St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital in Bayside has been recognized as a 2021 recipient of the Bronze-Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for its 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 association members across the country that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality of care for seniors and people with disabilities.
Dr. Edwin Simpser, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, said they’re honored to receive the AHCA/NCAL’s Bronze National Quality Award.
“Our kids face tremendous obstacles, but their unparalleled determination inspires all of us each day,” Simper said. “This award recognizes the hard work of our incredible team and I want to thank them for their tireless dedication to the children and families at St. Mary’s.”
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 in order to improve quality of life and care of long-term 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, St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving advanced levels of performance that meet the Silver-Achievement in Quality Award criteria.
Tammy Kelly, chair of AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers, applauded the resiliency of St. Mary’s Hospital for taking the important step toward sustainable quality improvement while heroically protecting and caring for residents during one of the most challenging years in recent history.
“I encourage St. Mary’s Hospital for Children to continue on its path to becoming among the best in the country,” Kelly said.
The awards will be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 72nd Convention and Expo in National Harbor, Maryland right outside Washington, D.C., which will be held from Oct. 10 to 13.
