Last Friday night, employees, guests and residents from the West Shore Health Center celebrated after the long-term care and nursing facility received the 2015 Silver Achievement in Quality Award.

West Shore is one of four in Rhode Island and one of 126 long-term care organizations across the country to receive the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) award.

The AHCA/NCAL initiated the award program in 1996 to recognize commitment, achievement and excellence in quality, distinguished by a bronze silver or gold award. Applicants must finish one level before moving onto the next. West Shore Health received the Bronze Commitment in Quality Award in 2009.

Jennifer Campbell, administrator for the center, said that after receiving the bronze award West Shore experienced a few staffing and program changes and wanted to be prepared before applying for the Silver Achievement Award.

“It took time for us to feel ready to apply. You really need a committed and dedicated team. It takes consistent, daily, intense work to achieve this sort of award,” she said.

For the silver award, West Shore had to demonstrate “evidence-based improvements” in quality care throughout the center. The application took nearly five months to compile for the AHCA/NCAL.

Campbell cited West Shore’s decrease in both the use of anti-psychotics in long-term patients and re-hospitalizations. The center began using more holistic methods for their patients, including massage, Tai Chi, homier rooms as well as a more consistent nurse schedule and saw a consistent decline over time.

At the beginning of 2013, 21 percent of long-term stay patients were using anti-psychotics and by the end of the year that had been reduced to only 15 percent. In that same year 20 percent of patients experienced re-hospitalizations, but by the beginning of 2014 those numbers were down to 12 percent.

West Shore Health Center’s percentage was lower than both the state and national averages, which were 18 and 22 percent respectively.

To help bring these numbers down Campbell said that the facility worked closely with both the Pilgrim Senior Center and local hospitals to look at new strategies, “to improve the care of our patients, giving them the support needed to ensure they aren’t bouncing back and forth to the hospital.”

The organization had submitted their application back in February and was alerted on July 6 that they were awarded the Silver Achievement Award.

“Awards like this is never the work of one or two people,” Campbell said. “Achievements like this come from the work of the entire team. We have 140 employees, and every single one had direct involvement in making this happen. All of their hard work is finally paying off.”

She said it was an honor and instilled a sense of pride in the West Shore team to be recognized nationally, especially for making a difference in the lives of their residents.

Despite having just received the Silver Award, Campbell said they hope to begin “tackling” the gold achievement right away.

Campbell believes it will take two years of preparation before they can apply, one year for strategic planning alone. They hope to continue improving employee and patient satisfaction and engagement “across the board.”

Campbell said, “It’s about taking everything we have already done and ramping it up another notch or two. We have proven we are a top performer, and that speaks for itself.”

The other Rhode Island winners were South Kingstown Nursing & Rehabilitation, Westerly Health Center and Village House Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Newport. Similarly, Heritage Hills Nursing &Rehabilitation in Smithfield and Pine Grove Health Center achieved the Bronze level award.

All of the winning organizations are affiliated with Health Concepts Ltd. And will be recognized at the AHCA/NCAL’s annual convention in October in San Antonio, Texas.

For more information on the AHCA/NCAL visit www.ahcancal.org. For more information on West Shore Health Center visit www.healthconceptsltd.com/eldercare-Warwick-RI.