North Carolina State Veterans Home - Black Mountain Earns U.S. News & World Report Best Nursing Homes Award

North Carolina State Veterans Home - Black Mountain Earns U.S. News & World Report Best Nursing Homes Award

Black Mountain, North Carolina (January 25, 2022) - North Carolina State Veterans Home - Black Mountain, which is operated by PruittHealth, is among the 13% of centers nationwide recently recognized as a Best Nursing Home for 2021-22 by U.S. News & World Report. The center earned Best Nursing Homes status by achieving a rating of 'High Performing,' the highest possible rating, for Long-Term Care.

"We are proud our high-quality, patient-centric care has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report and believe this award demonstrates our long-standing commitment to elevating the level of care provided in communities we serve," Neil L. Pruitt, Jr., chairman and CEO of PruittHealth, said.

U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those homes that satisfy U.S. News' assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures.

Now in its 12th year, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings and profiles offer comprehensive information about quality of care, COVID-19 vaccination requirements for residents and staff, flu and pneumonia vaccination rates, and infection control violations listed on the resident safety summary.

This year's methodology includes an emphasis on homes meeting certain standards of patient safety, which could limit a home's ability to achieve a 'High-Performing' rating. These standards include a minimum threshold for the staff COVID-19 vaccination rate, overuse of antipsychotic drugs and frequent visits to the emergency department, among other criteria. Homes that have below a 75% COVID-19 staff vaccination rate are not considered a leading facility.

The ratings include data on staffing, success in preventing ER visits and pneumonia vaccination rates, among other metrics. Out of 13,175 nursing homes that received a Long-Term Care Rating, 1,063 were designated as High-Performing. The Short-Term Care Rating incorporates measures of quality including consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing falls. For 2021-22, 13,500 facilities received a Short-Term Rating, while only 1,651 homes earned a High-Performing Rating.

For more information behind both U.S. News ratings please refer to the FAQ.