WARWICK – The Rhode Island Health Care Association announced that seven Rhode Island skilled nursing centers have earned a Bronze Commitment to Quality Award, the first of three distinctions possible through the National Quality Award Program, which are presented by the American Health Care Association. The award program honors the country’s centers that demonstrate their commitment to improving quality care for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
The seven recipients of the award this year are the Friendly Home in Woonsocket, Evergreen House Health Center in East Providence, Golden Crest Nursing Centre in North Providence, Hebert Health Center in Smithfield, Eastgate Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in East Providence, Grace Barker Nursing Center in Warren and Elderwood at Riverside in East Providence. Each of the entities is a member of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, Rhode Island’s largest trade association of skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers.
“The process by which a nursing center earns a Quality Award is rigorous, to say the least. It’s wonderful to see these applicants recognized for their commitment,” Virginia Burke, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, said in a statement. “We’re very fortunate that so many of Rhode Island’s skilled nursing center employees work diligently each day to ensure the highest quality care for their patients.”
Centered on Baldrige Performance Excellence Program’s core values and criteria, the National Quality Award Program helps providers achieve their performance excellence goals. The program has three progressive levels of awards – bronze, silver and gold – and centers begin their quality improvement process at the bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with key performance metrics such as vision and mission statements and an assessment of customers’ expectations. Applicants for the Bronze Commitment to Quality Award must demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system. Trained examiners review each bronze application to determine if the facility meets the applicable criteria. These facilities are now eligible to work to develop approaches and achieve performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver Achievement in Quality Award.
The awards will be presented during the American Health Care Association’s 67th annual Convention and Exposition, Oct. 16-19 in Nashville, Tennessee.
