As part of the Alabama Nursing Home Association’s new focus on recognizing health care quality, four members recently completed intensive training to become examiners for a national health care quality award.
Held in San Antonio, Texas, the training equipped each person to serve as a senior examiner for the American Health Care Association’s Silver – Achievement in Quality Award. Over the course of two days, ANHA’s members joined more than 200 people from across the country to learn how to evaluate skilled nursing care centers based on the nationally-recognized Baldridge Performance Excellence Criteria. Those attending the training on behalf of ANHA were Katrina Magdon, Talladega Health & Rehab Administrator Mary Tuberville and Talladega Health & Rehab Administrators-in-Training Dennis Davis and Rod Watkins.
“We learned how to review the systems and processes in place at skilled nursing care centers, understand what works and what doesn’t work, and identify areas for improvement,” said Katrina Magdon, ANHA Director of Professional Development and Regulatory Affairs. “This training and serving as a senior examiner later this year will give me a better understanding of the award application process.”
During 2016 and 2017, ANHA is placing an emphasis on helping its members earn National Quality Awards through the American Health Care Association. Based on a recommendation from ANHA’s Education Committee, the Association will offer a workshop in 2016 that will walk members through the award application process. In addition, Magdon will serve as a subject matter expect to assist members when they have questions about an award application.
“We’ve long known our members have the quality outcomes needed to earn national recognition,” Magdon said. “This effort will make sure those achievements are recognized. It also ensures we’ll continue to be leaders in health care quality because the award program sets the foundation for systematic improvement. Our members will be better able to recognize an area that is lacking, know what is needed to improve and understand how it affects other areas of their facility.”
The American Health Care Association’s National Quality Award Program began in 1996. Fifty-seven Alabama skilled nursing care centers have earned the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award, and seven have earned the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award.
Click here to read more about Alabama’s 2015 National Quality Award winners.
From left to right: Dennis Davis, Rod Watkins, Mary Tuberville and Katrina Magdon.
