ANNOUNCING: Meet LBF’s 2023 Health Care Heroes honorees

ANNOUNCING: Meet LBF's 2023 Health Care Heroes honorees

Source: Louisville Business First
By Allison Stines

The dedication and achievements of our local health care community knows no bounds.

Louisville Business First’s annual Health Care Heroes program features medical professionals who go above and beyond to care for their patients and the community. We are honoring those who have made an impact on health care in our community through their concern for patients, research, innovation, management skills and rising stars in the field.

We asked our readers to submit nominations for the awards. Nominations were judged by Louisville Business First editors and publisher Lisa Benson.

There were many nominations to review and it was a task to narrow the number down to those we are honoring this year. This year, we are honoring area health care professionals in six categories, as well as our Lifetime Achievement award honoree.

Our Lifetime Achievement honoree is Gilda’s Club Member Engagement Manager Mary Gatton.

Gatton has worked for more than a decade at Gilda’s Club and prior worked for four decades at Hosparus. Gatton’s nominator wrote, “The number of lives Mary has touched in her career is immeasurable. Everywhere I go in the community, people remember the impact she made for them.”

The 2023 Health Care Heroes will be profiled in the Feb. 17-23 edition of Louisville Business First and earlier that week on our website.

An in-person dinner and awards presentation event is scheduled at The Olmsted on Thursday, Feb. 16 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find more details and register to attend here.

Along with Louisville Business First honoring Gatton and the Health Care Heroes listed below, Louisville Business First Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy host a fireside chat with Tiffany Benjamin.

Benjamin took over as CEO of the Humana Foundation on Jan. 3, 2022, where she is helping the foundation’s mission to advocate for health equity. The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc.

Here are the honorees broken down by category:

HEALTH ENTREPRENEUR
This award honors an entrepreneurial initiative in the health care business scene that is making strides in the industry.

- Greg Baker, founder and CEO, EmsanaRx, PBC
- Will Metcalf, associate vice president for research development and strategic partnerships, University of Louisville
- Julia Regan, co-founder and CEO, RxLightning

HEALTH EQUITY CHAMPION
This honor is for an organization or person who has worked to break down inequities in health care or health care access for underserved populations or areas of our community, including but not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status.

- Kathe Feliu, case manager/social worker, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid in Kentucky
- Dr. Kelly McCants, executive director, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program; executive director, Institute for Health Equity, Norton Healthcare Inc.
- Melissa McElroy, clinic director, Dunn Physical Therapy
- Dr. Edward Miller, UofL Physicians – OB/GYN & Women’s Health, UofL Health

INNOVATOR
This award honors someone who breaks ground in the health care field by developing or implementing new technology, treatments, or programs with wide applications.

- David Cook, president and CEO, Hosparus Health & Pallitus Health Partners
- Mary Haynes, president and CEO Nazareth Home
- (joint award) Dr. Matt Holder, CEO, Lee Specialty Clinic; Dr. Henry Hood, chief clinical officer, Lee Specialty Clinic
- Dr. Arif Nazir, chief medical officer, primary care, BrightSpring Health Services
- Jessica Sharon, director of innovation programs, University of Louisville

MANAGER
This award honors leaders ranging from the head of a small company or organization to an executive in a major health system.

- Melisa Adkins, CEO, UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, UofL Health
- Marcie DeWitt, associate vice president, employee health, Baptist Health
- Mary Rodriguez, nursing manager, Baptist Health Louisville
- Mary Lynn Spalding, president and CEO, Christian Care Communities

PROVIDER
This award honors a physician, nurse or other health care professional who works directly with patients and who shows exceptional achievement in his or her work.

- Tricia Cobler, senior nurse practitioner, Pallitus Health Partners
- Dr. Mini Das, cardiologist, Baptist Health Louisville
- Glennesha Mudd, senior family therapist, Family & Children’s Place
- Khaga Sapkota, nursing director, Gathering Club
- Dr. Ben Thornton, neurology hospitalist, Baptist Health Louisville

RISING STAR
A new category this year is our Rising Star. This honor recognizes emerging health care professionals who are making an impact in their company or organization.

- Parker Lacy, vice president of facilities management, Trilogy Health Services
- Corenza Townsend, chief administrative officer, Norton West Louisville Hospital, Norton Healthcare Inc.
- (joint award) Mandi Walker, system executive director, Office of Professional Practice, Nursing Research and Nursing Education, UofL Health – UofL Hospital; Kelly Russell, director, Office of Professional Practice, UofL Health – UofL Hospital

Congratulations to all of our 2023 honorees.

Thanks to our presenting sponsors Baptist Health and Louisville Healthcare CEO Council; and our supporting sponsor Dentons.

Interested in nominating for any of our programs? All of our open nomination forms can be found here.

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December 21, 2022February 7, 2023

Nazareth home gets ‘best Nursing Homes’ rating

Source: The Record

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Nazareth Home Highlands has received a Best Nursing Homes rating in the area of short-term rehabilitation and long-term care from U.S. News & World Report, according to a press release from the home.

U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections, said the release. For the first time, the Best Nursing Homes rating also includes new measures based on weekend staffing and infection rates that lead to hospitalizations, the release said.

Mary Haynes, the home’s CEO, said the Best Nursing Homes designation is a “testament to our highly skilled, high-performing team, whose commitment ensures that residents and patients here receive the best person-centered care possible.”

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December 19, 2022January 6, 2023

Mary Ryan academy students visit their school’s namesake

A total of 13 students from Mary Ryan Academy in Louisville paid a very special visit to Nazareth Home earlier this month to meet their school’s namesake. Just weeks prior, they were excited to learn that they’d have an opportunity to meet Mary Ryan, who is currently a Nazareth Home resident.

When the students arrived for “Muffins With Mary,” the first thing 84-year-old Mary said was, “I am just so pleased to see you!”

Mary’s daughter, Angela Ryan, facilitated the discussion between her mother, the students and accompanying teachers. Mary talked about her life as an educator and why it was so meaningful to her.

“It would worry me when children would be out of school. I saw a lot of kids who were down on themselves, and they must understand what they can do,” she said. “How would they understand what they can do unless they get an opportunity to try? If a child is willing to come to school and give it a try, they are going to make it in life. So, we put these kids in situations so they know their abilities and how smart they are. We teach them not to give up. The children end up doing many wonderful things in their lives.”

In 1999, the Norton Academy, a school for special education students, was renamed the Mary Ryan Academy to honor Ryan’s contributions as a special education teacher. A school in the Jefferson County Public Schools system, Mary Ryan Academy currently serves a small number of high school-aged Exceptional Child Education (ECE) students. ECE programs are designed to meet the needs of students with educational disabilities.

“She considered all of the students at Mary Ryan Academy to be hers,” said Angela Ryan. “She loved them so much. This woman has a lot of love to give, and the students there needed some extra love.”

Mary talked to the students that day about the importance of school, applying themselves to their studies and jobs, and keeping their heads up when they make mistakes. She asked them, “What is your ambition? What do you want for yourself when you’re an adult? What can you do to make the best of yourself?”

When Mary was asked to give advice to the kids who were nearing their graduation date, she said, “It’s a special place to be upon graduation to figure out what you want to do, what’s important to you, and what you have to offer the world.”

At the end of their time together, the students gave holiday door hangers they had decorated to all the residents of Spalding Square, which is the Nazareth Home neighborhood where Mary lives.

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December 15, 2022January 6, 2023

U.S. News & World Report names Nazareth Home among best in Kentucky

Source: The Lane Report

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Nazareth Home’s Highlands Campus at 2000 Newburg Road in Louisville has been recognized as a Best Nursing Home for Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care for 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report.

Now in its 13th year, Best Nursing Homes ratings assist prospective residents and their families in making informed decisions in consultation with their medical professionals regarding short-term or long-term nursing home care. Only 16 percent of skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. earned the Best Nursing Home designation this year.

