PruittHealth Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers Receive National Quality Awards

NORCROSS, Ga., Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PruittHealth announced today that seven of its skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers have been selected as 2014 recipients of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Awards. PruittHealth – Forsyth, PruittHealth – Toomsboro, and PruittHealth – Valdosta were awarded with the Silver-level award, and PruittHealth – Fairburn, PruittHealth – Marietta, PruittHealth – Sea Level, and PruittHealth – Walterboro were awarded with the Bronze-level award. These are two of three distinct awards possible through the National Quality Award Program, presented by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The competitive award program highlights select centers across the nation that serve as models of excellence in providing high-quality long-term care.

"These seven PruittHealth centers stand among the ranks of other centers that are delivering quality care throughout the nation," said Mark Parkinson, President and C.E.O. of AHCA/NCAL. "Our profession is stronger through the work and dedication of these centers."

PruittHealth – Forsyth, PruittHealth – Toomsboro, and PruittHealth – Valdosta were three of just 77 centers nationwide to receive the Silver-level award this year, and PruittHealth – Fairburn, PruittHealth – Marietta, PruittHealth – Sea Level, and PruittHealth – Walterboro were four of 392 to receive the Bronze-level award.

"I am proud to add these seven locations to the long list of PruittHealth centers who have received the National Quality Award from AHCA/NCAL. It is an honor to have their continuous commitment to caring and to quality recognized among their peers," said Neil L. Pruitt, Jr., Chairman and C.E.O. of PruittHealth.

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. 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. Centers begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level and must receive an award at each level before proceeding to the next. As recipients of the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award, PruittHealth – Forsyth, PruittHealth – Toomsboro, and PruittHealth – Valdosta have demonstrated systematic advancements in quality, plans for continual improvement, and sustainable organizational goals. These three Silver-level centers may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award, which requires them to address the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence in its entirety. In addition, the four Bronze-level PruittHealth centers may now strive for performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award.

"These seven PruittHealth centers have achieved a significant milestone on their quality journeys by successfully applying the rigorous standards of this program," said Ed McMahon, Ph.D., Chair of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers. "I commend them for this achievement."

PruittHealth skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers have collectively received 11 Silver and 63 Bronze National Quality Awards from AHCA/NCAL. The 2014 awards will be presented to the seven new PruittHealth recipients during AHCA/NCAL's 65th Annual Convention and Exposition, October 5-8, 2014, in Washington, D.C.

About AHCA/NCAL
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 12,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.

About PruittHealth
Since 1969, PruittHealth has been providing high-quality health care services throughout the Southeast. The PruittHealth family of providers is well known for its holistic model of care, as well as its proactive performance improvement programs, and its continuous commitment to caring and to quality.  The PruittHealth family includes hundreds of locations and touches the lives of more than 24,000 patients each day throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Care is provided to customers through skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, home health and hospice agencies, assisted living and independent living communities. PruittHealth also provides institutional pharmacy and medical supply services, and programs in rehabilitation, nutrition, adult day care, and care management. For more information visit PruittHealth.com.

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SOURCE PruittHealth