The Health Facilities Association of Maryland has announced that five members were recognized with a 2019 Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).
The Bronze 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 individuals with disabilities.
The National Quality Award Program, implemented by AHCA/NCAL, is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which is the foundation of the metric-based AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative. The National Quality Award program assists providers of long-term and post-acute care services in achieving the application of continuous quality improvement.
“HFAM’s exclusive Maryland partnership with AHCA/NCAL provides our members with a unique opportunity to be nationally recognized for their commitment to quality,” said HFAM President and CEO, Joseph DeMattos. “We are very proud of our Quality Award recipients and because of their commitment to quality, our sector will grow stronger while we continue to provide quality care to Marylanders in need.”
The 2019HFAM Bronze Award winners include: Allegany Health Nursing and Rehab, Deer’s Head Hospital Center, FutureCare Courtland, Genesis Chesapeake Woods Center, and Sunrise of Frederick. In total, Maryland now has 60 Bronze and 11 Silver Award winners.
The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program has three levels: Bronze, Silver,and Gold. Providers begin the quality improvement journey at the Bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements such as vision and mission statements and an assessment of customers’ expectations. Bronze applicants must also demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system.
Trained Examiners review each Bronze application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria. Recipients of the Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver - Achievement in Quality Award.
A record-breaking total of 590 long-term, post-acute, and assisted living care providers in 48 states were recognized with Bronze Awards this year. A full list of the recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL website. All winners will be honored during AHCA/NCAL’s 70th Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, October 13-16, 2019.
Founded in 1948, HFAM is the oldest and largest nationally affiliated long-term and post-acute association in Maryland. HFAM member facilities offer assisted living, post-acute, rehabilitation and long-term care nursing services, and are found in nearly every community in every county and city across Maryland. For more information, please visit www.HFAM.org.
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 13,700 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.It is the nation’s largest long-term and post-acute care provider association.
