Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village Receives Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification from the American Heart Association

Niles, Illinois - August 23, 2023 - Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village (6930 West Touhy Avenue, Niles), has earned the Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification offered by the American Heart Association®, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health. The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating skilled nursing facilities against the American Heart Association’s rigorous science-based requirements for heart failure (HF) patients, including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management, and quality improvement.

“Participation in this certification benefits the patient and the facility by standardizing care practices,” said Cory Woods, DNP, MHA, MSN, RN, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Quality Certification Business Management Committee and assistant chief clinical officer at Rockport Healthcare Services in Los Angeles. “When there are clear processes during every phase of care, patients have the best opportunity for positive outcomes.”

Nearly 1 in 4 HF patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge and approximately half are readmitted within six months; about one-quarter of readmissions may be preventable. This certification can support facilities’ efforts to stop preventable readmissions.

"Heart failure patients need high-quality care after leaving the hospital that follows evidence-based guidelines, giving them the best chance to improve their health,” said Kaitlin O'Brien, Executive Director, Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village. "At Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village, we want to be trailblazers and continue to use innovative methods to give our heart failure patients the best care. The American Heart Association has recognized our success. It is an honor to have our processes and efforts recognized in this way."

To be eligible for this certification, the facility must be in the U.S. or a U.S. territory and implement an HF program that uses a standardized method of delivering clinical care based on current evidence-based guidelines. Learn more about this certification and others at www.Heart.org/CertifiedCare.

To learn more about Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village, visit www.ascensionliving.org/saintbenedict.
Ascension Living Carroll Manor staff and community leaders celebrated eight centurions, front row, seated, left to right, Concetta Landini, Anna Smith, Vivian Johnson, Helen High, Annie Barnes, and Corrine Whoie. Back row, standing, left to right: Neighborhood advisory commissioner Emily Lucio, Councilman McDuffie, Lionel Taylor, Assistant Administrator, Ascension Living Carroll Manor, Lakesha McAllister, Executive Director, Ascension Living Carroll Manor, and Victoria Banks, Activities Assistant, Ascension Living Carroll Manor.
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About Us

Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village offers a range of care, services and support options including short-term rehabilitation as well as intermediate, respite and skilled nursing care. For more information about Ascension Living Saint Benedict Village, call 847-647-0003 or visit www.ascensionliving.org/saintbenedict.

Ascension Living, based in St. Louis and part of Ascension, is a mission-driven senior living provider deeply connected to our Catholic faith that cares for the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of all individuals we serve. Our Mission calls us to provide spiritually centered, holistic care to seniors, particularly those most in need. We offer a wide range of programs tailored to meet the unique needs of older adults. Regardless of everyone’s stage in life, our goal is to provide seniors with opportunities designed to make their lives joyful, enriching and satisfying. With communities in 12 states and the District of Columbia, our ministries are continually developing and adopting new best practices in care that enhance the experiences of our residents, program participants and patients. Learn more at www.ascensionliving.org.

Ascension (www.ascension.org) is one of the nation’s leading non-profit and Catholic health systems, with a Mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2022, Ascension provided $2.3 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 140,000 associates and 37,000 aligned providers and operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 141 hospitals in 19 states.