SITKA – SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Sitka Long-Term Care was recently honored by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) for meeting the criteria of the 2020 Quality Initiative Recognition Program. Sitka Long-Term care received Tier 1 recognition for reaching the target in the reduction of antipsychotic medications, which is typically used in the treatment of schizophrenia, along with severe cases of depression and anxiety.
These antipsychotic rates are reported through Minimum Data Set (MDS) submissions to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of a mandated national process for clinical assessment of all residents in certified nursing homes. To be eligible for recognition from AHCA/NCAL for antipsychotics reduction, nursing homes must safely reduce the use of antipsychotics by at least 10 percent since first-quarter of 2017, or maintain a usage rate of 8 percent or less among long-stay residents.
“As a facility and team, we have been working hard to continue to provide top-notch care to our residents,” said Kay Turner, Sitka Long-Term Care Administrator. “This is one of several awards our facility has recently received and it’s great to have our staff recognized. We look forward to continuing to provide award-winning care and strive for continuous quality improvement.”
In September, Sitka Long-Term Care received the Quality Achievement Award from Mountain Pacific Quality Health, recognizing efforts for quality improvement initiatives to improve patient safety and care.