LEOMINSTER — Life Care Center of Leominster and The Highlands in Fitchburg have been recognized as 2026 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award recipients by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.
The centers were notified of their achievement on July 9. They were two of only five skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Massachusetts to receive the honor this year.
“Being recognized as a National Quality Silver Award winner means a great deal to myself and our team at The Highlands,” said Mark Ailinger, Highlands executive director. “It serves as validation from a highly respected, independent body (the AHCA) that the team at The Highlands is delivering a level of care and service that’s in the top 3% in the nation. We’re relentless when it comes to delivering the best we can for our residents, families, staff and others.”
Samantha Mague, executive director at the Leominster center, added: “Earning this award solidifies my belief that our Life Care Center of Leominster community is committed to delivering quality care. Dedicating our time to quality means we are consistently learning, improving and adapting to the needs of our residents, staff and families. This award fills each one of us with immense pride and gratitude to be a part of something meaningful.”
Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is a rigorous three- level process in which organizations are reviewed and evaluated by trained experts against a set of nationally recognized standards for organizational excellence: the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework. Providers must achieve the Bronze level before progressing to the second level, Silver.
At the Silver level, organizations demonstrate how they systematically improve performance and achieve positive outcomes through effective approaches and processes. Applications are reviewed by a highly trained team of examiners to evaluate how organizations deploy, assess and refine their systems to drive continuous quality improvement.
“In writing the application, we painted a vivid picture of what we do each day at The Highlands to make integrity, compassion, excellence and teamwork come to life,” said Ailinger.
“During the application process, I was able to focus on some impressive strides our facility has made to our five-star quality measures, staffing fully in-house, improving customer service and achieving positive state survey outcomes,” said Mague.
The award will be formally presented during “Delivering Solutions 26,” the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention and Exposition, from Oct. 11-14, in Boston.
The Highlands is located at 335 Nichols Road, Fitchburg, and Life Care Center of Leominster is located at 370 West St., Leominster. They are two of 15 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Massachusetts managed by Life Care Centers of America. Life Care manages more than 200 skilled nursing, post-acute, Alzheimer’s, and senior living campuses in 27 states. For more information about Life Care, visit lcca.com.
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