BOSTON - Hebrew SeniorLife, the largest provider of senior health care and senior living communities in New England and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, today named Melissa Bayer Tearney of Cambridge as Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. Tearney has been a volunteer leader at Hebrew SeniorLife for more than 25 years, including joining the Board in 2008 and serving in such roles as Board Secretary, Chair of the Governance and Conflicts Committees, and member of the Campaign Steering, Development, Audit, and Compliance Committees. 

“We welcome Melissa as our new Chair of the Board,” said Lou Woolf, President and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife. “Melissa’s passion for Hebrew SeniorLife, coupled with her leadership and consultative experience in industry and government, pair well with Hebrew SeniorLife’s mission and how the senior care field is evolving as we gradually leave the pandemic behind. We appreciate her years of dedication to Hebrew SeniorLife and look forward to working with her in her new role.”

Added Tearney, “I am both honored and proud to take on the role of Board Chair. Innovation, quality, and safety are hallmarks of Hebrew SeniorLife, and I look forward to helping the organization continue to deliver upon these characteristics in the coming years.”

Tearney steps into the Board Chair role that was held for three years by Jeffrey D. Drucker, who has been a volunteer leader at Hebrew SeniorLife for 21 years.

“On behalf of all of us at Hebrew SeniorLife, I want to thank Jeff for his tireless service as Board Chair and his significant contributions to our organization, and those patients, residents, and families we serve,” said Woolf. “And we look forward to his ongoing support serving as an active member of our board and chairing our Governance Committee.”

Tearney is a Partner in the Government Enforcement & Compliance Practice Group at Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, an international law office based in Boston. As Co-Chair of Choate’s Litigation Department, Tearney was named a “Top Woman of Law” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and a “2016 Woman of Influence” by the Boston Business Journal. She has also made the list of Super Lawyers in Massachusetts, an annual ranking of outstanding lawyers nominated through peer recognition and achievement. She has also been listed in Best Lawyers in America and in Chambers USA. 

With 30 years of experience, Tearney helps clients ranging from start-ups to global companies navigate investigations and the development and implementation of effective compliance measures and programs. Tearney earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Harvard University. Tearney’s husband, Gary Tearney, M.D., Ph.D., is also a volunteer leader at Hebrew SeniorLife and serves as the Chair of the Ventures Committee and Vice Chair of the Research Committee.

Other Hebrew SeniorLife Board News
Board Member Jay Webber has been named Board Vice Chair. A volunteer leader with Hebrew SeniorLife for 30 years, Webber currently serves on the Finance Committee, and previously served as the Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. Webber is a Managing Director at the accounting firm CBIZ & MHM New England, where he works with clients in the manufacturing, wholesale/distribution, retail, and real estate industries.

Andrew Glincher is a Hebrew SeniorLife Chair for Life and will serve as the Installing Officer. He has been involved with Hebrew SeniorLife for more than three decades, including as past Chair of the Board and the current Chair of the Trustee Relations Committee. 

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, Hebrew SeniorLife serves more than 3,000 residents and patients daily through its senior living and health care sites around Greater Boston and impacts countless others through its teaching and research in the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://hebrewseniorlife.org and follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults, today announced Tammy Retalic, M.S., R.N., Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services, is the Organization of Nurse Leaders’ 2021 recipient of the Elaine K. Sherwood Service Award. The prestigious award, given annually since 1993, recognizes leaders who exemplify outstanding commitment and contribution to the work of the Organization of Nurse Leaders, a nonprofit, professional membership organization for current and aspiring nurse leaders. 

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Tammy for almost a decade,” said Mary Moscato, President, Hebrew SeniorLife Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center. “She stands apart for her smart thinking and ability to innovate, and this was especially clear during the pandemic. Dedication, compassion, and caring leadership make Tammy the epitome of a nurse leader. I’m proud to call her a colleague and so pleased that the Organization of Nurse Leaders chose to recognize her in this way.” 

Retalic was nominated by Patricia M. Noga, Ph.D., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., F.A.A.N, Vice President, Clinical Affairs at the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. Noga’s nomination recognized Retalic’s work to “broaden our perspective of post-acute care and the experiences of post-acute care leaders and residents as they participate in this important component of the care continuum.” 

“This became even more evident during Tammy’s excellent service on the 2019-2020 Organization of Nurse Leaders Board,” said Noga. “She was consistently engaged, enthusiastic, and full of bold, new ideas to drive the profession and organization forward. She was willing to forge ahead and pilot new approaches. Her leadership, openness to experimentation, and ability to connect with and mentor others have been great assets to the growth of our organization and to the advancement of the nursing profession.”

About Tammy Retalic 
Retalic manages a staff of 1,200 over a continuum of long-term chronic care and rehabilitation services on Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hebrew Rehabilitation Center campuses in Boston and Dedham. She joined the organization in 2003 with more than 25 years of operational and leadership experience in academic and community-based hospitals, post-acute care services, education, and training. She is the recipient of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association's Quality Compass Award, the 5-Star designation for skilled nursing facilities, and is a Senior Quality Leap Initiative top performer. She has also earned the CareerSTAT Frontline Healthcare Worker Champion award and received more than $500,000 in workforce development initiative funds. Retalic is an accomplished speaker, and her expertise in the areas of clinical quality, employee engagement, workforce development, and leadership have been featured in many publications. 

