The Arkansas Health Care Association and Arkansas Assisted Living Association (AHCA/AALA) recently awarded its 2019 Administrator of the Year award to Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Administrator Amber Strom. The facility is a 100-bed residential nursing and rehabilitation center serving the city, Pope County, and surrounding areas.
Strom began her career in high school at Legacy Heights Nursing and Rehab in Russellville, where she stayed on as a CNA through college. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, she made the shift and started working in assisted living.
“I was brought to tears when I heard of my award for Administrator of the Year; and then to also have our team here in Russellville be recognized nationally for their dedication and care for our residents was just icing on the cake,“ said Strom. Applicants are nominated for Administrator of the Year by their peers.
The Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was also recognized as a Tier 3 facility in the national program, The Quality Initiative Program. This program was launched in 2012 by the American Health Care Association to improve the quality of care in long-term and post-acute care centers.
“At Arkansas Health Care Association and Arkansas Assisted Living Association (AHCA/AALA) we see our administrators as masters of multi-tasking. To do the job well, they must consider every aspect of a resident’s or patient’s life, not just their medical needs. They do all this while building a sense of home and community for everyone who walks through their doors,” said Cat Hamilton, director of member services. “Amber embodies all of those things and more!”
Facilities receive national recognition based on the number of goals met and are awarded on a Tier 1 – Tier 4 scale. Goals include hospitalizations, customer satisfaction, functional outcomes, and antipsychotics. All facilities have been challenged to achieve quantitative results in these areas.