Good Samaritan named among best in state, nation

In late 2021, Newsweek magazine named Good Samaritan Society – Kissimmee Village one of the best nursing homes in the state of Florida and the nation. This is the second consecutive year that the Kissimmee facility has made the list.

According to Newsweek, this year’s ranking identifies the nation’s top nursing homes based on three critical criteria: overall performance data, peer recommendations and each facility’s handling of COVID-19. Nursing homes in the 25 states with the highest population size were included in the study with 450 facilities chosen.

“I could not be prouder of our Good Samaritan Society – Kissimmee Village staff. Our staff has always cared for our residents like family, but that has only been enhanced during the pandemic,” said Dustin Scholz, Good Samaritan Society Executive Director. “We owe a debt of gratitude to our employees who have taken on new or different roles to keep residents engaged and socialized. Our n urses have celebrated birthdays, the birth of new great-grandchildren and wedding anniversaries – as a symbol of their love for their residents.”

In July, the Good Samaritan Society was one of the nation’s first senior care providers to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees. According to the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), nursing homes across the U.S. saw a 96 percent decline in COVID-19 cases less than three months after initial doses were administered to nursing home residents and staff starting on Dec. 20, 2020. COVID-related deaths in nursing homes declined 91 percent in the same timeframe.

“As caregivers, we have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable,” said Randy Bury, president and CEO of the Good Samaritan Society. “The virus is still a very real threat. More contagious variants continue to spread in our communities, and we must do all we can to keep our residents, staff and their families safe. The vaccine is our way out. It’s saving lives.”

The Good Samaritan Society is one of the largest not-for-profit providers for senior care and services in the United States with more than 300 locations in 22 states — including its campus south and west of downtown Kissimmee. Its services include senior living, long-term care, rehabilitation therapy, homebased services and more.