Local Center Successfully Improving Quality Care
St. Benedict’s Senior Community achieves national quality goals
St. Cloud, MN – Today, St. Benedict’s Senior Community (SBSC) in St. Cloud was recognized by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for reaching its national quality goals. SBSC met or exceeded three of four goals of the AHCA/ NCAL’s Quality Initiative, a national effort focused on reducing hospital readmissions, nursing staff turnover and antipsychotic medications, as well as increasing customer satisfaction.
“Continuously improving the quality of care we provide is nothing new for St. Benedict’s Senior Community. However, once we saw these issues were a priority at the national level, we knew we had to redouble our efforts and ensure the proper processes were in place,” said Christine Bakke, Care Center Administrator of St. Benedict’s Senior Community. “This was truly a team effort, with everyone focused on the goals and improving the lives of our residents.”
Announced in February 2012, the AHCA/ NCAL Quality Initiative aims to further improve the lives of individuals receiving care in long term and post-acute care centers by setting specific goals in four, key areas.
For skilled nursing centers:
- safely reduce hospital readmissions within 30 days during a skilled nursing stay by 15 percent;
- increase staff stability by reducing nursing staff turnover by 15 percent;
- achieve customer satisfaction, as evidenced by having 90 percent of residents and families willing to recommend their center to others, and;
- safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics by 15 percent.
For assisted living communities:
- safely reduce hospital readmissions within the first 30 days by 15 percent;
- increase staff stability by maintaining nursing staff turnover rates below 30 percent;
- increase the percentage of customers who would recommend their community at or above 90 percent, and;
- safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics among community residents by 15 percent.
AHCA/ NCAL member centers that met these goals were identified using data from outside sources on readmissions and antipsychotic use, while national surveys were used to collect staff turnover and customer satisfaction data directly from members. St. Benedict’s Senior Community, as well as other achievers from across the country, will be honored at AHCA/ NCAL’s upcoming Quality Symposium, taking place February 23-25, 2015, in Austin, Texas.
