RINGWOOD, N.J. — Holy Name’s healthcare facility here has received the highest possible rating after a recent review by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Holy Name Friary received a five-star rating on Dec. 18 from CMS, which evaluated 15,000 public, private and nonprofit nursing homes in the United States.
A. Francis Soucy, OFM, director of the Ringwood facility, immediately sent a letter to board members describing the recent honor. “Such reports not only brighten our days but help when the state determines our annual Medicaid rate,” he said.
The Ringwood facility is one of three nursing homes in Passaic County in northern New Jersey to receive the five-star rating. Doctors Subacute Care in Paterson and St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Totowa also were ranked with five stars. The Dec. 18 report was mentioned in at least two New Jersey newspapers on Dec. 19
In the News
The Herald News said that the ratings “help guide families as they consider health care options for loved ones, as well as challenge nursing homes to improve their quality.”
To calculate the scores, various elements were reviewed, Francis said, which included state survey results, care records, reports of mismanagement, and satisfaction of both residents’ visitors and staff.
The Bergen Record said facilities are ranked in three areas: a three-year review of annual inspections, staffing and other quality measures.
The reviewers compiled a “general picture of each place,” Francis said.
“We are very proud,” Francis said. “We expect to offer quality. We always have high standards, and we have been recognized in the past.”
Thanks and Praise
Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, said, “I am delighted to hear of the results. Of course, for those of us familiar with the Ringwood facility, it comes as no surprise that the friary ranked so well. Francis Soucy and his staff have consistently offered the finest care for our friars, as well as the Atonement and Capuchin friars, who are members of the Ringwood community.”
John continued: “My sincere thanks and congratulations to Francis and the entire staff. We are very proud of all of you.”
Holy Name Community, as the friary is often called, is a 29-bed skilled-nursing care facility located next to scenic Ringwood Park in northwest New Jersey. Francis has served as director of the facility since its establishment 20 years ago. After initially accepting only members of Holy Name Province, the facility began welcoming members of other male Franciscan communities more than 10 years ago.
Francis remembers moving into the friary in January of 1989 and taking in residents gradually.
“We took in five friars at a time,” he said. A brochure about Holy Name Friary, updated in 2007, describes it as “providing skilled nursing care in a Franciscan environment.”
Francis said that he has “a fantastic staff. I just can’t praise them enough.”
He said, in the spring 2008 issue of The Anthonian, that he depends on his qualified staff to make sure that the residents receive the best possible care.
“Our staff knows we differ from many nursing homes when making health decisions for the friars,” Francis said. “This difference occurs because of the Catholic and Franciscan traditions that make us unique.”
— Jocelyn Thomas is director of communications for Holy Name Province.