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Debra DeShong Reed, 202-528-4214
Amy Weiss, 202-203-0448

Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care Praises CMS Release of Updated Special Focus Facilities (SFF) List

Action Further Spotlights Sector’s Leadership in Improving Transparency, Expanding Public Disclosure

Washington, DC – The following is a statement by Alan G. Rosenbloom, President of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, praising the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) release today of an expanded list of long term care facilities in need of improvement:

“Nursing home providers have led the healthcare sector in improving transparency and expanding the public disclosure of key quality data that empowers consumers.  The Alliance supports the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative to release and regularly update its SFF list to provide the public with better information upon which to make health care choices, and is particularly pleased that CMS will include information concerning facilities that have demonstrated significant and sustained quality improvement as well. 

“The collaborative government-provider quality improvement programs now successfully underway - - such as the Advancing Excellence campaign - - are indeed bringing about greater transparency, increased accountability, and quality improvement.  This is beneficial to consumers, nursing home providers, regulatory authorities, and lawmakers.

“The Alliance is pleased with the pace of improved quality measurement standards in the nursing home sector.  Providers are cognizant of their responsibility to continue being a catalyst for the innovations that enhance consumer knowledge and choice, and are committed to continue improving the quality of long term care for the benefit of every American.” 

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The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) represents nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to 1.5 million of our nation’s frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.  For more information, please visit www.ahca.org.

The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (“The Alliance”) is a coalition of 16 national long term care provider organizations that care for approximately 300,000 elderly and disabled patients each year in nearly 1,800 facilities across America. The Alliance is dedicated to improving the quality of nursing home care in the United States through measured results and outcomes and to assuring the government resources necessary to provide high quality care and services.