BOSTON – The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA), the state’s leading voice for hospitals and health systems, has announced the appointment of Mary Moscato, President, Hebrew SeniorLife Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, to its Board of Trustees. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Mary as a member of our Board of Trustees at this critical turning point for the commonwealth’s health care community,” said MHA president & CEO Steve Walsh. “Mary’s guidance and expertise will be crucial as our providers continue to battle COVID-19 while pushing the boundaries of what it means to deliver world-class care.”

Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, MHA’s mission is to improve the overall health of the commonwealth and support providers’ efforts to offer high-quality, affordable, and accessible care. MHA has used its platform to serve as a nexus of coordination for the health care system throughout the COVID-19 crisis, bringing leaders together and forging solutions to the most complex challenges presented by the pandemic.

Moscato joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2012 and oversees a comprehensive and integrated network of senior health care, post-acute health care, and home- and community-based services. Moscato is a seasoned health care executive with 25+ years of C-level progressive management experience of multisite clinical operations, including long-term chronic care, post-acute care delivery systems, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, home care and hospice, medical practice management, and adult day health. Moscato is recognized nationally for her advocacy role regarding the impact on federal policy for specialty hospitals and community-based programs, as well as her leadership in implementing alternative payment models in the post-acute sector.

She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member on the American Hospital Association Council for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation Hospitals. She serves on numerous state and community boards, and has been recognized by the Boston Globe and Commonwealth Institute for Hebrew Rehabilitation Center's designation as a Top Women-Led Business. Moscato earned a B.S. from Northeastern University, and a M.B.A. and M.P.H. from Boston University.

About Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association 
The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) serves as the unified voice for Massachusetts hospitals and healthcare providers. Founded in 1936, MHA represents over 100 hospitals, healthcare partners, and patients across the state. Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, MHA’s mission is to improve the overall health of the commonwealth and support providers’ efforts to offer high-quality, affordable, and accessible care. For further information about MHA, please visit https://www.mhalink.org/ or contact communications@mhalink.org. 

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Based in Boston, the nonprofit organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://hebrewseniorlife.org and follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker appointed Mary Moscato, FACHE, President of Hebrew SeniorLife Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, to serve on the Public Health Council (PHC) because she is a health services provider who has expertise in long-term care management. 

The Public Health Council has long played a key role in the public health of Massachusetts. Originally established by legislation in the 1800s and reconstituted in 2007 as part of Health Care Reform, the Public Health Council meets monthly and grants the Commissioner of Public Health the authority to take necessary actions to protect the public’s health upon a declaration of a public health state of emergency by the Governor, such as last year’s COVID-19 state of emergency. The Public Health Council, comprised of the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, who serves as chairperson, and 14 members, also promulgates rules and regulations and holds public hearings. 

“The Public Health Commission’s mission is especially important during the current pandemic that continues to bring new challenges to public health. Its members bring a broad range of expertise and insight, including providers, non-providers, and academics to address ongoing public health issues,” said Moscato. “Based on my tenure at Hebrew SeniorLife, I bring real-world experience to the Public Health Commission, helping to establish priorities and best practices for the state, making sure the needs of Massachusetts’ seniors are properly addressed.”

Earlier this year, Moscato’s expertise was recognized when she was asked to join the Board of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, the state’s leading voice for hospitals and health systems. 

Moscato joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2012 and oversees a comprehensive and integrated network of senior health care, post-acute health care, and home- and community-based services. Moscato is a seasoned health care executive with 25+ years of C-level progressive management experience of multisite clinical operations, including long-term chronic care, post-acute care delivery systems, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, home care and hospice, medical practice management, and adult day health. Moscato is recognized nationally for her advocacy role regarding the impact on federal policy for specialty hospitals and community-based programs, as well as her leadership in implementing alternative payment models in the post-acute sector. 

She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member on the American Hospital Association Council for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation Hospitals. She serves on numerous state and community boards, and has been recognized by the Boston Globe and Commonwealth Institute for Hebrew Rehabilitation Center's designation as a Top Women-Led Business. Moscato earned a B.S. from Northeastern University, and her M.B.A. and M.P.H. from Boston University. 

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Based in Boston, the nonprofit organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://hebrewseniorlife.org and follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON — Hebrew SeniorLife, a national senior services provider in Boston, has been commended by the Massachusetts General Court on its recognition of June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The resolution, which is signed by dozens of members of the Massachusetts General Court, was read aloud by Representative Danielle Gregoire on Monday, June 12, at an Elder Abuse Awareness event held at NewBridge on the Charles, a Hebrew SeniorLife community in Dedham, Mass.

“It was a tremendous honor to participate in the Elder Abuse Awareness Day event at Hebrew SeniorLife this week,” said Representative Gregoire. “In the short time that I have been House Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, I have been made more and more aware of the perils that face one of our most vulnerable populations. It is critical that we as individuals, and as a community, make concerted efforts to shine a light on elder abuse and neglect and do all that we can to prevent the mistreatment of our elders."

