Life Care Center of East Ridge, a nursing and rehabilitation facility, was recently awarded the 2010 Bronze National Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.
The Bronze National Quality Award is given to organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to a person-centered mission, defined their principal customers and their expectations and indicated how they are striving to meet their customers’ needs. It is the first of three tiers of recognition by the AHCA and NCAL and requires a detailed application process submitted to a board of examiners for review.
“We worked on this application for many hours,” said Doyle Love, executive director at the facility. “All department heads pulled together to make this happen, just as they pull together every day to provide the best for our residents and outpatients. We are proud to have something national to recognize that commitment.”
The facility’s achievement will be formally honored along with the other Quality Award winners at the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention held Oct. 10 – 13 in Long Beach, Calif.
“The associates of the facilities in Life Care Centers of America have a never-ending quest for performance excellence,” said Beecher Hunter, Life Care president. “We are always looking for ways to improve the services we provide to the men and women entrusted to our care, and we can never be satisfied with each new level we achieve. One example is the attainment of accreditation by The Joint Commission, the gold seal of approval in our profession, of all of our eligible buildings – the only company of our size to do so. These National Quality Awards presented by the American Health Care Association provide assurance to our residents, families and the public at large of our commitment to the mission of care and compassion we have chosen.”
The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award was created in 1996 and is modeled after criteria from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s premier recognition for quality achievement. The AHCA/NCAL award recognizes commitment to a continuous quality improvement process at nursing facilities, assisted living residences and residences for persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities.
Located at 1500 Fincher Ave., Life Care Center of East Ridge is one of 24 facilities in Tennessee operated by Life Care Centers of America.