May Creek Senior Living Campus is a 2010 National Quality Award recipient from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Shown are members of the May Creek Senior Living Campus Quality team (from left) Renee LeBlanc, RN; Ann Noland, RN, Owner/CEO; Amy Pyburn, Lead Resident Assistant; Marcy Hanson, RN; and Jill Grimes, RN, Health Services Manager.

The May Creek Senior Living Campus is one of only 16 Minnesota care providers that will be recognized by AHCA/NCAL with a 2010 National Quality Award at the national convention to be held in Long Beach, California, in October.

Through a formal application and judging process, the May Creek Senior Living Campus employees have demonstrated a commitment to ongoing quality care for Minnesota's elderly at both the May Creek Assisted Living Lodge and the May Creek Memory Care Cottages located on the shared campus in Walker.

"We are honored to be a recipient and one of only six Minnesota Assisted Living facilities to receive this quality award. I am particularly proud to be able to accept the award on behalf of all the May Creek Campus leadership and care giving staff that contributed to earning this award," said Ann Noland, CEO and owner. "It validates our continual drive to provide top quality care in a manner that guarantees choice and dignity to each one of our residents."

In addition to the national award presentation, May Creek Senior Living Campus will also be honored by industry peers at Care Providers of Minnesota's 2010 Annual Convention and Expo in November.

"Minnesota continues to lead the way in quality, and I commend the May Creek Senior Living Campus for their extraordinary achievement in their quality journey," stated Patti Cullen, President and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota. "Their staff and leadership demonstrate a strong commitment to developing person-centered care and services."

The May Creek Senior Living Campus is operated by Ann Noland of Walker. The campus is home to May Creek Lodge, a 29-unit assisted living apartment complex that opened eleven years ago to address the need for residential care options for seniors in the extended Walker community. The campus is also home to the May Creek Cottages, which opened in December 2008 to provided specialty care for seniors with memory care needs.

The National Quality Award Program was implemented in 1996 and is based on the core values and criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. It provides a pathway for providers of long term and post-acute care services to journey towards performance excellence. Facilities begin with the Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award where they are asked to develop an organizational profile including vision and mission statements, an awareness of their environment and customers' expectations, and demonstrate quality improvement measures. A Bronze Award is required before application for the Silver, then Gold Level Awards.

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent long-term health care organizations at the federal level. Care Providers of Minnesota is the state long-term care trade association affiliate of AHCA/NCAL, representing over 500 Minnesota providers of long-term care, senior housing, and home and community-based services. Created in 1947, its serves the needs of long-term care providers and supports them in providing the highest quality care.

More information on CPM can be found at www.careproviders.org or from Lisa Foss Olson at 1-800-462-0024.