Life Care Center of Sarasota Earns Gold National Quality Award

Life Care Center of Sarasota receives Gold National Quality Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2013
Contact: Kristen Knapp, APR
(850) 701-3530 or kknapp@fhca.org

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Life Care Center of Sarasota, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility, has been recognized as a 2013 recipient of the Gold – Excellence in Quality National Quality Award for superior performance in the long term and post-acute care profession. The award is one of three distinct awards possible through the National Quality Award program, presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The competitive award program highlights select facilities across the nation that serve as models of excellence in providing high-quality long term care.

“The centers that have earned this award are a testament to what can be done when our focus remains on providing high quality, person-centered care,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “The staff, leadership and community at Life Care Center of Sarasota have improved the lives of their residents, and their commitment to quality deserves to be recognized.”

Life Care Center of Sarasota was one of five centers nationwide to receive the prestigious Gold – Excellence in Quality award this year. Including the 2013 recipients, AHCA/NCAL has issued only 18 organizations with awards at the Gold level, the final and most rigorous level of the National Quality Award program.

"Life Care Center has always had a strong commitment to achieving and advancing quality care excellence. I'm proud of our team for embracing this journey. It has enhanced our processes and we have seen tremendous positive outcomes for our residents and their families, our staff and the stakeholders we work with every day,” said Nina Willingham, senior executive director of Life Care Center of Sarasota.

Florida leads the nation with the highest number of Quality Award recipients for a single state. Along with Life Care Center's achievement of the Gold-Excellence in Quality Award, 10 Florida facilities have earned the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award and 57 facilities have earned the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award. A full list of Florida’s National Quality Award recipients can be found on Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) website.

“These award recipients reflect the best in long term care, and we are proud to honor them for the positive difference they are making in the lives of Florida’s elderly and persons with disabilities,” said Emmett Reed, Executive Director of FHCA, Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long term care providers and the residents under their care.

Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the 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. Facilities begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level and must receive an award at each level before proceeding to the next. As a recipient of the Gold – Excellence in Quality award, Life Care Center of Sarasota has successfully earned a Bronze and Silver award and addressed the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence in its entirety.

The awards are sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Member My InnerView, by National Research Corporation. My InnerView represents the true voice of nursing home and assisted living residents, families, and employees with the most insightful quality measurement solutions and satisfaction surveys in the healthcare continuum. Florida's National Quality Award recipients were recently honored during Florida Health Care Association's 2013 Annual Conference in Hollywood, FL, and will be officially conferred during AHCA/NCAL’s 64th Annual Convention and Exposition, October 6-9, 2013, in Phoenix, AZ.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION
The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is a federation which serves nearly 1,000 members and represents over 500 long term care facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and sub-acute care, short-term rehab, assisted living and other services to the frail elderly and individuals with disabilities in Florida. The mission of FHCA is to advance the quality of services, image, professional development and financial stability of its members. As Florida's first and largest advocacy organization for long term care providers and the elderly they serve, the Association has worked diligently since 1954 to assist its members with continuously improving quality of care and quality of life for the state’s growing elder care population. For more information about the Florida Health Care Association, visit [url=http://www.fhca.org]http://www.fhca.org[/url].

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