Holden Rehabilitation Earns Prestigious 2026 AHCA/NCAL Silver National Quality Award
How 62 Years of Continuous Improvement Led to One of Healthcare’s Highest National Honors
Recognized Locally. Celebrated Nationally.
Awards recognize accomplishments.
The best awards recognize a culture.
For Holden Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center, earning the 2026 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is much more than another accolade. It is national recognition of a culture built over more than 62 years—one defined by compassionate care, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to always doing better for the residents and families we serve.
As part of the family-owned Oriol Health Care organization, Holden Rehabilitation has remained guided by one simple promise: Our family taking care of yours.
The Silver National Quality Award recognizes the work behind that promise—and the people who bring it to life every day.
What Makes This Award Different?
Many healthcare awards recognize a specific achievement or outcome.
The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award recognizes something much broader.
Based on the nationally recognized Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, it evaluates how organizations build systems of excellence through leadership, teamwork, continuous improvement, and a shared commitment to quality.
Rather than asking whether an organization had one exceptional year, the program asks a more important question:
How do you consistently deliver exceptional care every day?
For Holden Rehabilitation, the answer has always been simple:
By never stopping the work of improving.
A Commitment to Excellence
National recognition doesn’t happen overnight.
It is earned through years of thoughtful leadership, investments in people, clinical innovation, meaningful partnerships, and a relentless focus on improving the resident experience.
Every improvement builds upon the one before it.
Every success creates momentum for the next.
That philosophy has shaped Holden Rehabilitation for more than six decades.
Leadership That Inspires Excellence
Exceptional organizations begin with exceptional leadership.
Earlier this year, Administrator Tara D’Andrea, MBA, NHA, FACHCA, received the Distinguished Nursing Home Administrator Award from the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA)—one of the profession’s highest national honors.
While the award recognized Tara’s leadership, she is the first to point out that exceptional care is always a team effort.
“This recognition belongs to every member of the Holden Rehabilitation family,” said Tara D’Andrea, MBA, NHA, FACHCA, Administrator of Holden Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center.
“Quality isn’t created by one department or one leader—it is built every day by every member of our team. From nursing and rehabilitation to housekeeping, dietary, activities, environmental services, admissions, maintenance, and administration, every person plays a role in creating an exceptional experience for our residents and families. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together and grateful to work alongside such dedicated professionals.”
That culture of collaboration is one of Holden’s greatest strengths—and one of the reasons national recognition has followed.
Investing in Better Care
Continuous improvement means never being satisfied with “good enough.”
Over the years, Holden Rehabilitation has invested in specialized programs that allow residents to receive exceptional care close to home.
That commitment includes becoming Central Massachusetts’ first Joint Commission Post-Acute Care (PAC) Certified Skilled Nursing Facility, expanding specialized services through the Wachusett Respiratory Care Unit, and earning recognition as a 2026 Partner in Wound Care Excellence.
Presented by Dr. Novikov Wellness and Skin Care, Holden was selected as one of just eight facilities recognized among 41 participating skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, highlighting exceptional interdisciplinary teamwork, evidence-based wound care, and outstanding healing outcomes.
Each investment reflects the same goal:
Providing better care for every resident who walks through our doors.
Investing in Recovery
Recovery doesn’t end when someone leaves the hospital.
It continues every day through skilled rehabilitation, encouragement, and personalized care.
That’s why Holden Rehabilitation recently launched Oriol Therapy Services, in partnership with Preferred Therapy Solutions.
Together, the partnership enhances rehabilitation services for both inpatient residents and outpatient clients, creating a seamless therapy experience that supports people throughout every stage of recovery.
Located directly on the Holden campus, the outpatient therapy center allows many patients to continue working with trusted therapists long after they return home.
It is another investment in helping people recover, regain independence, and live life to the fullest.
Investing in the Resident Experience
Exceptional care is about much more than clinical outcomes.
It’s about helping people enjoy life.
At Holden Rehabilitation, quality of life is considered an essential part of quality care.
Recent improvements across the campus—including refreshed resident courtyards, beautiful outdoor gathering spaces, and Holden’s popular putting green—create welcoming spaces where residents can enjoy fresh air, participate in therapy, spend time with loved ones, and simply enjoy the day.
Just as important are the experiences created by Holden’s outstanding Resident Life and Activities Team.
Whether it’s creative art projects, themed celebrations, concerts, educational programs, wellness activities, therapy animals, holiday events, or afternoons spent laughing together outdoors, the team works every day to ensure residents continue living meaningful, engaging lives.
These moments may never appear on a quality scorecard.
But they matter deeply.
Because exceptional care isn’t only about helping people recover.
It’s about helping people continue living with dignity, purpose, joy, and connection.
That commitment was recognized nationally through Holden’s 2026 Activated Insights Customer Experience Award, honoring excellence in resident and family satisfaction.
Investing in Our Community
Holden Rehabilitation’s commitment extends beyond our campus.
As part of the Oriol Health Care family, we believe caring for our community is part of caring for our residents.
Through The Oriol Foundation, we’re proud to support caregiver support groups, scholarships, community education, health and wellness initiatives, and innovative programs like the Accessibility Grant for Neurological Inclusion.
We’re also active throughout Central Massachusetts as proud members of the Wachusett Area Chamber of Commerce, partnering with senior centers, schools, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and community events that strengthen the region we call home.
That commitment has earned the trust of generations of families.
It has also earned recognition through multiple Best of Your Hometown awards and U.S. News & World Report Best Nursing Home recognition for both Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care.
While those honors are meaningful, the greatest recognition remains the confidence families place in us every day.
Honoring Our Legacy. Building the Future.
Family ownership has shaped Oriol Health Care since 1964.
For more than six decades, each generation has shared the same belief: exceptional care begins with compassion, grows through teamwork, and is sustained through a commitment to continual improvement.
“Awards like this are meaningful because they recognize the work our team does every day—but they also remind us of the responsibility we carry,” said Nathan Oriol, Vice President of Operations for Oriol Health Care.
“For more than 62 years, families have trusted us during some of life’s most important moments. Every generation of our family has believed that trust must be earned each day through compassion, integrity, and a commitment to continually improving the care we provide. This recognition honors the incredible Holden team who brings that commitment to life every day, and it inspires us to keep building on that legacy for the future.”
The Journey Continues
The 2026 AHCA/NCAL Silver National Quality Award is an incredible milestone.
But it isn’t the destination.
At Holden Rehabilitation, excellence has never been measured by a single award. It’s measured in the trust families place in us, the dedication of our team, and the commitment to improve every day.
This recognition celebrates more than six decades of serving Central Massachusetts families with compassion, dignity, and exceptional care.
It also reminds us that there is always another opportunity to learn, to innovate, and to raise the standard even higher.
Because every resident who walks through our doors deserves our very best—not because we’re pursuing another award, but because it’s who we are.
National recognition isn’t built in a single year.
It’s earned through thousands of moments of compassion, teamwork, innovation, and excellence—one resident, one family, and one day at a time.
And tomorrow, we’ll return to doing what we’ve proudly done for more than 62 years:
Our family taking care of yours.
Experience the Holden Difference
Whether you’re exploring rehabilitation, long-term care, or specialized respiratory services, we’d love to show you what nationally recognized care looks like.
For admissions information or inquiries, please contact:
Phone: 508-829-1111 | Email:admissions@oriolhealthcare.com
