Heritage Hall East Receives ‘Top-Quality Award’

AGAWAM — Heritage Hall East, a 123-bed skilled nursing facility operated by Genesis HealthCare, announced recently that it is the only facility in the United States to receive the American Health Care Association (AHCA) Step III Quality Award in 2005.

This prestigious award recognizes a skilled nursing facility that demonstrates unparalleled commitment to a systematic process for continuous quality improvement.
Heritage Hall East becomes only the third of 6,466 skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. to receive the distinction since the awards were created 10 years ago.

“The AHCA Quality Awards are the single most prestigious recognition of quality within the long-term care profession, and the Step III Award is the ultimate recognition,” stated AHCA President, Bruce Yarwood. “Heritage Hall East’s achievement places it at the pinnacle of organizational and performance excellence, where the mission of exceptional care for the elderly is embraced and relentlessly pursued.”

The AHCA Quality Awards are modeled after criteria from the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and recognize commitment to a continuous quality improvement process at nursing facilities, assisted living residences, and residences for persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities.

Honorees of Step I demonstrated an organization-wide commitment to a resident-focused vision. At the Step II level, facilities addressed in detail aspects of data collection and analysis, etc.

Recipients in the Step III category addressed the Malcolm Baldridge criteria in their entirety. Heritage Hall East earned the Step I Award in 2002 and the Step II Award in 2003.

Ira Schoenberger, senior administrator of Heritage Hall East, says that the Step III Quality Award process has helped improve the center’s performance in many ways.

“It allowed us to identify, enhance, and improve our working processes, and provided the framework for innovative thinking, the empowerment of residents and staff in the way we deliver care, and the alignment of present and future strategic objectives with our mission and vision statement,” he said. “This award is a testament to the expertise, talent and dedication of every staff member at Heritage Hall East – without them, this award would not be possible.”

Heritage Hall East completed a rigorous 40-page application and an intensive site visit to achieve the award. It received the Step III Quality Award during AHCA’s Annual Convention and Exposition Oct. 16-19, in Las Vegas.