United Hebrew’s premier assisted living community at Willow Towers in New Rochelle, New York, earned national recognition for excellence with the 2025 Silver Achievement in Quality Award from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).
This prestigious national honor recognizes providers that meet rigorous performance standards and demonstrate measurable progress in improving quality outcomes for residents and staff. It also builds on United Hebrew’s 2024 achievement, when the assisted living community received the Bronze Award. United Hebrew has implemented advanced performance and quality improvement systems and care protocols, which resulted in:
· Rehospitalization rate: 11.2%, compared to the national average of 17.1%;
· Falls with injury: 0.6%, fall below the national average of 4.43%;
· Improved resident engagement; and higher satisfaction scores.
“Earning the Silver award is an incredible honor for our team,” said Nora O’Brien, PT, DPT, CDAL, chief operating officer, United Hebrew Assisted Living. “It reflects our dedication to excellence and our ability to apply evidence-based practices, track and analyze outcomes and most importantly, ensure our residents are thriving in a supportive and engaging environment.”
“Assisted living isn’t federally regulated the way skilled nursing facilities are — it’s entrusted to state regulations, which vary widely,” said Rita Mabli, president and CEO of United Hebrew. “So, choosing to participate in a rigorous, national quality program like this is truly voluntary diligence. We hold ourselves to a higher bar because our residents deserve nothing less.”
“Silver-level recognition is no small feat,” said Cathy Bergland, chair of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board. “United Hebrew has shown exceptional commitment to continuous quality improvement and has emerged as a model for assisted living excellence in New York and beyond.”
Mabli praised the staff’s efforts: “This award reflects the heart and soul of our organization. Our staff goes above and beyond to create safe, caring, and vibrant communities where residents thrive. I’m so proud of their dedication, and this recognition inspires us to aim even higher as we continue on our path to the Gold award.”
United Hebrew is a vibrant not-for-profit, nonsectarian, multiservice campus of comprehensive senior care, nestled on 7.5 acres in New Rochelle. It has served the Westchester metropolitan area since 1919 and today supports more than 1,000 residents and clients daily through long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care and independent senior housing.
