award and the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award to recognize individuals who have made significant national contributions to advancing quality long term care and the senior living profession, respectively. The recipients of these awards will be announced later this month.
To learn more about the Provider ACE Awards categories, please visit HERE. All Provider ACE Award recipients will be honored during Delivering Solutions 26, the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, held this October in Boston, Mass.