News : Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab recognized for improving quality of long-term care

Provider recognized for meeting national goals

Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab has been recognized by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for its achievements in the quality of care they provide.

This national effort builds upon the existing work of the long term and post-acute care profession by setting specific, measurable targets to further improve the quality of care in America's skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities. Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab accomplished four of four national goals earning in the areas of hospitalization, customer satisfaction, antipsychotics, and functional outcomes to receive a top tier award.

"The entire VGH Nursing and Rehab team is honored to be recognized for this incredible achievement," said Jessica Henkle, BS, RN-BC, NHA. "We are proud to improve care for our patients and residents. Our commitment to quality will continue."

This award isn't the first recognition the facility has received for the quality of care that is provided. In recent years, they have also received numerous Pinnacle customer service awards and a National Healthcare Safety Network Certificate of Achievement. Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab is listed as a top 10% of Nursing Homes in the U.S. (NNHQCC), among others. A list of those awards can be found on www.myvgh.org/nursing-rehab.

AHCA/NCAL recognized long term care providers for their achievements through its Quality Initiative Recognition Program, which honors member facilities for their individual work in achieving AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative goals.

"This achievement represents progress on important quality measures that will positively impact the lives of residents," said Dr. David Gifford, Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at AHCA/NCAL. "We applaud these organizations for their hard work and dedication to this significant quality improvement effort."

Launched in 2012 by AHCA/NCAL, the Quality Initiative serves as a national e­ffort to build upon the existing work of the long term and post-acute care profession. The Initiative aims to further improve quality of care in skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities by challenging member facilities to meet measurable goals in areas such as hospital readmissions, off-label use of antipsychotics, and customer satisfaction.

Learn more about the AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative Recognition Program on the webpages here and here. Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab, along with other achievers from across the country, will be honored at AHCA/ NCAL's upcoming Quality Summit in Grapevine, Texas, on March 10, 2020.

About Virginia Gay Hospital, Clinics, Home Health, Nursing and Rehab

As a leader in rural healthcare and specializing in family medicine, Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics serve families in the greater Benton County, Iowa with family medical clinics in Atkins (SE Benton Co.), Van Horne (SW Benton Co.), Urbana (NE Benton Co.) and Vinton. The hospital provides a wide array of services, diagnostic testing, and clinical expertise: Acute Care, Emergency Medicine, Home Health, Imaging Services, Laboratory, Nursing and Rehabilitation, Respiratory Therapy, Sleep Studies, Surgical Services, Therapy Services, and Weight Management Clinic. Founded with a gift from Virginia Walcutt-Gay in 1914, the hospital has been able to maintain independence because of the generous support from the community. For additional information, please visit www.myvgh.org

ABOUT AHCA/NCAL

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent nearly 14,000 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.