NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Golden Living Receives 60 Prestigious AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards in 2009

60 Golden LivingCenters have been selected by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) as recipients of the AHCA/NCAL Step I and II Quality Awards this year. To be selected for one of the independently judged awards, nursing homes must show an extraordinary ongoing commitment to quality care for their residents, as measured against specific criteria.

The AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards are designed to recognize quality achievement, while supporting improvement efforts in long-term care through the promotion of education and awareness. The awards are modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is the nation's highest award for distinguished health care achievement.

"Including this year's recipients, our company has earned a total of 241 Quality Awards since AHCA started the program in 1996, with more than half of those coming in the last three years under our new ownership," said Neil Kurtz, M.D., President and CEO of Golden Living. "This achievement is unmatched in the industry."

"Our employees strive every day to raise the bar of quality care in each of our LivingCenters," said Larry Deans, President of Golden LivingCenters. "The significant number of awards we have earned is a direct reflection of our progress in becoming a company that is synonymous with quality care."

To be selected by AHCA/NCAL as a Step I Quality Award recipient, a nursing home must demonstrate an organization-wide commitment to a patient-centered mission, define its principal customers and their expectations, and indicate how it is striving to meet their needs.

Quality Award recipients at the Step II level must have demonstrated excellence in the core values and concepts of visionary leadership, focus on the future, resident-focused care, management that measures and analyzes performance, organizational and personal learning, valuing staff and partners, systems perspective and innovation, and focus on results and creating value. To be eligible for the more rigorous Step II designation, nursing homes must also have previously earned the AHCA/NCAL Step I Quality Award.

"Golden Living is at the forefront of the quality movement and we applaud them for their efforts to incorporate processes that demonstrate enhanced quality," said AHCA/NCAL President and CEO, Bruce Yarwood.

A ceremony honoring the recipients of this year's awards will be held at the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention and Exposition, Oct. 4-7, 2009 in Chicago.

About Golden Living (www.goldenliving.com)

The Golden Living family of companies provides care and services that directly or indirectly serve the elderly and disabled, including companies that operate nursing homes and provide rehabilitation therapy, hospice care, home health services and temporary staffing services. There are more than 300 Golden LivingCenters (skilled nursing facilities) in 21 states. Golden Living also offers assisted living services at more than 40 locations. In addition, the Golden Innovations companies are leading providers of integrated senior healthcare services, partnering with more than 1,000 nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare organizations in 37 states. Golden Innovations companies include Aegis Therapies, AseraCare Hospice and Home Health, 360 Healthcare Staffing, Ceres Purchasing Solutions, and Vizia Healthcare Design Group. Collectively, the Golden Living family of companies has nearly 40,000 employees who provide quality healthcare to more than 30,000 patients every day.

                 Golden Living 2009 Quality Award Recipients

Step II Recipients
Golden LivingCenter - Clovis                Clovis            CA
Golden LivingCenter - St. James             St. James         MO
Golden LivingCenter - Richland              Johnstown         PA
Golden LivingCenter - William Penn          Lewistown         PA
Golden LivingCenter - Briarwood             Tucker            GA
Golden LivingCenter - Decatur               Decatur           GA
Golden LivingCenter - Rome                  Rome              GA

Step I Recipients
Golden LivingCenter - Winfield              Winfield          AL
Golden LivingCenter - Hillcrest             Fresno            CA
Golden LivingCenter - Sanger                Sanger            CA
Golden LivingCenter - Portside              Stockton          CA
Golden LivingCenter - Kennestone            Marietta          GA
Golden LivingCenter - Windermere            Augusta           GA
Golden LivingCenter - Muncie                Muncie            IN
Golden LivingCenter - Chase County          Cottonwood Falls  KS
Golden LivingCenter - Fredonia              Fredonia          KS
Golden LivingCenter - Parkway               Edwardsville      KS
Golden LivingCenter - Wellington            Wellington        KS
Golden LivingCenter - St. Matthews          Louisville        KY
Golden LivingCenter - Dedham                Dedham            MA
Golden LivingCenter - Garden Place          Attleboro         MA
Golden LivingCenter - Heathwood             Chestnut Hill     MA
Golden LivingCenter - Lexington             Lexington         MA
Golden LivingCenter - Melrose               Melrose           MA
Golden LivingCenter - Norwood               Norwood           MA
Golden LivingCenter - The Elmhurst          Melrose           MA
Golden LivingCenter - The Hermitage         Worcester         MA
Golden LivingCenter - Lake Ridge            Roseville         MN
Golden LivingCenter - Linden                Stillwater        MN
Golden LivingCenter - Moorhead              Moorhead          MN
Golden LivingCenter - Rochester West        Rochester         MN
Golden LivingCenter - Rush City             Rush City         MN
Golden LivingCenter - Malden                Malden            MO
Golden LivingCenter - New Haven             Odessa            MO
Golden LivingCenter - Westwood              Clinton           MO
Golden LivingCenter - Brook Manor           Brookhaven        MS
Golden LivingCenter - Carthage              Carthage          MS
Golden LivingCenter - Dartmouth             Charlotte         NC
Golden LivingCenter - Sargent               Sargent           NE
Golden LivingCenter - Valley                St. Marys         OH
Golden LivingCenter - Erie                  Erie              PA
Golden LivingCenter - Gettysburg            Gettysburg        PA
Golden LivingCenter - HAIDA                 Hastings          PA
Golden LivingCenter - Lansdale              Lansdale          PA
Golden LivingCenter - Meadville             Meadville         PA
Golden LivingCenter - Scranton              Scranton          PA
Golden LivingCenter - Shippenville          Shippenville      PA
Golden LivingCenter - Stroud                East Stroudsburg  PA
Golden LivingCenter - Black Hills           Rapid City        SD
Golden LivingCenter - Clark                 Clark             SD
Golden LivingCenter - Mobridge              Mobridge          SD
Golden LivingCenter - Prairie Hills         Rapid City        SD
Golden LivingCenter - Watertown             Watertown         SD
Golden LivingCenter - Brandywood            Gallatin          TN
Golden LivingCenter - Springfield           Springfield       TN
Golden LivingCenter - Elizabeth Adam Crump  Glen Allen        VA
Golden LivingCenter - Beaver Dam            Beaver Dam        WI
Golden LivingCenter - Court Manor           Superior          WI
Golden LivingCenter - Kenosha               Kenosha           WI
Golden LivingCenter - Valley of Hayward     Hayward           WI