Lampasas Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is one of 312 longterm care facilities across the nation that have earned the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living's Quality Award for demonstrating a strong commitment to continuous quality improvement.

"The AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards -- comprised of three levels, a Step I award; a more rigorous Step II award; and a comprehensive Step III award -- are the most prestigious recognition of quality within the long-term care profession," said Bruce Yarwood, president and chief executive officer for AHCA/NCAL.

"Lampasas Nursing and Rehabilitation Center's Step I award shows their dedicated frontline caregivers, administrators, nurses and physicians are demonstrating their commitment to quality of care and meeting the needs of our nation's most vulnerable population."

As a Step I recipient, the local health-care facility demonstrated commitment to a customer-focused facility mission, defined its principal customers and their expectations and indicated ways it is striving to meet their needs.

The quality award is modeled after the criteria of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, the nation's premier award recognizing distinguished achievements.

The local facility will be honored during AHCA/NCAL's 59th annual convention and exposition Oct. 5-8 in Nashville.

Lampasas Nursing and Rehabilitation is a 68-bed facility that provides complex medical care, shortand long-term care which includes 24-hour skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.