“It’s an honor to receive this national distinction for our short-term rehabilitation and long-term care programs,” said Nazareth Home President/CEO Mary Haynes. “This achievement is a testament to our highly skilled, high-performing team, whose commitment ensures that residents and patients here receive the best person-centered care possible.”

For 2022-2023, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections. For the first time, the Best Nursing Homes ratings feature a new measure on weekend staffing and an additional measure on infection rates that led to hospitalizations.

“Choosing the right nursing home based on care needs and comfort is critical for prospective residents and their families,” said Zach Adams, health data engineer at U.S. News. “The Best Nursing Homes ratings highlight nursing homes that excel in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care needs.”

The Best Nursing Homes methodology factors in data on resident care, safety, outcomes and more. To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using various data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Both short and long-term ratings include data on the consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also considers whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections and making sure residents can return home.

For more information and to view Nazareth Home’s rating, visit Best Nursing Homes.

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December 15, 2022January 6, 2023

U.S. News & World Report names Nazareth Home among best in Kentucky

For 2022-2023, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections. For the first time, the Best Nursing Homes ratings feature a new measure on weekend staffing and an additional new measure on infection rates that led to hospitalizations.

“Choosing the right nursing home based on care needs and comfort is a critical decision for prospective residents and their families,” said Zach Adams, health data engineer at U.S. News. “The Best Nursing Homes ratings highlight nursing homes that excel in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care needs.”

The Best Nursing Homes methodology factors in data on resident care, safety, outcomes and more. To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Both short and long-term ratings include data on the consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also considers whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections and making sure residents are able to return home.

For more information and to view Nazareth Home’s rating, visit Best Nursing Homes.

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December 14, 2022January 6, 2023

A year in, HELD program at Nazareth Home demonstrates impact

In January 2022, Nazareth Home began a unique partnership with Pallitus Health Partners to better serve its residents with complex, life-limiting medical situations. Known as Helping Embrace Life Decisions (HELD), the program brings together experts from both organizations in the fields of geriatrics and complex disease management to develop plans that meet the individual healthcare needs of the Nazareth Home residents who are referred to the program.

A part of Hosparus Health, Pallitus Health Partners offers comprehensive palliative care for individuals who have very serious illnesses. Specialized services include chronic symptom and medication management, disease education, and care coordination. As of November 2022, 64 residents have been cared for through the HELD program at Nazareth Home.

“We are blessed by our partnership with Nazareth Home so that people living with advanced illnesses can be better served through the HELD program,” said Dr. Bethany Snider, chief medical officer at Pallitus Health Partners. “Creating the HELD program with a combined team of experts a year ago addressed a unique need at Nazareth Home for individuals in medically complex situations who wanted to enhance their quality of life.”

For Kathy Hargis, whose parents Mary and Joseph Bryan were residents at Nazareth Home, the HELD program provided much-needed support through a difficult time. Hargis’s parents spent the last few months of their lives together at Nazareth Home. Her mother became a resident of Nazareth Home’s Charity Court in January of 2020, while her father underwent rehab at Nazareth Home in April of 2020 and came back in February of 2022 to the long-term care program. Her father passed away in May of 2022, roughly a week after returning home, and her mother passed away in August, roughly 10 days after returning home.

“The HELD program helped us be able to figure out a timeline for both my mom and dad,” Hargis said. “Entering the program was very timely, working hand-in-hand with me, and we knew we had a short timeframe. They kept us informed constantly. The support we received from Nazareth Home really brought our family closer and helped us get through losing our parents so close together. This whole process has been an amazing journey.”

Dawn Krebs also found the HELD program to be incredibly supportive when she was helping her father-in-law, Ramon, begin rehabilitation at Nazareth Home.

“We immediately felt at peace with him coming to Nazareth Home,” Krebs said. “You can’t help but feel the presence of God there.”

