All posts by Chris Chapman
Newsroom
West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center Named Best Nursing Home for 2018-19 by U.S. News
New Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating includes more emphasis on quality of care.
PORTLAND, Ore. (Dec. 3, 2018) – West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center, a skilled nursing community located in Portland, Ore., has been recognized as a 2018-19 Best Nursing Home by U.S. News and World Report, the global authority in health care rankings, available at www.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes.
For the 2018-19 ratings, U.S. News evaluated more than 15,000 homes nationwide and assigned two separate ratings: an Overall rating and a new Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating. Communities were considered Best Nursing Homes if they were rated high performing in either the overall or short-stay rehabilitation rating AND average or higher in the other rating. West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center received high performing for Overall.
The Overall rating evaluates the care of a wide range of resident in the nursing home, including both long-term residents with chronic needs and short-term patients who receive rehabilitation following a hospital stay. The newly introduced Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating designates nursing homes as high-performing, average, or below average in the care they provide to patients staying at the community for less than 100 days, and is based on nine quality measures focusing on staffing, outcomes, resident complaints and processes of care. It aims to provide patients with a clearer view of the quality of care provided by nursing homes to short-stay patients in need of intensive rehabilitation or nursing services before they return home after a surgery, stroke, accident or illness.
“Several million Americans will spend at least some time in a nursing home this year, whether undergoing rehab after a hospital stay or as long-term residents,” said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News. “Finding a nursing home that meets an individual’s specific needs can be overwhelming. The Best Nursing Home ratings are designed to help potential residents and their families navigate this important decision.”
To evaluate these homes, U.S. News drew on data from the Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that assesses nursing homes in nurse staffing, health inspection and quality measures. In addition to these measures, nursing homes were assessed on whether they had a patient-centered or billing-centered pattern in the number of minutes of therapy certain high-needs patients received. The consistency of their reported nurse staffing figures across assessment-based and payroll-based reporting systems was also a factor in the ratings.
For more information, contact West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center at 503-244-1107.
Newsroom
West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Receives Highest Rating from U.S. News & World Report for 2017-2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. AND PORTLAND, ORE., (Dec. 8, 2017) — West Hills Health & Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing community in Portland, Ore., managed by The Goodman Group, has received the highest possible overall rating of five stars by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Nursing Homes,” available exclusively at www.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes.
U.S. News & World Report evaluated over 15,000 facilities across the country and just over 2,000 earned the designation of Best Nursing Homes 2017-18. U.S. News’ goal is to help families find a good and caring facility for their loved one. According to U.S. News & World Report, roughly 1.4 million individuals, including 1 in 10 individuals age 85 and above, will wake up in a U.S. nursing home.
To create Best Nursing Homes 2017-18, U.S. News drew on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that assesses nursing homes in three categories – state-conducted health inspections, nurse staffing and medical quality measures. CMS then assigns homes an overall rating of one to five stars based on their performance in those areas. U.S. News awarded the “Best Nursing Homes” designation to facilities that earned an overall four and half stars and above.
“We are very proud of our staff and their dedication to providing exceptional Platinum Service® and care for our residents and this national recognition,” said Nicole Easley, executive director, West Hills Health & Rehabilitation. “We are also proud to be among the approximately 18 percent of all nursing homes recognized with an overall 5-star rating in the state of Oregon.”
“Finding a nursing home that meets an individual’s specific needs is a difficult decision that several million families across America face each year,” says Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News. “The Best Nursing Homes ratings, advice and tools were designed to help navigate this important life decision and make the process a little easier.”
In addition to releasing the Best Nursing Homes for 2017-18, U.S. News & World Report also released its new Nursing Home Finder that offers comprehensive information about care, safety, health inspections, staffing and more for nearly every nursing home in the county.
Newsroom
Portland Senior Living Community to Produce First Intergenerational Play
PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 15, 2017) – The West Hills senior living and health care campus is partnering for the first year with internationally-renowned Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) to host a one-week multi-generational summer theatre camp, Aug. 14-18. “The Tortoise Versus the Hare” will have one performance on Fri., Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Casting for “The Tortoise Versus the Hare” will include school age students from the community entering ages six and older, as well as senior residents who live at West Hills Village Senior Residence and West Hills Health & Rehabilitation. Together, West Hills and Missoula Children’s Theatre will transcend cultural barriers between the young and young at heart by actively engaging them in the arts. Participating in theatre helps to develop confidence, skills and self-esteem, as well as meaningful relationships.
