12 nurses complete new assisted living nurse leadership program

The New York State Center for Assisted Living has announced 12 nurses from the Western New York-area assisted living facilities have completed the Foundation for Quality Care's first assisted living nurse leadership program. This innovative program was designed to enhance the quality of care and quality of life for residents and staff through the development of the nurse's leadership skills.

The assisted living nurse leadership program is part of the Long Term Care Leadership Institute, which was developed by the Foundation for Quality Care, a nonprofit research and educational foundation affiliated with the New York State Center for Assisted Living. The course covered key topics, including effective communication, conflict management and resolution, coach and mentoring skills and person-centered care. The program was funded through an educational grant received from the state Department of Health and the state Department of Labor health workforce retraining initiative.

"NYSCAL is pleased to be the first in the state to offer a specialized training program for assisted living nurses," said Shelley Sabo, executive director at the New York State Center for Assisted Living. "This groundbreaking program will provide tools and resources for the assisted-living nurse in our communities to build upon their current strengths and experiences."

A second assisted-living nurse leadership program will be held in the spring for Nassau and Suffolk counties. Visit www.nyscal.org in the coming months for more information regarding the assisted living nurse leadership program.

"We are proud to be able to advance nurse leadership in the state of New York by providing dedicated nurses with the leadership skills to support their residents, family members and staff so that their facilities will achieve greater success and high levels of customer satisfaction," Sabo said.

The 12 participants who have completed the assisted living nurse leadership program are:

• Amber Bougard, resident care manager, Elderwood Assisted Living at Cheektowaga, Cheektowaga
• Aleah Buckley, RN, DON, Women's Christian Association, Fredonia
• Debra Butts, resident care director, Emeritus at Lakewood, Lakewood
• Candy Davis, assistant director of personal care, Brompton Heights Inc., Williamsville
• Torino Gasbarre, resident care director (emeritus) at Bassett Park Manor, Williamsville
• Bridget Keenan, resident care director/case manager, Grande Vie Senior Living Community, Penfield
• Krystal Morlock, RN, resident care manager, Elderwood Assisted Living at Hamburg, Hamburg
• Christine O'Connor, RN, resident care manager, Elderwood Assisted Living at Wheatfield, Niagara Falls
• Stacey Pillath, director of nursing, Absolut Care at Orchard Brooke LLC, Orchard Park
• Judith Rodriguez, RN, assistant administrator, Glenwell, Cheektowaga
• Patricia Suranyi, LPN, director of personal care, Orchard Heights Inc., Orchard Park
• Renee Taylor, LPN, administrator, Orchard Grove Residences, Jamestown