Krebs’ father-in-law was sent to Nazareth Home for rehabilitation after being at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville due to congestive heart failure. When Krebs’ father-in-law arrived at Nazareth Home, he was evaluated and it was determined that he was in much worse condition than anticipated and would likely not make it to rehab. Krebs commended Nazareth Home’s medical director Dr. Bonnie Lazor and her efforts to thoroughly explain the HELD program and how it would help her father-in-law transition comfortably into end-of-life. She said along the way, the nurses at Nazareth Home became “like family.”

Krebs’ father-in-law passed away in August of 2022 after a little over two weeks of care at Nazareth Home.

“The biggest blessing we had was when the whole family was there just a few days after he was admitted,” Krebs said. “Sandra Buchanan, APRN for the HELD program, came in and shared that we were going to start the HELD program for his comfort. They allowed us to sit in the courtyard with him for four hours that day, the grandkids joined us, and we had a wonderful lunch together. Even the beautiful hummingbirds joined us, which were his favorite birds.”

To learn more about Nazareth Home, visit nazhome.org/about-us. To learn more about Pallitus Health Partners, visit pallitushealth.org.

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December 8, 2022January 6, 2023

Nazareth Home earns ‘Best of Kentucky’ award

Source: The Record

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Nazareth Home’s Highlands campus was honored with a Best of Kentucky Nursing and Rehabilitation Award.

The award was presented in mid-November at the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living’s Quality Awards Banquet.

Long-term care facilities must have a star rating of four or higher with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to qualify for the recognition, according to a press release from Nazareth Home.

In addition, Briana Beard, a licensed practical nurse on the staff of Nazareth Home, was presented with a KHCF scholarship awarded to an employee based on their academic achievements and commitment to quality care, according to the release.

Jenny Dison, a licensed practical nurse serving as a charge nurse, received the Nursing Care Award. The recognition is a “professional achievement award that honors individuals who have excelled at providing outstanding care in a cooperative spirit of teamwork,” according to the release.

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December 5, 2022January 6, 2023

Nazareth Home named 2022 Best of Kentucky in Nursing and Rehabilitation

Nazareth Home’s Highlands Campus received a Best of Kentucky Nursing and Rehabilitation Award at the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living’s (KAHCF/KCAL) quality awards banquet on Nov. 17. Long-term care facilities must possess a CMS star rating of four or higher to apply for the recognition, among other requirements.

Along with a 2022 Best of Kentucky Award, two Nazareth Home employees were recognized at the event:

- Briana Beard, LPN Staff Nurse – KHCF Scholarship, which is awarded to employees in the long-term care profession based on their academic achievements and commitment to quality care.
- Jenny Dison, LPN Charge Nurse – Nursing Care Award, a professional achievement award that honors individuals who have excelled at providing outstanding care in a cooperative spirit of teamwork.

“It’s an honor to once again receive the Best of Kentucky award and be recognized for the high-quality care we provide,” said Nazareth Home President/CEO Mary Haynes. “We are also grateful to have Jenny and Briana recognized as key members of our competent and compassionate caregiving team. It is because of team members like them we can provide the quality environment our community expects and counts on from Nazareth Home.”

“There has never been a more important time to honor our nursing facilities and their staff. The dedicated providers and staff have been the picture of strength and compassion this past year. As we struggled with the pandemic, threatening viruses, workforce shortages, and natural disasters, they confronted these struggles with a positive spirit and their residents at the forefront,” said KAHCF/KCAL President Betsy Johnson. “We are honored to recognize these providers as the top of their class.”

The awards banquet was part of KAHCF/KCAL’s Annual Meeting & Expo for long-term care providers. The event included general sessions on how to cope with stress on the job, hiring and retaining quality staff and regulatory issues. More than 100 vendors exhibited during the expo showcasing the latest innovations in providing quality care.

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About Nazareth Home

Nazareth Home was established in 1976 as a healthcare ministry sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Today, Nazareth Home is an award-winning, 5-star rated long-term care and rehabilitation organization that provides person-centered health and wellness services for adults and families. With two campuses in Louisville, Ky., Nazareth Home enriches the lives of its patients through personal care, memory care, recovery to home and long-term care programs. To learn more, visit www.nazhome.org.

