IHCA Members in the News

Read about IHCA members' accomplishments, facility awards and honors, and other newsworthy items below:

July 2007

Heritage Manor of Mt. Zion Receives 2007 AHCA/NCAL Quality Award

Heritage Manor of Mt. Zion has received a 2007 Quality Award from the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). 

Since 1996, the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award program has been recognizing member facilities for demonstrating a clear commitment to continuous quality improvement in serving its residents. Heritage Manor of Mt. Zion was the only facility in Illinois to receive the honor.

"We're small, highly qualified, honest, and dedicated," says Administrator Marge Oblinger. "We are quality-care driven and attentive to our residents. Our residents trust us."

The facility, as a Medicare and Medicaid certified facility, offers respite and hospice care, in addition to physical, occupational, and speech therapies.  

The Quality Award program is a voluntary initiative which encourages long-term care providers to improve quality through accountability and disclosure and emphasizes the goals in the national Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes campaign.

This year, AHCA/NCAL received a total of 595 Quality Award applications. Recipients will be recognized Oct. 10 during the AHCA/NCAL/MECF Convention in Boston.

Heritage Manor-Mt. Zion is located at 1225 Woodland Drive, Mt. Zion, IL 62549; (217) 864-2356; fax: (217) 864-4960. It is owned by Heritage Enterprises, which has a long tradition of providing quality nursing home care in central and northern Illinois. The first Heritage Manor opened in 1963 and the company now owns or manages 34 facilities. The Heritage headquarters is located in Bloomington, Illinois .

June 2007

Alden Valley Ridge Residents Enjoy Chicago Dance Troupe

James Finnegan, 76, a resident of Alden Valley Ridge Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Bloomingdale, enjoys a special performance by Ade Echizenya and Claudia Ong of the Indonesian Performing Arts of Chicago's dance troupe during the facility's National Nursing Home Week celebration May 18.

Participants enjoyed a variety of activities throughout the week, including sports trivia, a treasure hunt and progressive bingo. Indonesian Performing Arts Chicago is a not-for-profit organization that promotes and maintains the cultural arts of Indonesia in the Chicagoland area through the sharing of Indonesian dance, music, culture and traditions.

Alden Valley Ridge Rehabilitation and Health Care Center is located at 275 E. Army Trail Rd. in Bloomingdale.

A Trip Back in Time for Sunny Hill Resident

Pictured above: Kooky, mascot for the Channahon Park District Skateland Skating Rink (at left), joins activity aide Patrice Day and Art Tarlini, a resident of Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County. The park district opened the rink early just for Tarlini, so his dream of getting to skate again could come true.

Wheelchair-bound Art Tarlini wanted to put skates on his feet and roll around a rink again. For him, it was a return to an activity he enjoyed decades earlier.

When he was in his 20s, he hit all of the area rinks, skating on wooden floors to the sounds of organs. So on May 18, Lindholm strapped skates on Tarlini's feet and made him pr om ise to refrain from any backflips. A grinning Tarlini agreed and he and activity aide Patrice Day started skating around the Channahon Park District Skateland Skating Rink to tunes from the 1950s and 60s.

Park district personnel opened the rink early for Tarlini's re-introduction to roller skating. Jennifer Mensik, communications and marketing coordinator for the park district, said when the request for helping fulfill Tarlini's dream came along, there was no question of “if” to the park district. “It was just, ‘when do you want to do it?”

Program Manager Angela Brown knows how much little things mean to nursing home residents. Her mother lives in a facility and she has seen how a small gesture can make a big difference.

After Tarlini was finished with his final spin around the rink, she asked him what his favorite item had been at the snack bar when he was a regular at area rinks. That was a tough one, he said. He liked so many things. “Maybe root beer.” Tarlini went back to his conversation with onlookers and soon was presented with the much-beloved root beer, with, of course, a lid and straw.

Note: Second Wind Dreams is a Georgia-based organization with chapters in several countries that is dedicated to fulfilling dreams of nursing h om e patients. Sunny Hill Nursing H om e of Will County, which is overseen by County Executive Larry Walsh, is a lifetime member of the organization. Sunny Hill became a lifetime member thinks to the volunteer group, The Friends of Sunny Hill Inc., which paid the facility's dues. The group is dedicated to helping attain the “little extras” for the residents that cannot be covered by the county budget.

Article submitted by Becky Haldorson, Assistant Administrator, Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County.

Alden Valley Ridge Employee Celebrates 25 Years

Linda Cabrera, CNA, recently celebrated 25 years of service at Alden Valley Ridge Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Bloomingdale.

