BANGOR – Maine Veterans’ Homes - Bangor has been recognized as a 2010 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality National Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), a trade organization with approximately 11,000 members nationwide. This prestigious award recognizes facilities that demonstrate excellence and commitment to quality.
“We set very high standards for all of our Homes, and these facilities have clearly demonstrated extraordinary and sustained performance excellence,” said Kelley Kash, CEO of Maine Veterans’ Homes. “This is outstanding recognition for the hard work and dedication of all of our MVH staff to provide exceptional care, service, and support to our veterans and their families.”
Three other Maine Veterans' Homes received the Bronze Commitment to Quality National Quality Award:
The four Bronze awards received by MVH are part of only 461 facilities nationally that will receive the award, to be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 61st Annual Convention and Exposition, Oct. 10-13, 2010 in Long Beach, CA. There are currently over 16,000 nursing homes in the U.S.
"The commitment to quality designated by this award is a key first step to developing systematic, sustainable, person-centered care and services," stated Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “We congratulate Maine Veterans’ Homes on this achievement.”
Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is based on the core values and criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. It provides a pathway for providers of long term and post-acute care services to journey towards performance excellence. Facilities begin their quality journey at the Bronze level where they are asked to develop an organizational profile including vision and mission statements, an awareness of their environment and customers’ expectations. Bronze applicants are also asked to demonstrate their ability to improve a process. At the Bronze level applications are reviewed by Examiners who have received special training to qualify as judges for the award program.