Stamford’s Edgehill Earns 2018 Bronze National Quality Award

Edgehill senior living

Edgehill (Benchmark Senior Living) has been recognized as a 2018 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award for its dedication to improving the lives of residents through quality care. The award is the first of three distinctions possible 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 long-term care providers across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for the hard work and quality of care our team provides every day,” said Sandra Bardsley, Benchmark’s Regional Director of Clinical Operations. “We work daily to provide our residents and their families with a high-quality care experience. Because this effort is ongoing, we will continue not only to improve the level of services we provide at Edgehill but also to transform the lives of those we serve by connecting them to what’s meaningful and possible at every stage of life.”

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, which is the foundation of the metric-based AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative. 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. Providers begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level where they develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements, such as vision and mission statements and an assessment of customers’ expectations. 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, Edgehill may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award.

“Connecticut’s skilled nursing facilities are committed to improving the quality of care and quality of life for the residents and families they serve,” said Matthew V. Barrett, executive vice-president of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities. “Edgehill’s AHCA/NCAL National Quality Bronze Award is recognition of their hard work and dedication to providing all their residents with a high level of care and providing them with a safe and nurturing environment.”

Barrett presented a recognition of the award at the CAHCF/CCAL Annual Meeting held at Mystic Seaport, and Edgehill will be recognized at the AHCA/NCAL along with all other quality award winners at AHCA/NCAL’s 69th Annual Convention and Exposition in San Diego, California, October 7-10, 2018.

About Benchmark 
Based in Waltham, Mass., Benchmark is a leading provider of senior living services in the Northeast. Founded in 1997 by Tom Grape, Benchmark operates 56 senior living communities offering independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s care and continuing care in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. There are 18 Benchmark communities in Connecticut. In 2018, Benchmark was certified as a Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute and became the first senior living organization to receive Certified Age Friendly Employer (CAFE) designation from RetirementJobs.com. It also has been recognized as a top workplace by The Boston Globe for 10 consecutive years as well as by the Boston Business Journal, Connecticut Post, Hartford Courant and Hartford Business Journal.  For more information, visit BenchmarkSeniorLiving.com.

About AHCA/NCAL
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 13,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.