Michael Rosenblut serves as President and CEO of the Parker Jewish Institute for Healthcare and Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing community in Queens, New York. The Institute received the AHCA/NCAL Silver National Quality Award in 2024.
The Quality Journey from Start to Now
As a recipient of the Silver Quality Award, Michael reflects on how the consistent impact of the quality journey: “Our quality journey evolves every single day. At Parker Jewish Institute, we set a high bar of perfection, which requires us to continually evaluate our processes, concerns, and issues as they arise. This ongoing focus ensures that we maintain excellence in the services we deliver.”
Valuing People
At the heart of Parker Jewish Institute’s success is its investment in people, ensuring that staff feel prepared, supported, and empowered to deliver the highest quality of care: “We believe that investing in our team is essential for success. Recognizing that our approach to new employee orientation was not the most effective, we created Parker University, a dedicated classroom with advanced technology where new employees receive training before beginning their roles. This structured orientation has improved performance and retention. Additionally, we are completing a mock resident room to teach clinical care practices, even down to environmental services tasks.”
Customer-Focused Excellence
At Parker Jewish Institute there are many ways in which they focus on the needs of their residents and the families of residents: “One example of customer-focused excellence involved a resident who had been losing weight prior to admission. We discovered his preference for Carvel ice cream milkshakes and ensured he received them daily during his stay, which helped him regain weight and improve his health. Another initiative emerged during the pandemic, when families had difficulty reaching staff due to increased demands. We established a dedicated Family Call Center, open 11 to 12 hours daily, handling over 46,000 requests since its launch. This system ensured families received timely updates and support.”
Innovation
Parker Jewish Institute also embraces creative, out-of-the-box solutions, implementing programs that respond to cultural needs and transform the resident experience: “Responding to community needs, we developed a dedicated Indian cultural program. We designated specific space within our facility, hired a specialized chef trained in traditional Indian cuisine, and implemented culturally aligned recreation and staffing. This initiative has been highly successful, with 50 to 60 residents regularly participating in culturally specific programs and services.”
Societal Contribution
Beyond its walls, the Institute demonstrates its commitment to the wider community by bringing essential health care directly to those most in need: “Through our Parker at Your Door program, we bring physician and nurse practitioner services directly to homebound individuals. This initiative allows patients who may not have seen a doctor for months to receive care in their homes, including examinations, lab work, and even x-rays. By extending health care beyond our walls, we ensure community members receive timely, essential medical support.”
Looking Forward
Michael and his team are already preparing for the Institute’s next step in the Quality Award journey: “We are currently refining our Gold Quality Award application, studying the criteria, and ensuring our systems align with its standards. This process compels us to examine metrics on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, strengthening our operational consistency. Our focus is on continuous improvement and reaching the next level of excellence.”
Final Advice
After achieving the Silver level in the Quality Award journey, Michael shared some final advice about the award process: “For organizations pursuing the Quality Award journey, it is essential to understand the goals and metrics required at each level. Assembling a dedicated team to produce data and evidence of compliance is critical. Equally important is the mindset that quality is not a destination but an ongoing process.”