Edgemoor gets nod as a top nursing home spot in U.S.

After more than a decade in its state-of-the-art home, Santee's Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility continues to reap awards as one of the best of its kind.

For the third time in three years, Newsweek magazine has chosen Edgemoor as one of the top skilled nursing sites in California and the United States. The magazine gave the facility the top ranking in the state in 2019 and 2020. It placed third in this year's 2022 rankings.

"The doctors, nurses and everyone else working at Edgemoor make every effort to provide exceptional care for our patients," said Erin Chancler, Edgemoor's administrator. "It's a well-deserved recognition, given everyone's commitment and dedication."

For nearly 100 years, Edgemoor was a hodgepodge of converted dairy farm buildings used to house some of the county's most medically needy people.

The organization has worked diligently to erase negative public perceptions created by negligent care provided in the 1980s as well as struggles with reported substandard facilities in the '90s and early 2000s.

Edgemoor was nearly shut down after a 1986 U.S. Department of Justice report that mandated changes following complaints of patient abuse, deficient patient supervision, inadequate medical care, inappropriate use of restraints and inadequate infection control.

Overhauled after the report with a $130 million in updates and upgrades, the 192-bed campus on Park View Road with its modern design and courtyards with floor-to-ceiling windows is now widely recognized for excellence.

Government reports have awarded it five out of five stars every year since 2010. The site continues to garner "high performing" ratings from U.S. News and World Report. In 2017, Edgemoor was named one of only 34 facilities in the nation to receive the gold award from the American Health Care Association.

Under the umbrella of County Behavioral Health Services, Edgemoor patients receive 24-hour skilled nursing care, physical rehabilitation, as well as recreational, occupational and speech therapy.

For its rankings this year, Newsweek analyzed nursing homes in 25 states with the highest population size and chose 450 winners. For its list of America's Best Nursing Homes 2022, the magazine looked at three critical criteria in creating its ranking: overall performance data, peer recommendations and each facility's handling of COVID-19.

"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we've taken every precaution to make our residents stay safe and healthy," said Dr. Luke Bergmann, director of Behavioral Health Services. "Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to this virus, and I'm extremely proud of the work and commitment of both the Edgemoor staff and our guests to everyone's safety in these challenging times."

Newsweek analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services looking at resident impact, facility capacity, staff, supplies, personal protective equipment and ventilator capacity.

Other local nursing homes to make the magazine's list of top facilities in California include:

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

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