About KAHCF/KCAL

Established in 1954, the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities (KAHCF) is the trade association that represents the proprietary and nonproprietary nursing facilities and personal care homes across the Commonwealth. Kentucky Center for Assisted Living (KCAL) was established in 2018. One of the state affiliates of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, KAHCF/KCAL provides a wide variety of services to member facilities including legislative and regulatory activities, professional development, statewide recognition programs, publications, media relations, research, and advocacy relations.

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November 14, 2022January 6, 2023

Nazareth Home brings mobile orthopedic care to its campuses

As we continuously seek to provide the best possible care, Nazareth Home recently began working with Louisville-based Live Well Orthopedic Care, a mobile orthopedic practice. Through the partnership, Live Well visits both Nazareth Home campuses on a regular basis to treat the elders who have orthopedic needs such as arthritis management, joint injections, and non-operative fractures.

Live Well seeks to reduce emergency room visits among patients. “If a patient falls and fractures their arm, they can be treated in-house and potentially avoid a trip to the hospital or orthopedic office. Live Well understands orthopedic devices and orthopedic orders so they can work closely with our rehab team to get the patient well,” said Dr. Bonnie Lazor, Nazareth Home’s medical director.

Live Well is also helpful to our nursing team because if a patient needs to leave the facility for an outside medical appointment, and they don’t have a family member to accompany them, then a nursing team member would traditionally do so. Therefore, having in-house care leaves our team members on the floor where they are most needed.

If there is any indication that a patient needs to be sent out to surgery, such as in the case of a fracture or a knee or hip replacement, Live Well maintains relationships with orthopedic surgeons locally and can easily make a referral.

At Nazareth Home, Live Well works closely with Dr. Bonnie Lazor, the nursing teams, and therapy to ensure patients are making progress in their recovery. Family members are also very involved in the care.

“Our practice is known for great communication with families,” said Natalie Jeffries, PA-C, a co-owner of Live Well. “We use a team approach with patients and always include their family members in the care planning.”

Live Well Orthopedic Care was founded in 2019 by surgical orthopedic physician’s assistants Natalie Jeffries and Kirk Fougnie, with a focus on providing mobile care for geriatric patients. When the pandemic began, Jeffries and Fougnie noticed an exceptional need for in-home orthopedic care and arthritis management. So, they began by providing care for patients in the Louisville area who are homebound — including those who are wheelchair and walker-dependent — to eliminate the need for difficult transportation among fragile patients and their families. Their primary focus areas include arthritis management, injection therapies and conservative fracture treatment.

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November 14, 2022January 6, 2023

Nazareth Home receives 2022 Top Workplaces award from Courier-Journal

Nazareth Home was recently awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by local news outlet Courier-Journal. The annual list compiles the best workplaces in the Greater Louisville region based on employee feedback.

For a company or organization to be considered for the Top Workplaces list, employees complete a survey that uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to an organization’s success, such as alignment, execution, connection and more. To create the list, Courier-Journal partners with the Philadelphia-based Energage LLC, an employee engagement technology company that has surveyed more than 70,000 organizations since it was founded in 2006.

“This award is significant because it is based on authentic feedback from our employees,” said Mary Haynes, President/CEO of Nazareth Home. “We are dedicated to fostering a strong employee culture at Nazareth Home that’s anchored on hospitality. Welcoming everyone and giving them a voice is so important to ensure we have a great place to live, work, and play. Each of us on our team plays a role in building trust and integrity within our community.”

This 2022 Top Workplaces distinction comes on the heels of Nazareth Home’s recent recognition as one of the 2022 Best Places to Work in Greater Louisville by Louisville Business First. For the Best Places to Work program, employees of nominated companies are asked to complete a Quantum Workplace survey. Nazareth Home was included on the annual list in August.

Anyone interested in learning about career opportunities at Nazareth Home’s two Louisville campuses can visit nazhome.org/careers.

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Author: Melissa Bailey