Statement from the Alliance for Quality Nursing...( WASHINGTON Sept. 23 -- The follo...),Health

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Alan Rosenbloom, President of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, in reaction to the Sunday, Sept 23, New York Times story entitled, "At Many Homes, More Profit and Less Nursing:"

"The nursing home data analyzed by the New York Times, and noted in the reporting itself, examines a very narrow segment of the nation's long term care ownership category, and is far from representative of the total long term care quality picture in America's nursing homes - which is improving overall. As the article itself notes, the Times analysis concerns less than 10% of all nursing homes in America, and many of the problems noted involved only 5% of all homes.

The news article does, however, raise important issues about the need to sustain for the long term the many successful government and profession-wide quality improvement initiatives now underway -- and our profession will continue to advocate the vital need to assess patient outcome data and patient and family satisfaction surveys, which are highly relevant to the overall quality equation. Further, we concur with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other independent sources finding that while there have been specific, measurable quality improvements in several important clinical areas, there is still far more to do.

The very data analyzed by the New York Times is representative of the long term care profession's demonstrated commitment to public data disclosure, and making more information available for consumers to consider and evaluate as a means of assessing facility quality. This is correctly bringing about more accountability, and spurring increased competition among facilities. This is beneficial to every consumer, the regulatory authorities, federal and state lawmakers, and providers themselves. Our profession has demonstrated the leadership expect
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