Fair Oaks Health Care Center in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and Holton Manor in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, have something pretty special in common this year. Both have earned the 2026 AHCA/NCAL National Silver Quality Award, one of the nation's top honors for long-term care providers.

Both communities are owned by nonprofit Wisconsin Illinois Senior Housing, Inc. (WISH) and managed by Carriage Healthcare Companies (CHC), which provides management and operational support to senior care communities.

The Silver awards build on another achievement the two communities shared last year. Fair Oaks and Holton Manor both earned Bronze Quality Awards in 2025. This year, they moved up to Silver—the second of three levels in the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program.

That's a significant step. Only 255 long-term care providers nationwide earned Silver this year, out of more than 14,700 nursing facilities across the country. Fair Oaks is also one of only six providers in Illinois to receive the award in 2026.
 

What Does Silver Mean?

Silver goes well beyond recognizing a community for providing great care. To earn it, organizations have to take a close look at how they operate—from leadership and staff support to resident care—and show that their efforts are producing results.

For residents and families, those 255 recipients help put the award in perspective. Fair Oaks and Holton Manor are part of a very small group of long-term care communities nationwide to reach this level.

“I'm incredibly proud of our team for earning this national recognition,” said Noreen Zaio, Administrator of Fair Oaks Health Care Center. “The Silver Award reflects years of hard work, a willingness to keep improving, and a shared commitment to providing the highest quality care possible for our residents and their families.”

Going for the Gold!

Silver also opens the door to the next level. Both Fair Oaks and Holton Manor are now eligible to pursue the program's highest distinction—the AHCA/NCAL National Gold Quality Award in 2027.

For now, we're celebrating the people at Fair Oaks and Holton Manor who helped make this happen. Congratulations to both teams on a well-earned Silver!

About the Communities

Fair Oaks Health Care Center and Holton Manor are WISH-owned communities managed by Carriage Healthcare Companies. Both provide short-term rehabilitation and long-term senior care. Holton Manor also offers specialized aquatic therapy in its warm-water therapy pool.