Washington, D.C.—Today, 521 long term and post-acute care providers in 50 states and the District of Columbia were recognized with a 2018
Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The award is the first of three distinctions possible through the
AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which honors long term and post-acute care providers that have demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities.
“The Bronze award exemplifies a dedication to positively impacting quality,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “I am proud to spotlight our members for their relentless drive to advance our nation’s skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities.”
Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the core values and criteria of the
Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which is also the basis of the metric-based
AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative. The Baldrige program helps organizations across different business sectors use strategies to improve performance and organizational effectiveness.
The Award program has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Providers begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with fundamental performance elements such as vision and mission statements and key strengths and challenges. Bronze applicants must also demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system. Trained Examiners review each application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria. Recipients may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the
Silver - Achievement in Quality Award. A full list of the recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards website
here.
“This year’s Bronze award recipients are leading the way for others in the profession pursuing quality care,” said AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers Chair Alana Wolfe. “I commend them on this accomplishment and challenge them to continue making progress in quality improvement.”
The Association will announce the 2018 Silver - Achievement in Quality and Gold – Excellence in Quality Award recipients in the coming months. The National Quality Award Program is sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Members: First Quality, NRC Health, and Team TSI Corporation. Recipient organizations will be honored during AHCA/NCAL’s 69th Annual Convention and Exposition, October 7-10, 2018 in San Diego, California.