2011 Annual Achievement Award Winners

Board of Trustees, Mason-Wright Foundation

2011 Board Leadership Award

 

Mason-Wright Foundation is the sponsor, owner and controlling entity for the Mason-Wright Retirement Community, comprised of 118 units of affordable assisted, assisted memory care and independent living in Springfield. From its inception in 1892, through 2008, Mason-Wright was governed by a volunteer board of trustees, functioning without executive leadership.

In 2007, the Trustees initiated change by creating term limits and the position of Chief Executive Officer, leading to improvements in Governance structure, policies and practices. Theirs is the story of dramatic turn-around in a short time-span: from below 50% occupancy to 100%, from being an unknown entity in the community to receiving awards for community relations and excellence in governance. They have improved their financial performance, increased diversity of - and services to - residents, and promoted a Board of Trustees that has a demonstrated commitment to the organization.

Ginny Mazur

2011 Community Service Award

Virginia (Ginny) Mazur has been an employee of Goddard House for 15 years, currently serving as the Community Partnership Director.  Ginny represents elder care advocacy for all elder citizens in the community with compassion and drive.  The following are just a few examples of Ginny's community service efforts:

• Ginny was named to the Governor’s Advisory Council for Disabilities, where she worked with the attorney general’s office to gain public access to listening devices and sound amplification in public meetings and spaces such as theaters and museums.
• As a member of the Brookline Multi-Cultural Coalition, Ginny is the chairperson for the scholarship committee and serves as liaison to the Red Cross, which trains the scholarship recipients to be certified nursing assistants.
• In 2005, Ginny co-founded the Brookline Aging Collaborative, developing its mission to provide education to the community on diverse topics related to aging, including elder sexuality, honoring centurions, and increasing physical activity.

Aline Russotto

2011 Emerging Leader Award

 

• Aline led the development and implementation of Vitality 360, Orchard Cove’s wellness program.  She coordinated the efforts of staff to achieve measurable results in patients’ physical fitness, and their social, emotional, spiritual, vocational, and mental health.
• With the knowledge that Vitality 360 works, Aline began to share the program with the larger aging services community.  She did this by presenting her findings and providing training at various organizations, and preparing a manual and supporting tools to aid in its adoption.
• In 2009, Aline’s leadership qualities were recognized when she was one of the first two Massachusetts’ residents to be awarded a spot in the prestigious Leadership AAHSA program. She took insight from that program and volunteered to participate on the LeadingAge Massachusetts Leadership Development Committee, helping to develop the Leadership Academy Program.

James Dormady

2011 Hearts and Hands Award

 

James Dormady is the Director of Facilities at Center Communities of Brookline (CCB), a senior supportive apartment complex containing approximately 550 units in three buildings – built approximately 40 years ago.  Jim possesses the specialized knowledge that a complex such as that requires, as well as a dedication and devotion to the people he serves there.  It is said that Jim does not know the word “no” because he makes everything possible for everyone.  This is also his mandate to the six crew members who work for him. Jim requires his staff to work as hard as he does, to be as responsive to the needs of residents as he is.

Jim is as much Social Worker as he is Director of Facilities.  Residents and staff alike seek Jim’s advice; he does not judge, merely listens and offers suggestions.  In the words of one resident, "Even under special circumstances [Jim and his crew] are always ready to take into consideration the interests of other people. They are very attentive, kind, responsible and should be an example to others."

Sarah Ann Pollock and Marena Morrison

2011 Volunteer Service Award
 

While Sarah Ann Pollock and Marena Morrison have been noteworthy volunteers at Sherrill House for a combined 16 years, it is the service they provide every Wednesday that has earned them the Volunteer Service Award.  Through teamwork, positive attitude, and attention to detail, this duo runs “hairdresser day” each week at Sherrill House.  On this day, the beauty parlor bustles with activity, a scene that could potentially lead to miscommunication and delays.  Not only do these ladies create an efficiently-run and cheerful environment, but they also streamlined the process to make the occasion more enjoyable for the diverse residents they see.  For example, they worked with the Alzheimer’s Special Care Unit to move resident appointments to earlier in the day, when they are less fatigued and the salon is quieter. 

The weekly trip to the hairdresser is both familiar and pleasant for residents, who take comfort in what for many has been an important lifelong ritual. Sarah Ann and Marena engage residents in discussions about news, the weather, or what’s happening in the garden that adjoins the salon.  Their hospitality makes the salon feel like the best kind of neighborhood meeting place.

Gaye Freed

2011 Outstanding Mentor Award

 

• Gaye understands the importance of job satisfaction, even if it means advocating for a staff member to take on tasks that pull them away from her department. Through this effort she demonstrates how staff can advocate for themselves.
• Gaye is committed to providing her staff with ongoing professional training. In a specific case, Gaye noticed that her staff was overwhelmed by tenants with psychiatric needs they were not equipped to handle.  She wrote a grant to have monthly trainings with a social services agency.
• Gaye supervised countless Social Work students at JCHE.  She worked with them through clinical and macro work, helping them to learn how to focus on their work, and showing them what a steadfast commitment to an older population looks like.

In the words of one of her mentees, "There were times when I felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities, and Gaye was always available to help guide me through the process.  From the very beginning of my internship, I knew that Gaye was completely dedicated to my success as her student and as a social worker.  I could have never been successful in my role without Gaye’s outstanding guidance."

Walk-a-Mile Program

2011 Program Innovation of the Year Award

 

 
Lili Dwight of Masonic Health System of Massachusetts

The Information Technology staff at Masonic Health System of Massachusetts implemented the Walk-A-Mile Program in February 2011.  The goal of the project is to improve the IT department's ability to provide responsive service to other departments within MHS. Staff members "walk-a-mile" in teams, going to campuses across the state, performing interviews, shadowing employees, and conducting surveys.  Together, these methods and the resulting analysis increases overall understanding of client operations, and creates empathy for client concerns.

"Walk-A-Mile" has been well-received throughout the organization. Operations and clinical staff members appreciate the interest of IT staff in their day-to-day operations and the opportunity to share their knowledge.  Opportunities have been identified to alleviate challenges noticed during the observation period.  For example, IT staff learned firsthand why a broken printer in a clinical area is critical, while one in an administrative area may not be. The exercise builds consulting skills and creates cross-departmental relationships.  The result is an IT staff with a better understanding of the overall organization’s structure and its mission of empowering residents and staff.