East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center receives national award for best practices in quality care, one of only three in Massachusetts

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) recently announced the selection of East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center as a recipient of the 2016 Silver – Achievement in Quality award for its outstanding performance in the health care profession.

East Longmeadow is one of only three facilities in Massachusetts, and one of only 72 facilities in the nation, selected to receive the silver award in 2016. The competitive award program highlights select centers across the nation that serve as models of excellence in providing high-quality long term care.

“We are proud to have received the Silver Award and we’re pleased that an independent panel of examiners saw the high value we place on quality care and service excellence,” said Michael Marcus, Administrator at East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center, which is an affiliate of Berkshire Healthcare. “Our focus at East Longmeadow has always been on people. We want to continue to evolve our quality care and service to even greater heights.”

“We congratulate the entire East Longmeadow team on this achievement,” added Bill Jones, President of Berkshire Healthcare. “It’s a great example of how we are advancing quality across our affiliates with more and more Berkshire facilities earning recognition for quality care.” Fifteen of Berkshire’s skilled nursing and assisted living facilities have earned the Bronze award from AHCA/NCAL; 13 have also reached the Silver level; and two hold the distinction of the Gold award, the highest level in the program.

Based on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program challenges member providers to achieve performance excellence through three progressive levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold. At the Silver level, members develop and demonstrate effective approaches that help improve performance and health care outcomes.

“It takes incredible dedication and passion to successfully apply the demands of the criteria,” said Chair of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers Christine Boldt. “I applaud East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center for reaching this level and for its commitment to always improve.”

As a recipient of this year’s award, East Longmeadow can now advance in developing approaches that meet the criteria required for the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award.

The awards will be presented to honorees on October 18 during AHCA/NCAL’s 67th Annual Convention & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee.

Two Berkshire Healthcare communities earn national awards for customer, employee satisfaction

Excellence in Action awards recognize exemplary commitment to quality

DANVERS and PEABODY, MASS. (Sept. 29, 2015) – With top national scores, Hunt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, both Berkshire Healthcare communities, are two of the few long-term care providers in Massachusetts recognized this year by National Research Corporation for exceptional satisfaction scores. Pilgrim received the reward for customer satisfaction; Hunt received the award for both customer and employee satisfaction.

Excellence in Action awards are presented by National Research Corporation and recognize long-term care and senior living organizations that achieve the highest levels of satisfaction excellence, as demonstrated by overall resident and/or employee satisfaction scores within the top 10 percent nationally. The awards recognize the organizations’ commitment to continuous quality improvement and efforts to prioritize the needs of residents, families and nursing staff employees.

The Excellence in Action awards are presented exclusively to National Research clients who use My InnerView products. Qualifying nursing homes, in addition to assisted living and independent living communities must have completed a customer or workforce satisfaction survey in 2014. Winners must have also achieved a minimum of 10 responses with a minimum 30 percent response rate and scored in the top 10 percent of qualifying facilities on the question “What is your recommendation of this facility to others” or “What is your recommendation of this facility as a place to work?” in terms of the percentage of respondents rating the facility as “excellent.”

“The Excellence in Action award isn’t just any quality performance award,” said Jason Stevens, Senior Vice President of Business Development at National Research. “Rather, it’s an award that defines what it means for providers to provide the right kind of care—patient-centered care—for their residents, families, and employees. It’s an honor and well-deserved accomplishment for repeat winners and new organizations alike.”

This past year, 599 long-term care organizations nationwide were chosen from about 8,500 participating providers. Hunt and Pilgrim are two of 32 winning communities in Massachusetts; 20 awards went to Berkshire Healthcare communities. Berkshire facilities had more than 5% of the national awards and almost two-thirds of the awards given in Massachusetts.

Hunt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Danvers, MA is a not-for-profit organization that has been caring for people in the North Shore area since 1976. Conveniently located in a residential neighborhood near several hospitals, Hunt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center provides top quality, personalized short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing care, restorative care, and respite care all in a warm, homelike setting. Hospice services are available for compassionate end-of-life care. Hunt has been recognized by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) with both the Bronze Commitment to Quality award and the Silver Achievement in Quality award, the first two steps toward the Gold Excellence in Quality recognition. Hunt is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, an organization that integrates additional quality improvement principles into the daily operations with focus on improved resident outcomes. Hunt accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and a variety of private and managed care insurances, as well as private funds. Hunt is owned by Berkshire Healthcare, a leader among not-for-profit, post-acute care organizations in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.eastlongmeadownursing.org.

Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center of Peabody, MA is a not-for-profit organization that has been caring for people on the North Shore area since 1965. Conveniently located right off Route 128, less than a mile from Northshore Mall and close to Beverly, Salem and Union Hospitals and the Lahey Clinic, Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center provides top quality, personalized short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing care, and respite care in a warm, homelike setting. Hospice services are available for compassionate end-of-life care. Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center has been recognized by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) with both the Bronze Commitment to Quality award and the Silver Achievement in Quality award, the first two steps toward the Gold Excellence in Quality recognition. Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, an organization that integrates additional quality improvement principles into the daily operations with focus on improved resident outcomes. Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and a variety of private and managed care insurances, as well as private funds. Pilgrim is owned by Berkshire Healthcare, a leader among not-for-profit, post-acute care organizations in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.pilgrimrehab.org.

Berkshire Healthcare facilities awarded electronic health record funds

DANVERS AND PEABODY, MASS. – Berkshire Healthcare Systems, which provides long-term nursing and post-acute care on the North Shore and across Massachusetts, has been awarded $82,500 to improve patient care and safety through enhanced technology. The Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI) awarded the funds through the eQuality Incentive Program (eQIP). North Shore affiliates that will benefit include Hunt Nursing and Rehabilitation in Danvers and Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Peabody.

The grant will support electronic health record use at Berkshire Healthcare’s 14 long-term care facilities across Massachusetts, which have a total of 1,960 skilled nursing beds.

The MeHI award will support Berkshire Healthcare’s work to track patient care accurately to improve efficiency and protect patient safety. The multi-phase project includes technology advances, and extensive training and preparation of staff. The investment will help streamline care and reduce unnecessary costs.

“Berkshire Healthcare is very grateful to be included among those receiving funds,” said Kenneth Ward, Senior IT Director. “This will be tremendously helpful in our efforts to advance patient safety and system efficiency, furthering our work with clinical partners across the state.”

The rollout of electronic health record systems has already added improved systems to document care at the “point of service,” which assists with care planning and appropriate staffing. The next phase, beginning in November, will include infection control documentation and incident reporting, intended to improve patient safety.

Berkshire Healthcare is a leader among not-for-profit, post-acute care organizations in Massachusetts, and owns or operates 14 rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts; Kimball Farms, a life care, continuing care retirement community in Lenox, Mass.; Linda Manor Assisted Living in Northampton; HospiceCare in The Berkshires and Hospice of Franklin County for those with life-limiting illnesses; IntegriNurse, specializing in the placement of nursing staff in facilities across Massachusetts; and IntegriScript, Berkshire Healthcare’s institutional pharmacy which serves Berkshire affiliates. Berkshire Healthcare’s skilled nursing centers provide around-the-clock nursing care and patient-centered rehabilitation services, short-term rehabilitation, and post-acute and long-term care. Berkshire Healthcare is managed by an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, the leading provider of comprehensive health care services in the Berkshires. For more information visit www.berkshirehealthcare.org.

– See more at: http://www.eastlongmeadownursing.org/health-and-nursing-services/long-term-care/32-berkshirenews/106-berkshire-healthcare-facilities-awarded-electronic-health-record-funds#sthash.SgrIdr8F.dpuf