Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation-Nansemond Pointe was among six long-term and post-acute care organizations in Virginia recognized with the 2015 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award for quality care by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living.

The National Quality Award Program by AHCA/ NCAL spotlights centers across the country that have demonstrated their commitment to delivering quality care for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

“We’re very proud that six of Virginia’s long-term care facilities, including Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation-Nansemond Pointe, have earned this prestigious recognition,” said Keith Hare, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Health Care Association.

“Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation-Nansemond Pointe have demonstrated how a provider continues to strive for quality excellence when it comes to improving the lives of those they care for every day.”

“We are all so proud of this recognition,” said Mel Epelle, Kindred’s executive director. “The key to our success is our committed team. Their hard work and dedication to improving the lives of the residents we care for every day is why we are in this position. We’ve dedicated ourselves to this quality journey and are looking ahead to the next level.”

Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. The program assists providers of long-term and post-acute care services in achieving their performance excellence goals.

The program has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Centers begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level and must receive an award at each level before proceeding to the next.

Applicants at the Bronze level must demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system. Trained examiners review each Bronze application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria.

At the Silver level, applicants demonstrate systematic advancements in quality, plans for continual improvement, and sustainable organizational goals.

Recipients of the 2015 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award, which requires them to address the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence in its entirety.