Signature HealthCARE Wins Gold and Top Honors in McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards

Louisville, Ky., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Infection control has always been paramount in the care, safety, protection, and health of our beloved residents at Signature HealthCARE’s 101 facilities in 10 states. The years 2020 and 2021 have taught us many things in the medical industry about innovation, forward-thinking, and creating new technologies to defend our residents’ lives and sense of living against an on-going pandemic and viral enemy. That is why we are truly honored to be awarded the top distinction of Gold, in McKnight’s 2021 Excellence in Technology Awards, in the Skilled Nursing Quality category.

“We couldn’t be happier to receive this honor from such a leader in our industry as McKnight’s with news, business, and resources relating to the long-term care, home health and skilled nursing industry,” said Joe Steier, President and CEO of Signature HealthCARE. “To be recognized and awarded this top distinction means a great deal to our leaders, staff, and our Signature family who are dedicated to excellence in care, every day!”

“This is a well-deserved honor for a provider that clearly has taken extra steps to distinguish itself and the care of its patients,” said McKnight’s Editorial Director John O’Connor. 

The leadership of Jason Kwart, Signature HealthCARE’s VP of Procurement & Product Development, and the development of Signature’s Viral Mitigation Solutions platform, garnered McKnight’s top distinction of Gold in the Skilled Nursing Quality Category. Signature’s Viral Mitigation Solutions platform goes above the standard defense strategy of many traditional processes with a multi-layered and comprehensive infection prevention and control platform, critical in mitigating the transmission of infectious disease, by significantly reducing viruses, particulates, and pathogens that cause disease. This platform is not only critical for our current pandemic defense, but for future defense against others, in all our facilities. Viral Mitigation Solutionsconsists of 5 technologies that can be used independently or in a layered fashion for the utmost protection. This is in addition to the plentiful procurement of PPE, led by Jason and his team. The Viral Mitigation Solutions platform includes:      

•          Entrance Screening Station:  A station, set at the point of entry of a facility, that performs a non-contact temperature inspection and a contact tracing questionnaire. An entrant’s temperature is scanned, and admittance is only approved if the temperature inspection and questionnaire is passed.       

•          Shoe Sanitation: A step-up platform that contains a UV light sanitizer that disinfects the soles of shoes within 8 seconds and is proven to kill more than 99% of pathogens by taking that single step onto the platform.       

•          The Electrostatic Mist Sprayer: Specialized equipment uses a spray apparatus to disseminate an electrostatically charged mist onto surfaces to sanitize multiple surfaces.  The spray is applied throughout a designated area and left on for 10 minutes, then wiped down, killing 99% of pathogens.       

•          UV Sanitation Station: A portable device that can be used in a variety of rooms to disinfect furniture, fixtures, and equipment with 360-degrees of coverage. With this powerful UV light, with the click of a button and about 30 minutes time, a room can be sanitized, destroying 99% of pathogens.        

•          Ionic HVAC System: An installation connected to roof-top and floor HVAC systems, which emits ions into a variety of spaces to kill pathogens, allergens, odors, aerosolized viruses, and other volatile organic compounds that can cause illnesses and irritation, reducing those particulates by up to 75% after 24 hours of usage.   

McKnight’s also honored the installation of our Signature SAFEGUARD program which incorporates the Viral Mitigation Solutions platform within an overall defense strategy that includes Infection Preventionists, Vaccination Programs, Onsite Rapid Testing, Lab Testing, and 24/7 Care Navigation.   

McKnight’s long-running awards program is a joint production of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care and honors providers that convey how technology has improved care and operations in their organizations. The competition included three divisions: Skilled Nursing, Senior Living/Assisted Living, and Home Care. Each division was divided into four categories: Building Bridges, Innovator of the Year, Keep It Simple, and Quality. Nominations were judged by an external panel of industry experts. 

“The enormous success of our Viral Mitigation Solutions platform was a joint effort by many at Signature and I can’t thank our staff enough,” said Jason Kwart. “Winning this honor is a testament to our teamwork and commitment to protect our residents and staff who are in the thick of this pandemic battle every day. Thank YOU!”

If you have any further questions, please contact Ann Bowdan Wilder, Media, PR, and Communications Manager of Signature HealthCARE, at [email protected].

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Signature HealthCARE is a family-based healthcare company with integrated services at each point of the continuum of care: skilled nursing, home health, assisted living and in-home care. The company’s organizational culture inspires more than 12,000 employees with three pillars: learning, spirituality, and innovation. A growing number of Signature HealthCARE centers are earning five-star quality ratings, the highest classification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and 100+ Signature HealthCARE locations earned QAPI accreditation. Signature HealthCARE was also awarded the Great Place to Work® award for the past five consecutive years.

• McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards