Wingate at East Longmeadow Receives National Quality Award

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. - Aug. 29, 2014 - PRLog -- East Longmeadow, MA–Wingate at East Longmeadow (www.wingateateastlongmeadow.com), Western Massachusetts’s leading skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, has been recognized as a 2014 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award for its dedication to improving the lives of residents through quality care. They are one of only four skilled nursing facilities in the Commonwealth to receive the Bronze Award this year.

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 program honors centers across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality care for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

“I applaud Wingate at East Longmeadow for its commitment to delivering quality care,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “This award represents the dedication they have given to improve quality in the long term and post-acute care profession.”

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. The program assists providers of long term and post-acute care services in achieving their performance excellence goals.

Owned by Wingate Healthcare, Wingate at East Longmeadow is a 135-bed skilled nursing facility that provides both short and long-term care following an injury or illness. The community provides a wide range of post-acute care and rehabilitation services including Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Wound Care and Physical Therapy. They are known for their unique Pavilion Suites, which provide post-acute care in a luxurious hotel-like setting. Next month, Wingate at East Longmeadow will open a Ventilator Care Program, providing one of the only non-hospital options available in Western Massachusetts. The community is one of six skilled nursing facilities in Western Massachusetts that are owned by Wingate Healthcare.

“We are thrilled to receive this award,” said Jeff Heinze, Administrator of Wingate at East Longmeadow. “From nursing to maintenance, our team works incredibly hard to ensure that our residents receive the absolute best care in the best possible environment, and to have this commitment recognized nationally is a great honor.”

The National Quality Award program is sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Members My InnerView, by National Research Corporation and PointRight. My InnerView represents the true voice of nursing home and assisted living residents, families, and employees with the most insightful quality measurement solutions and satisfaction surveys in the healthcare continuum. PointRight is the recognized leader in data-driven analytics for health care and insurance. The award will be presented to Wingate at East Longmeadow during AHCA/NCAL’s 65th Annual Convention and Exposition, October 5-8, 2014, in Washington, D.C.

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About Wingate Healthcare

Wingate Healthcare has been owned and operated by the Schuster family for over 25 years. Drawing on their long history in the New England medical community and a desire to help meet the critical needs of families in Massachusetts and New York, Wingate is the Northeast’s premiere provider of healthcare and hospitality for seniors. The Schuster’s are committed to enhancing the lives of others which has led to the creation of Hospitality Homes, Operation P.E.A.C.E., The Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University and a number of other charitable organizations and events. For more information, visit www.wingatehealthcare.com.

Wingate Press Contact: Carol Arnold, Arnold Communications, (877) 718-4604 x2, carol@arnoldcomm.com.

AHCA/NCAL National Contact: AHCAPressOffice@ahca.org