Good Samaritan featured at AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit
April 7, 2025
Contact:
Tess Hedrick
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / tess.hedrick@sanfordhealth.org
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Good Samaritan– the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and services – will share how innovation is the driving force behind sustained organizational success in quality in addition to population health models at the 2025 American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) Quality Summit in Atlanta on April 7-9.
The AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit features education sessions with industry experts, including Heather Herlyn, MS, RN, CPHQ, director of quality and safety for Good Samaritan and AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Board member. Titled ‘Chasing Innovation: Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Organizational Growth,’ Herlyn will be co-presenting the session with Kristin Thrun, consultant/regulatory officer with Burgess Square/JHG.
The session focuses on innovation and how, in a rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations must not only adopt best practices, but also establish a framework for evaluating and improving processes.
“Prioritizing and improving quality metrics and survey outcomes is key to achieving high standards, which translates into quality care for our nation’s seniors,” said Herlyn. “I look forward to sharing how Good Samaritan– together with Sanford Health – has unlocked innovations to improve seniors’ access to care, enhanced quality care and engaged clinical teams in new ways and how other organizations can do the same.”
The National Quality Award program uses the Baldrige Performance Framework to help long term care organizations improve outcomes through a focus on system-wide performance excellence. By working through three progressive levels, providers meet rigorous program standards to become the best in long term care. The Quality Award Board provides integral oversight and strategic development of the program.
Last July, Good Samaritan Society – Jackson in Jackson, Minnesota and Good Samaritan Society – Le Mars in Le Mars, Iowa were recognized as 2024 Silver – Achievement in Quality award recipients by the AHCA/NCAL. 23 Good Samaritan locations were also recipients of the 2024 Bronze – Commitment in Quality award. Locations will be recognized for the prestigious awards at this year’s Quality Summit.
Nathan Ovenden, director of Medicare programs for Sanford Health Plan, will also be co-presenting a session titled ‘Evaluating Long-Term Care Financials: Shifting from Fee-for-Service to Population Health Models’ with Denise A. Leonard, CPA and Partner at Plante Moran.
Moderated by Martin Allen, AHCA/NCAL Reimbursement Policy SVP, the session will provide long term care providers with a comprehensive framework for evaluating the financial impact of shifting from traditional Fee-for-Service (FFS) models to more complex population health models.
“As an integrated health system, we are uniquely positioned to enhance quality and the resident experience through value-based care models,” said Ovenden. “I look forward to sharing how Good Samaritan, with Sanford Health Plan, is supporting residents’ health needs through our Institutional Special Needs Plan, which brings care directly to residents.”
Through Sanford Health Plan, Good Samaritan offers Great Plains Medicare Advantage, an I-SNP program which coordinates clinical care and provides residents with routine Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant visits. The program also offers long-term care residents access to preventative care including vision, hearing, dental and podiatry services.
For more information about Good Samaritan, visit good-sam.com.
About Good Samaritan
Good Samaritan is one of the largest not-for-profit providers for senior care and services in the United States with more than 144 locations in 14 states. Its services include senior living, long-term care, rehabilitation therapy, home-based services and more. Learn more about Good Samaritan at good-sam.com.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves 2.4 million patients and more than 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes 56 hospitals, more than 270 clinic locations, 144 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, nearly 1,000 active clinical trials and studies, and nine world clinic locations around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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