Fifteen new members join the ranks of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award winners earning their Bronze-Commitment to Quality Awards for their dedication to quality care. VHCA-VCAL now counts 58 active Bronze recipients among the membership.  The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program honors providers throughout the country that have demonstrated their commitment to delivering quality care for seniors and persons with disabilities.

VHCA-VCAL offers its congratulations to the following:

• Augusta Nursing & Rehab Center, Fishersville
• Bay Lake Retirement Community, Virginia Beach
• Birmingham Green, Manassas
• Carriage Hill Nursing Home, Fredericksburg
• Chase City Nursing & Rehab Center
• Consulate Health Care of Norfolk
• Envoy Winchester
• Heritage Hall – Leesburg
• Heritage Hall – Dillwyn
• Heritage Hall – Tazewell
• Heritage Hall – Laurel Meadows, Laurel Fork
• Joseph C. Thomas Center, Salem
• The District Home at Birmingham Green, Manassas
• Williamsburg Landing, Williamsburg
• Woodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare, Alexandria

“To see 15 of our member centers earn the Bronze Quality Award this year is tremendous,” said Keith Hare, VHCA-VCAL President and CEO. “It’s the efforts of the dedicated staff who care for their residents and patients in these centers that make the difference in improving quality in Virginia’s nursing homes.”

In total, 590 long term and post-acute care providers in 48 states were recognized for commitment to quality care.  

“The recipients of the Bronze award are making it their mission to deliver quality care for our nation’s elders and individuals with disabilities,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “This year, we have more Bronze recipients than ever before, and I’m convinced that because of their commitment, our profession will continue to grow stronger and make a national impact.”

The National Quality Award Program, implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, 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.

The 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.

The awards will be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 70th Convention & Expo in Orlando, Florida, October 13-16, 2019.