Of the 39 total applicants vying for Gold awards from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) National Quality Awards program this year, only two received the highest honor.

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) are pleased to announce the individual and group winners of their annual awards. They want to commend all of the award recipients for their selfless service and care.

For three years, Administrator Maryruth Butler and her 90 employees and 23 volunteers worked to get the Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare-owned Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation - Mountain Valley in Kellogg, Idaho, to the highest rung of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) National Quality Award ladder.

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living proudly announce the 2011 Volunteers of the Year.

When challenged to document their commitment to quality, this year’s winners of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living National Quality Awards answered the call by digging into their quality practices; tracking their progress; and identifying activities, programs, systems, and processes that make their facilities extraordinary and enable them to thrive and grow.

When the 2009 American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living Quality Award recipients were announced this summer, many facilities celebrated a milestone in their efforts to maximize quality of care for their residents and quality of life for residents and staff.