AHCA, NCAL announce multi-year Quality Initiative

Long term and post-acute care leadership from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced a multi-year initiative this week to meet new quality goals, including reducing hospital readmission rates and improving staff retention.

At the Association's 4th Annual Quality Symposium this week AHCA/NCAL announced its Quality Initiative focusing on four goals designed to improve quality of care in America's skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities.

"We're looking at the future of how our care delivery system will evolve and we're making the most of this enormous opportunity to affect how individuals are cared for in this country," said Neil Pruitt, Jr., Chairman of AHCA's Board of Governors. "This is an effort that builds upon existing work our profession is doing to advance quality by setting specific, measurable targets to further improve care."

The four main goals of the Quality Initiative are:

1. Reduce Hospital Readmissions: By March 2015, reduce the number of hospital readmissions within 30 days during a SNF stay by 15 percent.
2. Increase Staff Stability: By March 2015, reduce turnover among nursing staff (RN, LVN, CNA) by 15 percent.
3. Reduce the Off-Label Use of Antipsychotics: By December 2012, reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics by 15 percent.
4. Increase Customer Satisfaction: By March 2015, increase the number of customers who would recommend the facility to others up to 90 percent.

The Quality Initiative goals have been defined for the next three years to foster sustainable change and set specific benchmarks for the long term and post-acute care profession to build upon. AHCA/NCAL is challenging its membership to hold itself accountable in ensuring a higher quality, lower cost health care system.

"We have a responsibility to serve our nation's growing senior population and individuals with disabilities," said Governor Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. "The Quality Initiative is focusing on four areas that will meaningfully affect the lives of the residents in our facilities. If we can accomplish this, what we will have done as a sector is improve the lives of millions of people."

Reaching the targets set in each goal in the Quality Initiative will improve the health of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities, while at the same time driving down health care costs. When AHCA members achieve the goal of reducing hospital readmissions by 15 percent, 26,000 fewer people will go back to the hospital each year. Improving staff satisfaction will result in more consistent staffing in long term and post-acute care settings, keeping more than 615,000 in their jobs.  Less off-label use of antipsychotic medications will help patients avoid the health complications that come with the drugs. More satisfied residents and families means that AHCA member facilities are fulfilling the mission of providing quality care.

"By spreading this commitment over three years, we are encouraging sustainable change and empowering facilities to adopt these modifications as permanent commitments to their residents, families and employees," said Pruitt.