Pinecrest Manor Achieves Coveted Five-Star Status

(May 31, 2012) Mt. Morris, IL– Pinecrest Community is proud to announce the achievement of a “Five-Star” ranking by its nursing home, Pinecrest Manor, in ratings released in May by Medicare.

The achievement is a tribute to its dedicated nursing staff, and its diligence on health inspections and quality measures, said CEO Ferol Labash. “Quality begins with our leadership,” Labash said. “Jolene LeClere, administrator of health services, and our team of administrative staff, lead the way in providing quality, compassionate care.”

Director of Nursing Meg Unger agreed: It’s the staff. “Quality staffing, in all departments, is the backbone of Pinecrest Community,” Unger, a 25-year employee, said.

According to Medicare, when looking at the five-star ratings, more stars are better. Five stars are the most a nursing home can get. One star is the fewest. Only 10 percent of nursing homes in America can attain the five-star rating at any one point in time.

This star rating is for overall staffing hours, which includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and certified nursing assistants. Other types of nursing home staff such as clerical, administrative, or house-keeping are not included in these staffing calculations.

Pinecrest Community, operated since 1893 by the Church of the Brethren, which still oversees its operations today, recommends those considering nursing homes for their loved ones consult the information made available at the Medicare.gov Web site. The Brethren’s 22 retirement communities and nursing homes across the nation have a legacy of excellence, having been ranked by Consumer Reports magazine as third in the nation in quality.

To view ratings of all nursing homes, go to http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare and select “compare nursing homes.”