​Willow Towers Assisted Living Receives National Award

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Searching for an assisted living residence for a loved one can be challenging because such facilities are not nationally regulated. What’s more, not all obtain the same state licensures, nor do they have the same standard of care. So it will come as good news to area families that an assisted living community in Westchester was just recognized among America’s best: Willow Towers Assisted Living received the 2018 Bronze Quality Award from the American Health Care Association (ACHA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), a leading industry association for long-term and post-acute care.

Willow Towers is one of only four senior care providers in New York State — and the only assisted living facility — to receive the distinction this year (nationwide, just 531 organizations received the Bronze Award).

“We’re raising the bar for senior care in Westchester,” said Nora O’Brien, PT, DPT, executive director, Willow Towers Assisted Living and Willow Gardens Memory Care, both located on the United Hebrew of New Rochelle senior living campus in New Rochelle.

“We’re so proud of our staff, who have worked so hard to enhance the quality of life for our residents. This recognition demonstrates our commitment to providing a superior assisted living experience,” she said.

The award recognizes long-term and post-acute care providers that demonstrate a commitment to improving the quality of care for seniors. Created in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program, which helps organizations among different industry sectors achieve best-in-class levels of performance.

The program has three levels: bronze, silver and gold. At the bronze level, providers develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements such as vision, mission statement, and key strengths and challenges. Bronze applicants must also demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system. Trained examiners review each bronze application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria.

“The recognition from our peers means we are performing well against national standards,” O'Brien said. “But we’re not going to rest on our laurels. We’re already working on achieving performance levels that meet the Silver award criteria.”

The honor is the latest earned by United Hebrew’s campus community. Recent accolades include receiving the AHCA/NCAL “Commitment to Quality Initiative”; the American College of Healthcare Administrators Eli Pick Facility Leadership award (for the third year in a row); the America’s Best for Extended Care Women’s Choice Award, and making the list of U.S. News & World Report Best Nursing Homes (for the seventh consecutive year).

“Kudos to Nora and her team for moving forward in this quality journey, and for serving as a model assisted living facility in New York State and across the nation,” said Rita Mabli, president and CEO of United Hebrew. “The recognition is terrific, of course. But the real reward is hearing from our residents that they feel well-cared for in a community that feels like home.”

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Photo credit: Submitted.