The staff at Southern Hills Specialty Care has something to show for all of their hard work throughout the past year.

The facility won the Most Improved Facility award through Care Initiatives, which has 44 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in the state of Iowa.

"They measure over a 12-month period, and so we're pretty proud of the gains we've made," said Southern Hills Specialty Care Administrator Casey Stephens. "I've been here since July of 2011, and we've been on a pretty good track, so this is a pretty good award that motivates us to continue on the same road, but also gives us a lot of encouragement about the things we have done."