Golden LivingCenter - Arab Receives
5-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

December 18, 2008
Golden LivingCenter - Arab has been selected by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services (CMS) to receive the government's new 5-star rating for the outstanding overall care it provides to its patients. The LivingCenter is one of a select group of nursing homes in Alabama to receive the coveted 5-Star distinction, which is the highest designation possible under the new CMS Five Star Quality Rating System.

To receive the government's 5-Star designation, nursing homes are rated on their health inspections, quality measures and staffing, with only the top 10 percent of nursing homes being eligible for the 5-Star rating.

"Our LivingCenter is honored to receive the 5-Star rating because it validates the quality care and outstanding service we strive to provide to our patients," said Suzy Shelton, Executive Director of Golden LivingCenter - Arab. "It's the result of a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of our employees who are committed to working every day to improve our quality of care and patient experience."

The 5-Star program is part of Nursing Home Compare, an online tool that CMS offers to help consumers more easily compare nursing homes in their area. Under the system, 5-Star equals "much above average," 4-Star equals "above average," 3-Star equals "average," 2-Star equals "below average," and 1-Star equals "much below average."

Another purpose of the program is to provide nursing homes with the data they need to help with their quality improvement efforts. With data in Nursing Home Compare being updated monthly, nursing homes have the ability to move up or down in the ratings, based on how their care evolves over time.

Golden LivingCenter - Arab provides quality health care for 87 patients, including those needing skilled nursing, rehabilitative and Alzheimer's care. The LivingCenter has been part of the community since 1965, and it is located at 235 3rd Street Southeast, in Arab.