Neil Pruitt Jr., a second-generation nursing home owner who greatly expanded the chain bearing his name while remaining focused on resident outcomes, has been named winner of the sector’s highest individual award recognizing commitment to quality advancements.
The American Health Care Association announced Wednesday that it is bestowing the 2024 Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award on Pruitt, chairman and CEO of Georgia-based PruittHealth.
While PruittHealth has 98 facilities in Georgia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina, the award recognizes the work Pruitt himself has done nationwide to raise standards for long-term and post-acute care operators and their patients.
“Neil has been instrumental in advancing quality care standards through his strategic initiatives and partnerships,” Mark Parkinson, AHCA/NCAL president and CEO said in a statement. “His leadership has set new benchmarks and fostered a culture of continuous improvement that has enhanced the lives of residents and staff. His dedication to excellence in long-term care is truly exemplary and serves as an inspiration to us all.”
AHCA called Pruitt “a tireless advocate for quality,” noting a long list of contributions to policies and programs focused on quality improvement.
As board chair for AHCA, he established the quality and regulatory divisions in 2011 and launched the Quality Initiative in 2012, leading to a nearly 50% reduction in antipsychotic use in nursing homes through a national partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“I will be so proud to present the MKO Quality Award to Neil this year,” said the award’s namesake, Mary K. Ousley, who came out of retirement a few years ago at Pruitt’s request to become the company’s chief strategy officer. “Not only is he an outstanding young man, he is the epitome of doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. He makes decisions regarding service at PruittHealth always with the patient/resident in mind.”
She said that everyone who comes into contact with PruittHealth — employee, patient or family member — “become part of the Pruitt family.”
“His leadership in so many facets of post-acute and long-term care, as well as the community at large, make him the perfect candidate for the MKO award,” she added.
Indicative of his time investment in staff development, Pruitt was unavailable for comment Wednesday because he was attending a celebration at Disney World with 100 certified nurse aides graduating from his organization’s CNA Ladder Program.
But in many remarks to McKnight’s Long-Term Care News over the years, he has insisted quality remains at the forefront of his company, now among the nation’s 10 largest.
“Great quality begins with great people,” he said in an interview for a 2012 profile on him. “We always wanted to be the nursing home company that didn’t want you in our nursing home. We want each day to be better than the day before.”
Behind-the-scenes advances
Pruitt has brought that mindset to many other sector committees and ad hoc groups.
He oversaw the enhancement of AHCA/NCAL’s LTC Trend Tracker platform to help members track their quality data and helped secure funding for the Center for Long-Term Care Quality and Innovation at Brown University in 2014.
“Neil’s strategic vision and commitment to unifying quality efforts have profoundly shaped our approach to regulatory and payment issues,” said Chris Downing, president and CEO of the Georgia Health Care Association. “This integration has led to significant improvements in care standards and outcomes for residents. His leadership in driving quality initiatives has set a high bar for long term care excellence.”
Pruitt established the Quality Cabinet at AHCA/NCAL, consolidating all quality-related committees to streamline the Association’s approach to regulatory, the Five-Star Quality Rating System, and payment issues. His efforts have significantly raised national standards and improved care for residents.
In addition to his role at AHCA, Pruitt served as chairman of the Georgia Health Care Association. In 2013, he was appointed to the federal Commission for Long-Term Care, a 15-member panel tasked with developing plans for a comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system ensuring long-term care for older adults and people with disabilities. He also served as chair of the board of trustees of the University System of Georgia Foundation and currently serves as a board member for the Georgia Regents Health System.
He will be formally presented with his award during the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo in October in Orlando.
Recipients of the Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award display leadership in the development, promotion and implementation of quality improvement initiatives that have resulted in measurable outcomes. Recent winners include Koko Okano of the Florida Health Care Association, Meera Riner of Nexion Health Management, and ​Nimale Stone, MD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
