WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American College of Health Care Administrators honors Melissa Graham, multi-level long term care administrator of Maine Veterans’ Homes in Caribou, with the 2023 Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award. Only 2 percent of facilities nationwide met the initial selection criteria.
This year, 31 administrators in 16 states met all eligibility requirements and were awarded the facility leadership award nationally. The leadership award was celebrated at ACHCA’s 56th annual Convocation and Exposition in Baltimore, Maryland on April 25.
Based on the premise that facility excellence reflects leadership excellence, this award recognizes the administrator of record who provided such leadership for the entire 2022 calendar year. Eligibility for this award is based on three years of skilled nursing facility survey data, including the health, fire safety, and complaint surveys and top quartile performance on designated quality measures. The criteria also include at least a 70 percent or greater facility occupancy and a three-year avoidance of a Special Focus Facility status. This prestigious award is made possible with the support of Broad River Rehab.
“Skilled nursing centers across our country are at the forefront of providing care. Despite ongoing challenges, regulatory burdens, and limited resources, these exceptional leaders and their teams have shown that they can achieve outstanding results,” Robert (Bob) Lane, ACHCA’s president and CEO.
The Facility Leadership Award was introduced in 2008 by one of ACHCA’s most revered leaders, the late Eli Pick. A former executive director of the Ballard Rehabilitation Center, DesPlaines, Illinois for over 30 years, Pick embodied excellence as an administrator who cared for his residents, their families, and his community. This award is presented annually in memory of Eli, a consummate member of ACHCA, dedicated to advancing professionalism and leadership in long-term care. The Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award can be viewed at www.achca.org/eli-pick-facility-leadership.
Founded in 1962, the American College of Health Care Administrators is the only professional association devoted solely to meeting the professional needs of today’s long-term care administrator and executive. ACHCA’s mission is to be the catalyst for excellence by providing education, promoting professional advancement through Fellowship, and facilitating mentorship via the keystone Mentoring Program. ACHCA’s diverse membership includes administrators from the post-acute, senior living, home care, and aging services care continuum.