WHEN:
REGISTRATION FOR AUDITIONS
Mon., Aug. 14, 12:30-1:00 p.m.
AUDITIONS:
Mon., Aug. 14, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
REHEARSALS:
Mon. Aug. 14, 3:15 – 5:15 p.m.
Tues. – Fri., Aug. 14-18, 1:00 – 5:15 p.m.
PERFORMANCES:
Fri., Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
“We are excited to join forces for the first time with the Missoula Children’s Theatre for this special experience,” said Lindsay Schroeder, executive director at West Hills Village Senior Residence. “Our management company, The Goodman Group, has done this partnership in other cities, and they’ve seen that both generations really benefit from creating new relationships with each other.”
Tickets: General admission is by donation, with all proceeds benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association. Preferred seating tickets are $12. Contact Elisabeth at 503-244-1107 to reserve your tickets.
Show Synopsis: Somewhere in desert country, the inhabitants of West Sandy Bottoms are preparing for the highlight of their year – the annual race between the Mammals and the Reptiles. Fan clubs practice their cheers as the big day draws near. As we see the race through the eyes of a TV news team covering the event, we soon discover that there is more than a sporting rivalry between the brown animals and the green animals. There’s a real animosity between these creatures. As the race proceeds, a tiny bunny is lost in the wilds of Tornado Gulch and, almost miraculously, the mammals and reptiles join in the search…together. The wisdom of the old tortoise and the lesson learned by the cocky hare remind us all that it’s easy to get along, if you just try. In the end, the animals realize the folly of their ways and live happily together in their sandy home.
Newsroom
Portland’s West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center Receives Overall 5-Star Rating
Post-acute provider continues to lead industry in quality and patient satisfaction
PORTLAND, Ore. (June 20, 2017) ─ West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center, a Platinum Service community, is proud to announce that for the third annual year, it has received an overall 5-star rating by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In addition, this is the first year that the Center has been recognized with 5-star ratings in all subcategories, which include: health inspections, staffing, and quality measures.
The Five Star Quality Rating System helps consumers compare nursing homes. Each home is rated on a 1- to 5-star score, which comes from individual ratings in three different area of facility performance, including: health inspection, staffing, and quality measures.
“Quality care is our top priority, and these results validate the hard work and commitment to excellence exemplified by our team,” said Nicole Easley, Executive Director. “Quality metrics are now the preferred standard for evaluating healthcare providers of all types. We are both proud and honored to earn independent, outside recognition as the industry leader in providing consistent quality care that meets and exceeds the needs and expectations of the residents and families we are privileged to serve.”
CMS star ratings are highly respected performance indicators for home health providers and viewed as a key differentiator in the post-acute care industry. As healthcare providers seek ways to better support the health and well-being of their patients both within and outside hospital settings, effective post-acute care solutions are growing in importance. Facilities with five stars, like West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center, are considered to have “much above average quality.”
In fall 2016, Medicare changed the five-star rating system, making the higher rating much more difficult to reach. Before the change, about 80 percent of nursing homes received either a four- or five-star rating in the category of quality measures. Under the new system, only about 49 percent of nursing homes have achieved this status.
The government estimates that 1.5 million people use the rankings, which are available at Medicare.gov in the Nursing Home Compare section. Nursing home leaders and associates watch the ratings even more closely than most consumers, using them to gauge performance and proudly sharing their superior ranking with current and prospective residents and their families.
Health Inspections
This rating is based on how well the facility meets Medicare’s minimum quality requirements. Each facility is reviewed at least annually. The results of the last three years’ worth of inspections comprise of the score. The most recent inspection carries the greatest weight.
Staffing
This rating looks at the number of hours of care provided to each resident each day. This information is “acuity based”, meaning it considers the care needs of the resident when looking at the number of staff available. This measure looks at both RN staff and total nursing staff.
Quality Measures
This rating looks at 11 different clinical and physical characteristics of nursing home residents, and compares the facility is caring for the residents’ physical and clinical needs.
