River Garden has once again been awarded the Governor’s Gold Seal Award for Excellence in Long-Term Care, a clear indicator that the agency remains on-track as a premier care facility for seniors in Northeast Florida.
The award was presented by Kimberly R. Smoak, deputy secretary of health quality assurance at the Agency for Health Care Administration, to Dr. Lawrence Goldberg, River Garden Hebrew Home board president, during the River Garden Senior Services annual meeting March 26.
River Garden Hebrew Home has achieved this esteemed status since the award was created 21 years ago.
The Gold Seal Award for Excellence in Long-Term Care was created in 2002 by the Florida State Legislature to recognize Florida’s premier quality nursing homes that have exceptionally high standards and display excellence in the quality of care delivered to their residents. Prior to receiving the award, a nursing facility must undergo a rigorous examination to ensure strict regulatory compliance and the provision of enhanced programming and services. In addition, a site visit is made to the facility by representatives of the Governor’s Panel on Excellence in Long-Term Care.
In order to receive the Governor’s Gold Seal Award, River Garden had to demonstrate:
River Garden acknowledges that this award would not be possible were it not for the outstanding efforts and successes of every member of the River Garden team, from Environmental Services, Dining Services and Plant Operations to the nurses, therapists, volunteers and everyone involved in the day-to-day, 24/7/365 operation that is River Garden.
“River Garden has long-been a recipient of awards for excellence, and we appreciate every acknowledgement,” said Mauri Mizrahi, chief executive officer. “Our staff dedicates themselves every day to being the best and they deserve a round of applause for this success.”
Currently, there are more than 700 nursing homes in the state of Florida and only 10 are recognized with the Governor’s Gold Seal Award for Excellence in Long-Term Care. River Garden and one other facility have maintained the recognition since its inception in 2002.
River Garden Senior Services is a not-for-profit, mission-driven community agency offering an array of elder care programs and services on a 40-acre campus in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville.
The River Garden campus includes: River Garden Hebrew Home, a 180-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility; The Coves at River Garden, an 80-unit independent living community; River Garden Home Health Care, a Florida-licensed and Medicare-certified home health agency; River Garden Rehab, providing short-stay rehabilitation and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapies; River Garden Adult Day Care; The Albert Z. Fleet Geriatric Training Center, providing continuing education, training and professional advancement for staff; and the River Garden Foundation, providing financial support to the River Garden system of senior services.
The River Garden Auxiliary provides support through financial contributions and hundreds of volunteer hours.
River Garden has received the State of Florida Governor’s Gold Seal Award for Excellence in Long-Term Care and is consistently rated a 5-star community by the Agency for Health Care Administration and by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as having high-quality nursing home services, for promoting health and for improving the quality of life.
Additionally, River Garden has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Nursing Care Center Accreditation and Post-Acute Care Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards.
The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient and resident care.
River Garden also has been named as a top nursing home the state of Florida according to U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek.