“Linda is an exceptional certified nursing assistant and valuable member of the staff,” says Don Dalicandro, Administrator. “Over the past 25 years, she has devoted her life to helping our residents by providing the highest quality care. She truly deserves to be recognized for her efforts.”

Disabled Children and Young Adults Prepare for New Home

Alden Village Health Facility for Children and Young Adults recently broke ground for a 37,600-square-foot addition to the residential facility. The first phase of the two-year construction project to expand and renovate the Bloomingdale facility is well underway. When Phase I concludes in fall 2007, residents will move from the current structure into the new building.

Two Facilities Receive Deficiency Free Surveys

Jerseyville Nursing and Rehab in Jerseyville and Montgomery Nursing and Rehab in Hillsboro have received deficiency free surveys. These 101-bed skilled nursing facilities are owned by Wellington Management.

"Our operating philosophy is quite simple," says John Rothert, President of Wellington Management, "to provide the very best in geriatric care and rehabilitation.  By offering cutting edge nursing and therapy programs, such as Vital-Stim for swallowing problems, in-house wound-care, out-patient rehab, and community-based exercise programs, our homes have established reputations in their respective communities as true rehabilitation centers.  These recent survey results recognize the fact that we are well on our way to achieving our company goals."

Jerseyville Nursing and Rehab is located at 1001 S. State St., Jerseyville Illinois 62052. (618) 498-6496.  Terrie Weible, Administrator; Montgomery Nursing and Rehab is located at 9086 IL Rte 127, Hillsboro, Illinois 62049; (217) 532-6126; Carla VonderHaar, Administrator.  

Alden Estates of Barrington Heatlh Care and Rehabilitation Center Participate in 5th Annual Chef's Fest

Pictured from left to right: Alden Estates of Barrington Health Care and Rehabilitation Center's John Collante, Chef; Ann Scarbough, Food Service Manager, and Vicki Moravec, Marketing Liaison, serve tournedos Madeira, Mesclun salad with sun-dried tomato dressing, brioche and Caribbean rum cake with a warm berry compote at Good Shepherd Hospital's Fifth Annual Chef Fest. More than 500 individuals attended the food fair to benefit the Kocourek Family Cardiac Care Center at the hospital.

The new Alden Estates of Barrington, which offers top-quality medical and therapy services and world-class amenities, was the only rehabilitation center to participate in the event and to show off the facility's five-star restaurant-style menu.

Alden Terrace of McHenry Achieves Deficiency Free Survey

April 2007

Heartland Health Care Ranked No. 1 in Industry by Fortune Magazine Pros

HCR-ManorCare has been named one of America's Most Admired Companies in the Medical Facilities industry for 2007 by Fortune magazine. ManorCare was ranked No. 1 in quality of products/services, innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality management and long-term investment.

The most admired list is a report card on corporate reputations. Survey partners at Hay Group started with the Fortune 1,000 – the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue – and the top foreign ones operating in the U.S.

Hay sorted them by industry and selected the 10 largest in each. Only the best are listed: A company's score must rank in the top half of its industry survey.

To create the top 20, Hay Group asked executives, directors, and securities analysts who has responded to the industry surveys to select the ten companies they admired.

A total of 616 companies in 68 industries were surveyed.

HCR ManorCare is a leading provider of short-term post-acute and long-term care, with nearly 60,000 employees.

January 2007

Heritage Manor Employee Marks 31 Years

Diana Hayes of Gillespie recently celebrated 31 years as an employee at Heritage Manor of Gillespie. Hayes, who began working at Heritage as a nurse's aid, later worked as a floor nurse and assistant director of nursing. She is now MDS coordinator.

In addition, Kim Schardan of Gillespie has been named director of nursing and Leah Bumbardner of Mt. Olive was named assistant director of nursing at the facility.

Heritage Enterprises, Inc., was founded in 1962. It now owns or manages 34 facilities throughout Illinois.

December 2006

Director of Nursing Retires after 35 ½ Years at The Neighbors Rehab and Healthcare Center  

Ann Hamilton retired in December after 35½ years of nursing at the Neighbors Rehab and Healthcare Center. Ann won the IHCA's Director of Nursing of the Year award in 1993. She has been the facility's Director of Nursing for 33 years and has provided geriatric expertise and continuity of care for residents and their families. The Neighbors is located at 811 W. Second St., Bryron (Web site is www.neighborsbyron.com ). It celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. IHCA salutes Ann on her many years of service to long-term care!

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