Ponchatoula Community Care Center: one of five Louisiana skilled nursing facilities earning a 2025 National Silver Quality Award

(Ponchatoula, LA) Ponchatoula Community Care Center is one of only five Louisiana skilled nursing facilities recognized as 2025 recipient of the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award by American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. They are also one of 13 Louisiana skilled nursing facilities currently holding that designation. The award is the second of three distinctions possible through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which spotlights providers across the nation that have demonstrated their dedication to improving quality of care for residents and patients in long term and post-acute care. The Silver guidelines are based on the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence

“When we initially researched this quality award, we knew going through the process would give us effective methods for continuous quality improvement that could be applied to any objective,” said Korey Landry, Administrator. “Earning the Silver National Quality Award centered on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program brings us to the next level and has afforded us a proven vehicle to continue to improve our processes and quality which ultimately benefits those we serve.”

AHCA/NCAL’s National Quality Award Program challenges providers to achieve performance excellence through three progressive levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold. At the Silver level, recipients develop and demonstrate effective approaches that help improve organizational performance and health care outcomes.

“As a Silver award recipient, Ponchatoula Community Care Center is well on its way to progress in their quality journey by continuing to achieve better quality results,” said Becky Gauthier, Vice President of Clinical Services for CommCare Management Corporation, which operates Ponchatoula Community Care Center. “I commend them on this outstanding achievement.”

The National Quality Award Program has three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. At the Silver level, recipients have met the criteria for the Bronze award and can now move on to the final and most prestigious level of the program, the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award. Trained examiners review each application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria.

Data shows, Silver and Gold awarded providers outperform the rest of the nation. In a national survey of hundreds of thousands of skilled nursing facility employees across the country, 99% of Ponchatoula Community Care Center employees agreed that Ponchatoula Community Care Center is a great place to work. With the benchmark in the survey set at 70%, Ponchatoula Community Care Center far outperformed that metric qualifying them as a Fortune 100 Great Place to Work designation.

“Earning the Silver award is no small feat, and Ponchatoula Community Care Center has demonstrated exceptional commitment to quality improvement,” said Cathy Bergland, AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board Chair. “This recognition is a clear reflection of their hard work and unwavering focus on delivering superior care and service to residents and staff.”

As a 2025 recipient of the Silver award they may now advance in further developing comprehensive approaches that meet the criteria required for the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award.

The National Quality Awards will be presented during Delivering Solutions 25, the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, October 19-22, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ABOUT COMMCARE

CommCare Corporation is a Louisiana-based, non-profit organization that operates 13 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers in the state. All 13 of CommCare’s SNFs earned the Bronze quality award and four have advanced to earn the Silver Quality Award.

ABOUT AHCA/NCAL

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 13,600 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.