Baltimore, Md. — Nursing homes across the country are demonstrating meaningful progress in quality improvement, according to a new
report released today by the American Health Care Association (AHCA). The report includes federal data on key quality measures and patient outcomes since the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in 2023.
“The progress we are seeing is indicative of the never-ending commitment of nursing home caregivers to improve the lives of their residents, seek out the latest best practices, and continuously innovate,"
said Clif Porter, President and CEO of AHCA. “The data is confirmation of the inspiring efforts that we have witnessed in recent years. We're not just recovering but reinvigorating efforts to deliver high-quality nursing home care."
Focusing on key measures of care and experience, the report shows improved outcomes for both short-term patients and long-term residents as well as a more stable long term care workforce.
Key highlights include:
- Additional patients regaining their independence: Nearly 95,000 more short-stay patients improved their functional abilities, while almost 30,000 more patients successfully returned home.
- Fewer hospital visits: Nursing home care helped patients avoid more than 14,000 emergency room visits.
- Improving outcomes: More long-stay residents are experiencing successful prevention of weight loss, pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, and catheter use.
- Record participation in a nationally recognized quality-improvement program: The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program has experienced 134% growth in applications from skilled nursing and long term care organizations. Silver and Gold recipients are shown to perform better than the average nursing home on Five-Star and numerous quality measures.
These improvements reflect a broader commitment by the nursing home community to enhance quality, embrace innovation, and build stronger systems of care, priorities that are key themes of the
AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit taking place this week in Baltimore. The annual event convenes hundreds of providers, clinicians and leaders from across long term and post-acute care to share best practices and advance strategies focused on continuous quality improvement. Stephanie Carlton, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Deputy Administrator and Chief of Staff, is the keynote speaker.
“Nursing homes have continued to do an incredible job these past few years, making an incredible impact on the lives of our residents and families, but we know our work is never done. The pursuit of quality is a journey, not a destination and requires all hands, minds and hearts on deck,"
said Holly Harmon, Senior Vice President of Quality, Regulatory, and Clinical Services at AHCA. “Sensible, supportive policies will be key to building on this momentum. We look forward to working with policymakers on implementing better ways to advance quality improvement in the years to come, so that patients and residents can enjoy life to the fullest."
Read the 2026 AHCA Quality Update
HERE.