Maryland’s 2026 AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award Recipients Announced
May 28, 2026
Columbia, MD – LifeSpan Network is pleased to announce that TEN providers have earned the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) 2026 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award. The distinction is the first of three progressive award levels through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. The program recognizes long term and post-acute care organizations that meet progressively rigorous standards of performance to improve the lives of residents. The 2026 Maryland Bronze recipients are:
| Autumn Lake Healthcare at Chevy Chase | |||||
| Autumn Lake Healthcare at Perring Parkway | |||||
| Gull Creek Senior Living | |||||
| Sterling Care at Bethesda | |||||
| Sterling Care at Hillhaven | |||||
| Sterling Care Riverside | |||||
| Sterling Care Rockville Nursing | |||||
| The Terraces at Tuckerman Lane | |||||
| The Terraces at Westminster | |||||
| Waldorf Center |
These LifeSpan members are among 713 skilled nursing facilities (SNF), 150 assisted living (AL) communities, 25 combined SNF/AL providers, four intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and one residential care facility for ID/DD in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that achieved the Bronze Award.
“This recognition reflects their unwavering dedication to delivering high-quality care and improving the lives of Maryland’s older adults every day,” said Kevin Heffner, President of LifeSpan. “Their commitment to excellence, compassion, and continuous improvement strengthens not only their organizations, but the entire long term and post-acute care community across our state. We congratulate each recipient on this well-deserved achievement and applaud their leadership in advancing quality care.”
The National Quality Award Program features three progressive levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—guiding providers through a journey of continuous improvement. Organizations begin at the Bronze level, where they assess their mission, vision, and key factors that drive success. Each application is carefully evaluated by trained examiners to determine whether the organization meets the program’s thorough performance excellence criteria.
“This achievement marks an exciting first step in each provider’s quality journey,” said AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Clif Porter. “We are proud to recognize their commitment to continuous improvement and look forward to seeing how they build on this momentum to further enhance the quality of care and life for those they serve.”
This year, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary. Since its establishment in 1996, more than 8,000 providers across the country have participated in the rigorous, Baldrige-based program to strengthen their operations, improve outcomes, and enhance the lives of residents and staff. This milestone anniversary highlights the program’s lasting impact on advancing quality care throughout the long term care profession.
A list of all 2026 National Bronze Quality Award recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award website.
The National Quality Award recipients will be celebrated during Delivering Solutions 26, the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, October 11-14 in Boston, Mass.
The 2026 National Quality Award Program is sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Members: McKesson, Prevail by First Quality, Incite Workforce Solutions Powered by SnapCare, and HealthCap.