The resolution notes that one in 10 Americans over the age of 60 have experienced some type of abuse, neglect or exploitation and that in 2015, the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs received over 25,000 such reports. The resolution includes that elder abuse, neglect and exploitation cross all racial, social, class, gender and geographic lines, and can only be mitigated with greater awareness and action on the part of the community.

Also addressed in the document is the fact that “protecting our vulnerable elders is a community responsibility and private individuals and public agencies must work together at all levels of government to combat elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.”

Lastly, the resolution commends Hebrew SeniorLife for its recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) and urges other members of the public to follow suit in promoting awareness and prevention of elder abuse.

Hebrew SeniorLife CEO Lou Woolf said, “We are tremendously proud to have been recognized in this manner and thank Representative Gregoire and the many members of the legislature that signed the resolution. We are committed to improving the quality of life for all seniors, especially the most vulnerable among us, and are turning our attention to promote awareness, education, and prevention of elder abuse.”

Hebrew SeniorLife’s recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is just one part of its larger effort to promote elder abuse education and awareness. HSL is also committed to engaging in advocacy, conducting research, and providing supportive services while developing the state’s first shelter for seniors facing elder abuse.

The official signed resolution from the Massachusetts General Court will be displayed permanently at Hebrew SeniorLife’s flagship campus in Roslindale, Mass.

About Hebrew SeniorLife

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Founded in Boston in 1903, the nonprofit, non-sectarian organization today provides communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit http://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook or read our blog.

BOSTON - Massachusetts Senior Care Association and Hebrew SeniorLife are collaborating in a nationwide training program to help keep COVID-19 from spreading in area nursing homes and to prepare and equip staff so that they can better protect residents and themselves. This is an essential nationwide initiative in the fight against COVID-19.

The program is part of the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network supported by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Project ECHO. Massachusetts Senior Care Association and Hebrew SeniorLife are participating in the Network as an official “Hub,” responsible for training nursing homes across Massachusetts in infection control. 

"We are pleased to have 300 nursing homes join Massachusetts Senior Care and Hebrew SeniorLife for the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Network. We are bringing together nursing home staff, leaders in long-term care, physicians, and experts in infection control and gerontology to share best practices and build upon the great progress nursing homes have made in containing the spread of the virus. Nursing homes and their staff have been on the frontlines of this pandemic and have worked diligently to provide professional, high quality, compassionate care to the vulnerable population they care for," said Tara Gregorio, President, Massachusetts Senior Care Association. "Bringing this kind of additional support will enhance our infection control efforts."

Lewis A. Lipsitz, M.D., Director, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research & Chief Academic Officer, Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “Nursing homes, which were particularly hit hard during the spring surge of COVID-19, continue to work hard to stop the spread of COVID-19. While there has been an increase in cases this fall, recent reports indicate the spread is primarily in households, not nursing homes or other senior living facilities. This shows promising progress. Nursing homes need to remain ever vigilant, ever learning about ways to reduce risk and protect their patients and staff. Together with the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, the State’s nursing homes, and academic medical centers, we look forward to building a learning community in the Commonwealth in which we learn from each other how to prevent the entry and spread of this devastating virus in our vulnerable long-term care population.”   

The 300 nursing facilities will be cohorted into nine groups, each led by a clinician and a nursing home operator. As a designated training center, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Infection Control Hub will also provide rapid response consultation for any nursing home that experiences a sudden increase in COVID-19.

This program has six goals:

• Keep the virus from entering nursing homes.
• Find out early if residents and staff have been infected.
• Prevent the spread of the virus to staff, residents, and visitors.
• Provide safe and appropriate care to residents with mild and asymptomatic cases.
• Ensure staff have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement best-practice safety measures to protect residents and themselves.
• Reduce social isolation for residents, families, and staff.

To do this, the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network embraces an “all teach, all learn” philosophy in which nursing home participants both receive expertise from renowned experts and learn from their peers. The Massachusetts COVID-19 Infection Control Hub will lead 16 virtual learning sessions with nursing home teams in nine simultaneous cohorts. Each session is designed to be interactive—to hear from nursing home staff about the challenges they are facing and provide practical solutions. Each session will include a brief lecture or lesson paired with case presentations and discussion, followed by a Q&A forum. 

All Medicare and Medicaid eligible nursing homes are invited to join this free, voluntary program. The National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network will provide a $6,000 stipend to each facility for successful completion of the program and a certificate of completion for participating individuals. Nursing homes interested in participating or have questions regarding enrollment, can please contact Jennifer Chen at JChen@maseniorcare.org. 

About Hebrew SeniorLife:
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Based in Boston, the nonprofit organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About MSCA:
The Massachusetts Senior Care Association represents a diverse set of organizations that deliver a broad spectrum of services to meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Its members include more than 400 nursing and rehabilitation facilities, assisted living residences, residential care facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. Forming a crucial link in the continuum of care, Mass. Senior Care facilities provide housing, health care, and support services to more than 100,000 people a year; employ more than 50,000 staff members; and contribute more than $3.5 billion annually to the Massachusetts economy. For more information about Mass Senior Care Association, visit www.maseniorcare.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.