By Linda Stinnett

 Westview Manor, a skilled nursing facility in Derby, ranked among the top 5 percent of skilled nursing facilities with its latest survey.

That May 31 survey – an inspection in reality – found Westview’s staff and practices in complete compliance with all state and federal regulations. There were no deficient areas found in the survey.

“In 2011, only 4.4 percent of surveys were deficiency free,” wrote Shawn Sullivan, Secretary of the Department on Aging, in a letter to Westview’s administrator, Arien Reeves. “Your achievement places your facility in the top tier of survey performances in the state of Kansas. This is truly something that you and your staff should be proud of.”

Reeves said a 17-year employee of the facility does not recall a time when there was a deficiency free survey. Staff members were presented T-shirts on Monday and held a short celebration of the good news.

“They were just overjoyed,” Reeves said. “It’s a lot of satisfaction in knowing we are part of providing the best care possible and acknowledged by the state of Kansas.”

While the survey does include in-house inspections for cleanliness and food preparation, part of the process includes a survey of patients, family and staff. Those interviews are reviewed as part of a search for trends or inconsistencies in the quality of care at skilled nursing facilities. 

A year ago, Westview showed its trends were toward improved care, and the facility was credited with outstanding performance during that survey. That recognition is presented to facilities which have less than 11 identified deficiencies from their annual survey. At that time, Westview had eight areas with identified deficiencies, out of a possible 56.

As part of a concentrated effort to improve care, there has been a focus on staff education, according to Kim Simmons, director of nursing. Part of that came in a grant through the Alzheimer’s Association for training on care for patients with memory care needs. 

In addition, staff has worked with suggestions from the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care and the national Centers for Medical Services for improving services.

“Everybody should be looking for new ways to improve,” Reeves said. 

Those efforts have paid off as the survey now indicates residents are happy to be at Westview, she said. 

“It’s a home for those that need long-term placement,” she said. 

Simmons said the effort begins with employee interviews, where applicants are told of the expectations for quality care. That has played out in employees who love to provide good care for patients, she said. 

“It’s not just a job, you become part of somebody’s life,” she said. “(This recognition) is the whole team. It’s not just us managing it.”