Each year, the American Health Care Association (AHCA)/National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) National Quality Award Program shines a spotlight on long term and post-acute care communities that are raising the standard for excellence — communities that pair operational strength with deeply compassionate, patient/resident-centered support.
The process is rigorous, the standards are high, and only communities that demonstrate true operational strength and a deep dedication to continuous improvement are recognized. With each progressive award level requiring a more detailed demonstration of superior performance, earning a Bronze (Commitment to Quality), a Silver (Achievement in Quality), or a Gold (Excellence in Quality), reflects a community’s unwavering focus on delivering exceptional, person-centered care and the hard work it takes to get there.
Across all award levels, 113 Curana Health partner communities were recognized. These awards aren’t just milestones. They’re a testament to each community’s dedication to delivering reliable, person‑centered care and continually striving to do better for the residents they serve. We’re proud to work side-by-side with communities that exemplify what quality looks like in action.
Bronze is the essential first step in the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. Using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, Bronze recipients take a thoughtful look at their mission, vision, and the key factors that drive success. They build a strong organizational profile that sets the foundation for continuous improvement. Earning Bronze signals a community’s commitment to growth, learning, and better outcomes.
Silver represents the next level of excellence. Silver recipients demonstrate measurable progress in organizational effectiveness, health care outcomes, and process improvement. Using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, they refine approaches, strengthen systems, and build a clear pathway toward the highest honor: Gold.
The Gold Award is the pinnacle of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. Gold recipients demonstrate outstanding performance across leadership, strategic planning, customer experience, workforce engagement, and clinical outcomes. In 2025, all three Gold-winning skilled nursing facilities were Curana partners.
The number of recognized Curana partner communities increased from 65 in 2025 to 113 in 2026, a 74% increase. Across every award level, one theme stands out: our partners’ dedication to improving the lives of seniors through thoughtful, compassionate, high-quality care. Curana Health is honored to walk alongside communities as they advance their quality-improvement efforts and celebrate each milestone along the way.
To all the award winners — congratulations. Your commitment to excellence makes a meaningful difference every day.
At Curana Health, our mission is simple and steadfast: to improve the health, happiness, and dignity of seniors, and to support the staff who care for them every day. We partner with operators who share that commitment, working side-by-side to strengthen the clinical, operational, and quality domains recognized by AHCA/NCAL as essential to excellence.
Our clinicians are embedded within senior living and skilled nursing communities, delivering proactive, prevention‑focused primary care that improves resident outcomes and supports smoother day‑to‑day operations. Through medical directorship, our physicians collaborate closely with community leaders on QAPI initiatives, antipsychotic stewardship, survey readiness, and risk‑stratification strategies that elevate quality and consistency.
Beyond on-site care, our Accountable Care Organizations and Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans help partners reinvest in what matters most — their people, their processes, and their long-term vision for quality. Together, we build systems that not only meet benchmarks but sustain excellence year after year.
Whether your community is pursuing Bronze, Silver, or aiming for Gold, Curana Health is here to support your journey. Reach out to [email protected] to start a conversation.
