New York Chapter
American College of Health Care Administrators
American College of Health Care Administrators
| 2008 Administrator of the Year and New Administrator of the Year |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| OFFICERS & COMMITTEES |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Administrator of the Year NYCACHCA is pleased to name Sister Pauline Brecanier of Teresian House Center for the Elderly in Albany is the recipient of its prestigious Administrator of the Year award. Since first beginning her work in the healthcare field nearly fifty years ago when she joined the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Sr. Pauline has been an advocate for environmental design and its impact on residents’ well-being. Convinced that a shift from an institutional care model to a more residential setting would ease the transition from home to nursing home, Sr. Pauline is one a small band of early visionary administrators who demonstrate that homelike environments in which the frail elderly can live in open, diverse, and caring communities can be created within current regulatory and reimbursement systems, turning what some use as an excuse for inaction into and opportunity for action.
Pauline to join the Pioneer Network while in its infancy 10 years ago where she assisted in the development of that organization’s charter and core values. Courageously, she took on the challenge of being one of the first administrators in the United States to put a Resident- Centered philosophy of service delivery into place – one in which the daily activities of the nursing home are centered around the residents’ routines and preferences and not around those of the staff. During this journey from concept to practice, Sr. Pauline had to spearhead widespread culture change throughout every fiber of her organization. Described as a “risk taker” and a “visionary,” Sr. Pauline has served as Administrator of the 300-bed Teresian House since 1987. During her tenure, she has added respite beds for short-term residents whose family caregivers need reprieve from their caregiving responsibilities, an efficiency apartment where out-of-town family can stay while a loved one nears the end of their life’s journey, and a Cyber Café where residents can enjoy coffee and snacks and use computers to email family and friends or surf the Internet.
founder and Founding Executive Director of the Pioneer Network says, “Sr. Pauline’s recognition as an exemplary leader will help to inform others that elder care can be different. Honoring her will certainly inspire others to be courageous and take action in creating a new future for long-term care.” We couldn’t agree more. New Administrator of the Year
nomination process with the selection of Caroline Rich of the Four Seasons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Brooklyn as the NY Chapter’s New Administrator of the Year. Licensed as an Administrator in June of 2003, Caroline has lived up to the idea of promises fulfilled with her exceptional leadership of the 270-bed Four Seasons, where she served as Assistant Administrator for 5 years prior to her current appointment.
to-day operations, Caroline took on the monumental challenge of instituting a facility-wide electronic medical records system. Through her enthusiasm for and confidence in the project, Caroline was able to gain the support of key staff members and was able to mobilize various teams and committees for the transition from paper to electronic records. Using innovation and creativity with “Kick Off” parties, peer mentoring programs, and ribbon cuttings to signify the facility’s “go live” moment, Caroline was able to make the changeover painless. Stephen Pacicco, CEO of eHealth Solutions, the firm with which Four Seasons partnered on the project, includes Rich “among the most visionary, talented, and inspirational leaders” he has come across and further cites that “she has a unique ability to balance the needs of ownership, her staff, and the residents and does it in a way that is constructive, empowering, and caring.”
to point out that she is an extremely dynamic administrator who can work her way through enormous challenges. Citing her effective problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, self- direction, technical competence, and sensibility in managing complex and delicate situations, Caroline is touted by those she works as a true “hands on” administrator.
remembers her own first day on the job when it was reported at the staff’s morning meeting that a particular resident was refusing to eat. Without thought to the daily grind of budget concerns, personnel problems, and family issues that awaited her, Caroline took the time to personally ascertain the resident’s food preferences and then went to a neighboring restaurant to pick up a special meal for the resident to enjoy. With that small act of kindness, Caroline demonstrated that she took the ideals of exemplary healthcare administration to heart. |
