BEDFORD – Ridgewood Center, a skilled nursing facility located in Bedford, NH, today announced that it is one of nine facilities affiliated with Genesis HealthCare to be recognized as a 2022 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for their commitment to improving the lives of residents through quality care. The distinction is the first of three progressive award levels through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. The program, presented by the leading association in long-term and post-acute care, honors providers across the country that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality of care for our nation’s seniors and people with disabilities.

“We are so proud of Ridgewood Center for being honored for their commitment to improving quality,” said Melissa Powell, chief operating officer of Genesis HealthCare. “Quality care is at the foundation of everything that we do. This center team has demonstrated their commitment to delivering ever-improving value to patients, residents and other customers. We couldn’t be more proud of their achievement.”

Created by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is a rigorous three-level process that is reviewed and judged by trained experts against a set of nationally recognized standards for organizational excellence. The standards of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program help organizations achieve superior performance to improve quality of life and care of long term care residents and staff.

Providers begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements such as vision, mission statement, and key strengths and challenges. Bronze applicants must also demonstrate their ability to implement a sustainable performance improvement system. Trained examiners review each application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria. As a recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality award, Ridgewood Center may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving advanced levels of performance that meet the Silver – Achievement in Quality award criteria.

“Quality care is always top of mind for providers, and this achievement celebrates the commitment and fortitude of Ridgewood Center to find ways to enhance the lives of its patients and residents,” said the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers Chair Tammy Kelly. “I hope this serves as a model for other centers to begin a formal process to continually reflect on and improve its delivery of quality care to staff, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.”

The awards will be celebrated during AHCA/NCAL’s 73rd Convention & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 9-12.