Trinity Homes in Minot and Trinity Health Kenmare Hospital in Kenmare were recognized recently for outstanding quality.

Trinity Homes earned the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living 2026 Bronze Commitment to Quality Award, according to the North Dakota Long Term Care Association. Trinity is one of four skilled nursing facilities in North Dakota to have earned the distinction, which is the first of three progressive award levels of bronze, silver and gold 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. Each application is carefully evaluated by trained examiners to determine whether the organization meets the program’s thorough performance excellence criteria.

The Kenmare Hospital received the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex) Quality Reporting award at the 2026 Rural Health Awards Banquet. Presented by Flex and the North Dakota Critical Access Hospital Quality Network, this award names a facility that has developed an Antibiotic Stewardship Program that met the greatest number of required and recommended criteria. The awards banquet recognizes outstanding North Dakota rural health advocates for their accomplishments and was held in conjunction with the Dakota Conference on Rural Health on June 3 in Grand Forks.

Critical Access Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs are required by the federal Office of Rural Health Policy and are part of the eligibility requirements for receiving Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility funded activities. These programs are comprised of seven core elements: leadership commitment, accountability, drug expertise, action, tracking, reporting and education. The goal of the Antibiotic Stewardship Program is to help improve clinical outcomes and minimize harms by improving antibiotic prescribing. A successful Antibiotic Stewardship Program has implemented at least one recommended action, monitors antibiotic prescribing and resistance patterns, reports information on antibiotic use to relevant staff and educates clinicians about resistance and optimal prescribing.

Other 2026 North Dakota Bronze recipients in the National Quality Award Program are Bethel Lutheran Nursing & Rehab Center, Williston; Elm Crest Manor, New Salem; and Knife River Care Center, Beulah.

“The Bronze Quality Award is a testament to the dedication, professionalism and compassion demonstrated every day by long term care staff. We are proud to recognize these providers for their commitment to quality and their efforts to continually strengthen the care and services they provide to North Dakota residents,” said Nikki Wegner, president of the N.D. Long Term Care Association.

The four North Dakota facilities earning the Bronze Award are among 713 skilled nursing facilities, 150 assisted living communities, 25 combined nursing home and assisted living 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 award. The National Quality Award recipients will be celebrated during Delivering Solutions 26, the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, Oct. 11-14 in Boston, Massachusetts.