Acton Nursing Services Named Top Agency

ACTON, MA — Acton Nursing Services was named a Top Agency of the 2019 HomeCare Elite, a recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. This is the seventh time Acton Nursing Services has received HomeCare Elite status.

The agency made 3,071 home visits in fiscal year 2019, including 1,031 for skilled nursing, 755 for physical therapy, 70 for occupational therapy and 1,215 for certified home health aide.

For 14 years, HomeCare Elite has annually identified the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified agencies and highlighted the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall.

The ranking is developed by ABILITY Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of healthcare.

“We’re pleased to recognize Acton Nursing Services for exemplifying best practice in patient care,” said Christine Lang, senior director for ABILITY Network. “Acton Nursing Services’ home health professionals have demonstrated exceptional commitment to care quality and the patient experience.”

“HomeCare Elite status is a terrific accomplishment,” Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti said. “Acton Nursing Services has a long history of meeting a wide variety of health care needs, and to receive this recognition once again shows the continued level of exemplary service they provide to residents.”

Acton Nursing Services Director, Heather York, RN, says the continued high ranked patient satisfaction scores show a true reflection of the compassion, teamwork and high standards by the agency staff in delivering exemplary care to its patients.

The timing of the award is fitting, York said, given that November is Nation Home Care and Hospice Month.

"We are honored to be named as one of the top 25 percent of Home Health agencies in the United States. I want to commend our staff for providing exemplary care to our patients in a kind, consistent and professional manner, affording them the ability to safely age in place," York said.

York added that continuity of care is a main reason for the agency's consistently high patient satisfaction scores.

"As a small municipally-owned home health agency, we have the ability to provide patients with the same clinical staff members throughout their entire admission," she said. "Providing a familiar face consistently throughout their admission makes patients more successful and engaged in their own goals, and also increases the use of Acton Nursing Services by those clients again and to those they recommend us to.”

HomeCare Elite agencies are determined by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, best practices implementation, patient experience (HHCAHPS), quality improvement and consistency, and financial health.

In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least three outcomes in Home Health Compare. Out of 8,818 agencies considered, 2,207 are recognized on the 2019 HomeCare Elite winners list overall.

The entire list of 2019 HomeCare Elite agencies can be downloaded by visiting the ABILITY Network website at abilitynetwork.com/homecare-elite.