​Thirty years ago, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program was established and set out with an ambitious goal: not simply to recognize excellence in long term and post-acute care, but to help providers build it. Since its launch in 1996, the program has evolved into the profession’s most respected and widely used quality-improvement program.

Today, the program’s impact is measured by more than just the Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards presented each year. Decades of performance data show that Silver and Gold Quality Award recipients consistently achieve better outcomes than their peers, including higher Five-Star ratings, lower staff turnover, and better outcomes in quality performance measures.