Garrett Regional Medical Center’s Subacute Unit won its fourth consecutive Best Nursing Home award from US News & World Report, Mark Boucot, the hospital’s president and chief executive officer, announced this week. The hospital received a five star rating.
The annual award, given to nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities throughout the United States, is based on data provided by Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS is a federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing home facilities. Data considered in the methodology used by US News to determine nursing home performance is measured over the course of the year, with facilities required to meet certain performance standards consistently throughout the 12 month period.
Winning the award means Garrett Regional Medical Center is included in the US News & World Report’s Nursing Home Finder as a “Top Performer;” of the 224 nursing home facilities in the state of Maryland, only 38 achieved the Top Performer rating.
“We’re both pleased and proud that our Subacute Unit has once again been recognized for the quality of the care we provide our patients,” stated Mr. Boucot. “The mission of our hospital is to treat every patient like a member of our own family, and the care and compassion our Subacute staff gives their patients every day really reflects that. The staff does an amazing job helping people reach their healthiest potential. I’m very pleased their hard work and dedication is being recognized nationally.”
The hospital’s Subacute Unit offers rehabilitation services for patients who have been in acute care and are in need of therapy to prepare them for discharge. Therapies provided in the unit include physical and occupational therapies, speech therapy, and long term antibiotic therapy. The patients in Subacute range from those who have had a colostomy and must learn how to address their condition to surgery patients who need to gain strength and stamina in order to return home safely.
“We offer patients short term therapy that is aimed at getting them to their highest level of functioning so they can make a smooth transition either back home or to a long term care facility,” says Lori Davis, RN, Director of the Subacute Unit. “We work with patients who have had total knee or hip replacements, patients who have suffered a stroke, and we also teach diabetic patients how to monitor their condition and perform finger sticks and insulin injections. We work with a wide variety of conditions, and seeing people improve throughout their stay is one of the best things about working here. It’s very gratifying.”
Typically, patients receive rehab services in the Subacute Unit for anywhere from eight days to two weeks, Ms. Davis notes.
US News & World Report evaluated over 15,000 nursing homes and facilities throughout the country in determining which facilities provide outstanding care. This year, a little over 2,000 facilities earned the ranking as a Best Nursing Home. Garrett Regional Medical Center, which won five stars in each of the four years it has won the coveted award, is currently one of eight nursing home facilities in the state of Maryland that holds a total of 20 stars.
