Washington, D.C. – Two award-winning long term care facilities have earned the 2022 Gold – Excellence in Quality award for superior performance in quality care for a second time by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The award is the last step in three progressive levels of awards through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which recognizes organizations that meet rigorous standards and work for years to become among the best in long term care.
This year’s Gold – Excellence in Quality award recipients have successfully completed the three-level program twice. They are:
- Mountain Valley of Cascadia, a skilled nursing facility in Kellogg, Idaho; and
- South Davis Specialty Care, a skilled nursing facility in Bountiful, Utah
“I applaud this year’s Gold recipients for achieving this remarkable milestone, not once but twice,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “The level of commitment these providers have shown by successfully completing the program for a second time demonstrates that they are exceptional and among the best in the nation. They deserve to be celebrated for their continued focus on delivering high-quality care and outcomes for their residents and staff who serve them.”
National Gold award winning facilities have better
quality metrics, surveys, and staffing satisfaction than the rest of the nation. Mountain Valley of Cascadia are recipients of the 2005 and 2020 Bronze awards, 2007 and 2021 Silver awards, and 2011 and 2022 Gold awards. In 2016, Mountain Valley, at the time known as Kindred Mountain Valley, was the first skilled nursing care center to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. South Davis Specialty Care, also known as South Davis Community Care Center under a separate license, are recipients of the 2009 and 2019 Bronze awards, 2012 and 2020 Silver awards, and 2014 and 2022 Gold awards.
Earning the Gold - Excellence in Quality award requires a long term care facility to achieve both the Bronze - Commitment to Quality and Silver - Achievement in Quality awards prior to moving to the Gold level—an accomplishment that takes several years. Applicants adhere to the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, an organization management improvement tool that focuses on key areas including leadership, customer and workforce satisfaction, strategic planning and more.
“These providers have demonstrated exceptional performance and care outcomes for their residents and staff that makes them the best in the nation,” said Tammy Kelly, AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers Chair. “I applaud their resiliency and dedication to the quality journey and for this outstanding achievement.”
At the first and second levels of the program, more than 200 facilities were announced earlier this summer, with 182 providers achieving a Bronze - Commitment to Quality award and 46 reaching the Silver - Achievement in Quality award.
A list of all recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award
website.
The 2022 program is sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Members: HealthCap, NRC Health, First Quality and MatrixCare.