Gifford Medical Center's nursing home named among nation's best

Gifford Medical Center’s nursing home, the Menig Extended Care Facility in Randolph, has been named among the nation’s 39 best nursing homes.

U.S. News and World Report on Tuesday released a list of its ‘2012 Honor Roll’ nursing homes. The 39 listed were the only out of more than 15,500 reviewed nationally to receive four straight quarters of perfect five-star ratings from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in all three areas that CMS evaluates - health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of care.

Menig, repeatedly recognized in Vermont with quality awards and included among the U.S. News and World Reports ‘2011 Best Nursing Homes’ listing, is the only Vermont nursing home on the 2012 top 39 ‘Honor Roll’ listing.

‘This is an amazing recognition of the work our nursing and support staff do to provide the highest standard of care for our residents, a remarkably clean and well-maintained facility and a loving home,’ Menig Director of Nursing Cindy Richardson said. ‘We had no idea this recognition was coming, or that it even existed, and are so thrilled that work like ours - to provide the best care possible to our most vulnerable seniors - is receiving notice nationally.’

Menig was constructed in 1998 to help meet the community’s need for nursing home care following the closure of larger, 53-bed Tranquility Nursing Home in Randolph. Part of non-profit Gifford, the nursing home initially had 20 beds but grew to 30 beds with an addition that opened in 2006.

The only nursing home in Orange County, Menig consistently has a waiting list of 120 people hoping for local nursing home care. Gifford is currently seeking permits to build a senior living community on 25.6 acres of land it owns in Randolph Center. The project would provide area adults and seniors more housing and care options, including independent and assisted living, and build on the success of Menig.

Menig has previously been awarded seven consecutive Nursing Home Quality recognitions from the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) and Gold Star Employer awards from DAIL and the Vermont Health Care Association.

The nursing home has also repeatedly been recognized with Excellence in Action awards from My InnerView, a national organization that surveys families of residents regarding their satisfaction.

‘All of these awards, and certainly this new 2012 Honor Roll recognition, validate the work that we do and demonstrate to the community what an outstanding facility and caregivers we have at Menig,’ Linda Minsinger, nursing home administrator and Gifford vice president of patient care services, says. ‘As we look at our amazing community and both the public and private services available here, this is another reason to hold our heads up high. This community is doing its best to provide for its seniors, and that is truly special.’

About Gifford Medical Center
Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, Vt., is a community hospital with family health centers in Bethel, Chelsea and Rochester and specialty services throughout central Vermont. Named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient and rehabilitation units, a day care, an adult day care and a 30-bed nursing home, the Menig Extended Care Facility, which was named among the U.S. News and World Report’s ‘2011 Best Nursing Homes’ in the nation for its outstanding quality. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to the traditional hospital-based deliveries and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care.

The hospital’s mission is to improve individuals’ and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable and high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.

Gifford Medical Center. 2.8.2012