In March 2010, Standard & Poor’s (S &P) again renewed Carol Woods’  “A” credit rating. Since 2001, S &P has reaffirmed this rating each year. In making a rating determination, S&P considers an organization's financial strength, projected financial performance, market demand, and the capability of its governing Board and senior management. Carol Woods is among a group of less than 8 CCRCs from across the nation to receive a rating of A or better from S&P.

Carol Woods has been accredited since 1988 and recently received re-accreditation from CARF-CCAC, the only accreditation system designed specifically for Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Carol Woods was among the first retirement communities to earn national accreditation, which is granted only to those communities that demonstrate excellence in governance and management, finances, health care, facilities, services, and resident life. Re-accreditation is voluntary and occurs every 5 years. The process involves an intensive 10-month organizational self-study and an on-site evaluation conducted by a team of continuing care professionals.

Art Southard, Carol Woods’ Director of Safety, Security, Transportation and Communications, recently received the 2009 Resident Services Award from the North Carolina Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aging (NCANPHA). The award was given for demonstrating outstanding contributions for the enhancement of the quality of life for residents in nursing homes, retirement housing, or personal care homes. For eighteen years, Art has protected residents and implemented numerous programs to inform and raise awareness of safety and security issues facing seniors today.

Octavia Dail-Gilbert, a nurse in the Carol Woods’ Health Center, was named the 2008 North Carolina Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aging (NCANPHA) Nurse of the Year. This award is given for outstanding service provided by a nurse who possess outstanding leadership and supervisory skills, knowledge of nursing requirements for state compliance, and characteristics that promote quality of care, resident dignity, respect and independence while meeting the residents’ psychological, social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Over the last 12 years, Carol Woods has won 17 awards for excellence from NCANPHA. You can read more about Dail-Gilbert's award here.

In 2007, Carol Woods received the inaugural “Pathways to Greatness Recognition Award” for the community’s achievements and exemplary services in the older-adult and continuing-care field. Carol Woods was nationally noted for its outstanding characteristics of commitment to true teamwork, resident integration and accessibility, meaningful engagement, authentic intergenerational interaction and social accountability. The award was presented by The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and LarsonAllen, CPA.

Shirley Tuller, the Gerontology and Adult Nurse Practitioner in Carol Woods' Clinic since 2004, was named the 2007 Nurse of the Year in the Practice Category by the North Carolina Nursing Association. Tuller was nominated for the award by Carol Woods’ residents, physicians, nurses and other colleagues in recognition for outstanding work in her field.

James Best, Carol Woods' Director of Maintenance and Engineering, received the 2007 Regional Leader Award from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering. Best has worked in healthcare maintenance and engineering since 1972, and has been the director of the department at Carol Woods for three years. During that time he has implemented a work order and customer satisfaction tracking program, reduced maintenance costs, and tackled energy conservation projects.

Carol Woods is Medicare-certified. Medicare-certification is a measure of quality in skilled nursing care that is issued by the North Carolina State Department of Facility Services (DFS). DFS representatives conduct at least one annual unannounced survey of our standards, procedures, and outcomes, and interview residents and staff before issuing survey results. This past year, Carol Woods received two deficiency free surveys from DFS.

For several years, Carol Woods has been recognized as a Family Friendly Employer by the Chapel-Hill Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. Find out about more about why Carol Woods is the employer of choice in the area, and why we believe treating our employees well is vital to providing top-notch services.

Carol Woods was recognized by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine as “The one to judge the others by.”