The Nebraska Health Care Association (NHCA) announced in June that 24 long-term and post-acute care members across Nebraska were recognized with the 2016 Bronze Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for their dedication to quality care. AHCA/NCAL’s  National Quality Award Program spotlights providers across the country that have    demonstrated their commitment to delivering quality care for seniors and people with    disabilities.

“We are proud of our members for their dedication to providing quality care for Nebraska’s nursing facilities and assisted living communities,” said Heath Boddy, president and CEO of NHCA. “This award is achieved through hard work and commitment. Our members are incredibly deserving of this recognition.”

Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program 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 program assists providers of long-term and post-acute care services in achieving their performance excellence goals.

The program has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Providers begin the quality improvement process 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 are then able to move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver Achievement in Quality Award.

Louisville Care Community accepted their award during AHCA/NCAL’s 67th Annual Convention and            Exposition in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 17, 2016.