Healthcare Heroes in Long-Term Care
Plus, workforce challenges and opportunities
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Masuda Gerges, Admissions Counselor, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Masuda is a valued employee and has been with CESLC for the past 7+ years as a Social Worker and now an Admissions Counselor. She is dedicated to residents, families, and staff. She goes above and beyond in everything she does and has the person's feelings and needs as her number one priority. She is always willing to jump in and help when given the opportunity and is proactive and holds true to the core values of CESLC."
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Gabe Pinkney and Victory Klein, Lifestyle & Leisure Manager and Life and Wellness Coordinator, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Gabe, the manager of life and leisure in conjunction with Vika, the life and wellness coordinator, have always risen to the challenge of keeping residents engaged during these trying times. Both have managed to develop and implement programs that are challenging both mentally and physically. They have brought so many smiles to residents as well as to families."
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Saul Loza, Facilities Maintenance Manager, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Saul Loza has demonstrated a genuine dedication to our residents and a work ethic beyond reason throughout COVID-19. He leads by example and has added tremendously to the climate of dignity and respect for all residents and associates at CESLC. He never backs away from a challenge, especially when the result means ensuring our residents are warm, safe, dry, and most of all, heard."
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Fatou Ann, GNA/Medication Technician, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Fatou holds herself personally accountable for working collaboratively with others while delivering exceptional service. This was true prior to the pandemic and her commitment to those she serves has not diminished during COVID."
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Lazare Biwole Meke, GNA/CMT, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"His devotion to live his life with honesty and integrity, which is manifested through the dedication shown to his residents and colleagues at Landow and Cohen-Rose House, is exactly what stands out about Lazare's work ethic. He is very flexible with his work assignments and never complains when pulled from his primary work assignment to work as a CMT or when assigned to another area."
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Lee Whitted, LBSW Social Worker, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Lee is a seasoned social worker who covers all of the LTC units in the Wasserman Building and can tell you anything about all of the residents. He spends long days here, usually leaving between 7 and 8 pm due to providing the necessary support to the residents, families, and team members. He takes on responsibilities not assigned to social work due to his commitment of being a team player. He is willing to help out in any area of the department or any one of his team members, no questions asked."
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Linda Moreno, Director, Recreational Therapy, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Linda is exceptional in her role as Director of Activities. There are many ways to describe Linda, but the best description would be that Linda is an original. Linda sets the bar for originality and puts every fiber of her being into the programs provided to residents at Hebrew Home of Greater Washington. Linda believes in our Core Vision of being the provider of choice for innovative program and services that enrich and enhance the quality of life for older adults. Additionally, Linda hears the voices of the residents and creates the experience that endears their hearts and leaves them speechless."
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Ed Van Coutren, Consultant Special Projects, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Ed Van Coutren is a tenured employee of Charles E. Smith Life Communities who has been with the organization for almost 50 years. He retired one month before the first COVID-19 case was announced back in early 2020. CESLC asked him to give up his retirement plans to take on the role of consultant for managing COVID-19 operations. He is very organized, extremely dedicated to keeping all residents and associates safe and healthy, and approaches COVID-19 strategies and operations logically and practically. He is an immense asset to the CESLC organization."
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Stacy Forman, Storeroom Supervisor, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Stacy manages the flow of supplies from the Central Supply Warehouse and ensures that all Nursing units are stocked with the correct supplies. He is responsible for distributing supplies valued at $83,213.27 monthly. He also ensures that all COVID tests are delivered to the lab. Stacy is a GREAT leader who is dedicated to his job and embodies CESLC values."
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Lauren Bahr, LMSW, Social Worker, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Lauren is a recent social work graduate who is very energetic and constantly wanting to learn and take on new things in order to perfect her craft as a social worker. Lauren will quickly send an email to her colleagues asking if they need help when she feels that she has completed all of her tasks. Lauren is assigned to the PAC unit but loves to go and visit the residents on the 4E unit in the SK building. She is a team player."
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More on LTC Workforce Challenges and Opportunities
We hope that you find these healthcare heroes from Charles E. Smith Life Communities to be inspiring. We appreciate all that they do to continue providing quality care for Marylanders in need.
Workforce shortages in long-term care existed before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, data shows that other parts of the healthcare continuum have regained workforce while long-term care continues to struggle due to not only the overall shortage of workers but also because of the competition with hospitals and other non-healthcare employers.
Our national affiliate, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) released a report showing long-term care facilities are suffering from the worst labor crisis and job loss than any other healthcare sector. Nursing homes alone have seen its industry’s employment level drop by 14 percent or 221,000 jobs since the beginning of the pandemic.
Amid workforce challenges, direct care staffing agencies are charging exorbitant prices to long-term care facilities that need workers. These agencies are charging more than double and – in some cases – as much as quadruple the amount operators are currently paying staff.
Based on samples of Medicare cost reports and federal payroll-based journal data from 2020 and 2021, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers’ direct employee compensation has significantly increased, hourly wages for agency staff have increased by forty to fifty percent, and reliance on agency staff has gone up more than two and a half times.
Together with the General Assembly and leaders from other healthcare associations, we are working on solutions to ensure that staffing agencies cannot charge such exorbitant rates for temporary staffing. Specifically, we are supportive of House Bill 800 and Senate Bill 565.
To combat this issue on the national level, AHCA/NCAL sent a letter in October 2021 to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan requesting assistance with an anticompetitive practice with direct care staffing agencies. Last month, nearly 200 Members of Congress signed on to a bipartisan letter to the White House regarding staff agency price gouging concerns.
In the meantime, long-term care providers in Maryland are doing everything they can to recruit and retain workers such as providing sign-on bonuses, wage increases, referral bonuses, gift cards, PTO, flexible scheduling, and additional training and education.
Adequate long-term care Medicaid funding is now more important than ever to maintain care capacity, support wage increases, pay inflated agency costs, and cover increased operational expenses. Unlike other businesses, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers are reliant on the state to raise prices to compensate for extraordinary new costs associated with the pandemic. Therefore, we respectfully propose a base increase to the Medicaid rate for nursing homes and other Medicaid providers (in addition to the 4 percent increases as part of the earlier fight for 15 minimum wage increase).
We appreciate the opportunity to bring this important issue to your attention and look forward to our work together on solutions. In the meantime, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at jdemattos@hfam.org or Hope Morris at hmorris@hfam.org.
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Joe DeMattos
President & CEO
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