RI Skilled Nursing Centers Successfully Improving Quality Care

WARWICK, RI – Today, the Rhode Island Health Care Association (RIHCA) praised a select group of local, long term and post-acute care providers for their achievement in reaching national quality goals set by its national association, the American Health Care Association (AHCA). Forty-seven skilled nursing centers met or exceeded at least one of four goals in the initial year of the AHCA Quality Initiative, a national effort focused on reducing hospital readmissions, nursing staff turnover and antipsychotic medications, as well as increasing customer satisfaction.

“Skilled nursing centers across Rhode Island are focused on improving quality, but these providers have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment by meeting our goals well ahead of schedule,” said Virginia Burke, RIHCA President/CEO. “These RIHCA members are setting the example for the rest of the state and the country on how to ensure person-centered care for our seniors and individuals with disabilities.”

Announced in February 2012, the AHCA Quality Initiative aims to further improve the lives of individuals receiving care in skilled nursing centers by setting measurable goals in four, key areas of quality of care:

· safely reduce hospital readmissions within 30 days during a skilled nursing stay by 15 percent by March 2015;

· increase staff stability by reducing nursing staff turnover by 15 percent by March 2015;

· increase customer satisfaction by having 90 percent of residents and families willing to recommend their center to others by March 2015; and

· safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics by 15 percent by the end of 2013.

A number of RIHCA member centers also accomplished multiple Quality Initiative goals at once, with nine achieving at least three goals and 16 reaching two in the first year of the three-year program.

RIHCA members which achieved any of the goals of the Quality Initiative were identified through AHCA’s Quality Initiative Recognition Program. Member centers had to submit staff turnover data and customer satisfaction results to AHCA, while the national association analyzed Minimum Data Set (MDS) data on hospital readmissions and antipsychotics for members. Rhode Island’s achievers, as well as other achievers from across the country, will be honored at AHCA’s upcoming Quality Symposium, taking place February 10-12, 2014, in New Orleans, La.

For more information about the AHCA Quality Initiative, please visit qualityinitiative.ahcancal.org.

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