PENNEY FARMS – Many things have changed in Clay County during the last decade, but one thing has remained the same: the shining-gold reputation of Penney Retirement Community’s nursing care home.

The Pavilion For Health Care hosted guests to celebrate another Governor’s Gold Seal Award for Excellence last Friday, April 14, at the facility. The ceremony also marked the 10th consecutive time the pavilion has earned the award.

A room packed with Penney Farms and Pavilion residents, employees, elected officials and first responders brimmed with anticipation ahead of the big announcement. Several speakers reflected on what it took to earn the award.

U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean and Penney Retirement Community President and CEO Teresa Scott were the two featured speakers.

Nobody resisted boasting of winning the award. Stringent criteria based on the quality of care, financial stability and staff retention were required in the long and rigorous application process. Residents and staff worked tirelessly to accomplish their mission.

State-of-the-art facilities, excellent care, strong management practices, and doing all possible to promote the physical, social, and emotional well-being of those living at the Pavilion each serve as ingredients in a recipe for great success.

The Pavilion has now proven it is a premiere powerhouse in the state of Florida in terms of providing first-class care. This sentiment was further proven Friday via an official stamp of a decade’s success.

“There are 709 skilled nursing facilities in the entire state – 709. Only 10 (earned the award) this year is in the top 1.4%. I was thinking about bringing in a barnyard animal, and it was going to be a GOAT. Because when you think of ‘Greatest of All Time,’ you think of Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods. And now, ladies and gentlemen, we can say Penney Farms,” Bean said.

Scott emphasized the importance of retaining a friendly and hardworking staff harboring a family-first mindset toward the residents they care for daily.

This pushes The Pavilion For Health Care towards as they set the standard for excellence in the state with routine Gold Seal selections and promotes the overall organizational culture at the nursing care home.

“We have a long history of retention here. We are so very proud of all (of our staff),” she said.