Belle Fourche Healthcare Community (BFHC), Welcov Healthcare, has been recognized as a 2018 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award for its commitment to improving the lives of residents through quality care. The distinction is the first of three progressive award levels through the National Quality Award Program, presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), the leading association for long term and post-acute care. The program honors association members across the country that have demonstrated their dedication to improving quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities.
“We are proud to be honored for our commitment to improving quality,” said Tracy Harwood, Administrator of Belle Fourche Healthcare Community. “Working together to reach this milestone has made our team even better. We will not stop improving.”
The National Quality Award Program, established by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, is based on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which also serves as the foundation for the metric-based AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative. The Baldrige framework helps organizations among different business sectors improve organizational effectiveness and achieve strategy-driven performance.
The Award Program has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. 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 performance improvement system. Trained Examiners review each Bronze application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria. As a recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award, BFHC may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award criteria.
“I applaud BFHC for taking this important step towards quality improvement,” said the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers Chair Alana Wolfe. “I encourage BFHC to continue on its path to achieving superior outcomes.”
The awards will be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 69th Annual Convention and Exposition in San Diego, California, October 7-10, 2018.