The American Health Care Association (AHCA) documentary, “Closed Doors, Open Hearts: Nursing Homes and COVID-19,” received a National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter (Capital) Emmy Award Saturday evening in the Documentary – Cultural/Topical category.  

The documentary, which was up against three other nominees, features two nursing homes on opposite sides of the country and their struggles and perseverance at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the heroic caregivers who continued to serve through the most challenging times. It also provides a glimpse into what has really happened inside nursing homes since early 2020 and why it is so important to continue supporting these vital providers’ ongoing efforts to keep residents safe and healthy. 

The Capital Emmy Chapter is one of 19 regional chapters that make up The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It is a non-profit, professional organization serving the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC television and media community. The organization’s foundation is The Emmy® Award, the TV industry’s gold-standard for the recognition of television excellence. 

“It is an honor merely to be nominated, but to win is truly special,” said AHCA President & CEO Mark Parkinson. “Nursing homes have been at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic since the very beginning, and these providers have gone above and beyond to protect this highly vulnerable population. Thank you for allowing us to share their important story and for recognizing the hard work and passion that went into making this film. It is dedicated to everyone in long term care – staff, residents, families, and those who support them.” 

The Capital Emmy is the next in a number of awards AHCA’s 26-minute film has received this year. It recently received Telly Awards in three categories: Gold recognition in Social Video/General Documentary, Silver recognition in the People’s Telly Award/General-Social Video, and Silver recognition in General Documentary – Individual. The Telly Awards are premier awards honoring video and television across all screens. The documentary was also recognized with a Silver Digital Health Award earlier this month.