Nov 29, 2002 2 min read

Improving nursing homes Your excellent coverage of the new federal nursing quality initiative and its expansion into Pennsylvania is great news for seniors. The fact that comparative quality information data will now be publicized will help to improve the quality of patient care, and enhance consumers’ ability to make more informed choices.

While we strongly applaud the Bush Administration for stepping forward with a new approach to improving the quality of care in nursing homes, the momentum generated creates both the incentive and opportunity for Gov.-elect Rendell to go one step further by establishing an even more integrated and expansive quality initiative.

Rendell’s “Gold Seal” program for nursing homes, put forward during the campaign, could easily encompass a better approach to developing and sharing comparative quality information, initiating extensive research to determine effective best practices, and providing assistance so that providers can implement best practices to improve quality.

Pennsylvania is well positioned to become the nation’s leader in improving the quality of long-term care. From a demographic perspective, our state is the second oldest in America. Our 1.9 million residents age 65 and older will increasingly demand more intensive services over the next decade.

When our next governor is sworn in, we hope soon thereafter that key stakeholders – government officials, seniors organizations, state regulatory officials, consumer advocates, health care professionals, the research community and others – come together in an effort to improve not just the quality of care we provide to our elderly, but the climate in which we collectively debate crucial public policy matters.

By working together in a collegial and cooperative manner, Pennsylvania Health Care Association believes a long-term care quality improvement initiative for our commonwealth can and should be the best in the nation – for today’s retirees, and for tomorrow’s.

Alan G. Rosenbloom

president and CEO

Pennsylvania Health

Care Association

Harrisburg