Retalic received her undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in nursing from Boston College. She is currently enrolled in a doctoral program.  She is a member of the Organization of Nurse Leaders for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont, as well as an active member of the Senior Quality Leap Initiative, an international quality collaborative, and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association's clinical information and advisory council.

About the Organization of Nurse Leaders
The membership of the Organization of Nurse Leaders is comprised of more than 1,100 nurses from across five New England states. Organization of Nurse Leaders’ members lead more than 275,000 licensed nurses who care for 1.3 million patients per year in hospitals alone. Members also care for tens of thousands of patients in other care settings. The organization’s mission is to advance a culture of health through excellence in nursing and the organization works in full collaboration with local and national professional health care organizations to promote excellence in nursing leadership, and by extension, high-quality and high-value patient care.

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.

Hebrew SeniorLife offers many opportunities for nurses to advance their careers through professional development, tuition assistance, scholarships, and leadership opportunities. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit http://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – The National  Association of Area Agencies on Aging’s (n4a) Aging and Disability Business Institute presented Hebrew SeniorLife with The John A. Hartford Foundation 2021 Business Innovation Award for its remarkable program that integrates health care services and housing. The award was presented today at n4a’s 46th Annual Conference and Tradeshow.  

According to n4a CEO Sandy Markwood, “n4a’s Aging and Disability Business Institute is proud to recognize Hebrew SeniorLife. It has demonstrated remarkable dedication to addressing the holistic needs of older adults and people with disabilities at the community level.”

Terry Fulmer, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., President of The John A. Hartford Foundation, added, “The John A. Hartford Foundation Business Innovation Award hopes to inspire all community-based organizations to create age-friendly partnerships with hospitals, health plans, and with one another through regional networks. These relationships are the centerpiece of an age-friendly ecosystem.”

Hebrew SeniorLife offers senior living communities and Harvard Medical School-affiliated health care services to older adults and people with disabilities across the Greater Boston area. Launched in 2016 as a demonstration project, Hebrew SeniorLife’s innovative Right Care, Right Place, Right Time: Effectively Integrating Senior Care and Housing (R3) program integrates housing and health care by embedding a nurse and a social worker in housing sites to proactively coordinate care of older residents. More than 1,100 low-income older adults live in the seven housing sites that have been part of the program to date. R3 has helped close the gap on key risk factors, reduce hospital visits, and increase engagement in self-care among participants. 

R3’s significant success led to partnerships focused on building sustainability and replicability. Hebrew SeniorLife now partners with Commonwealth Care Alliance, a nationally recognized not-for-profit, community-based, integrated health care organization, conducting a payment model trial with the goal of financial sustainability. The partnership between Hebrew SeniorLife and Commonwealth Care Alliance has created a model that has the potential to shape the way housing and health care is paid for locally and nationally.

“It is an honor to receive this incredible award from The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Aging and Disability Business Institute of n4a,” said Kim Brooks, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Living, Hebrew SeniorLife. “We are committed to the important work of integrating senior housing and care. Our efforts in partnership with Commonwealth Care Alliance,Tufts Health Plan, and other community organizations have propelled the development of a sustainable, evidence-based model that proves the value of supportive senior housing and enables older adults to live their best lives.”
 
“We are thrilled Hebrew SeniorLife received this recognition and are proud to support their work to help low-income seniors living in affordable housing,” said Robert MacArthur, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Commonwealth Care Alliance. “Hebrew SeniorLife’s goals align with our mission to improve the health and well-being of people with significant needs and together we can help shape the way housing and care is paid for in the future. We are grateful to be able to support the R3 program and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to close care gaps for seniors enrolled in managed care.”

The R3 program was created and piloted by Hebrew SeniorLife. Hebrew SeniorLife established this study, provided funding, and secured additional funding for it from:  Beacon Communities LLC; Boston Scientific Foundation; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Health Policy Commission through the Health Care Innovation Investment and SHIFT-Care Challenge programs; Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation; Enterprise Community Partners; Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development; MassHousing; Milton Residences for the Elderly; Pioneer Institute; and WinnCompanies. The contents of this release are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the listed funders.

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, Hebrew SeniorLife serves more than 3,000 residents and patients daily through its senior living and health care sites around Greater Boston and impacts countless others through its teaching and research in the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON - Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities, and the only senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School, today announced that it will make it a condition of employment that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The requirement will go into effect October 1, 2021, even if, by then, final U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval is not yet granted for the three vaccines currently in the market.  Starting today, all new hires will be required to have a vaccination before their start date.

Lou Woolf, Hebrew SeniorLife President and CEO said, “Hebrew SeniorLife’s commitment is to help every senior live their best lives. The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges to that resolve every day. I’m so immensely proud of our employees who have stayed strong and courageous in the face of risk to themselves and their families, true to our values, and committed through this pandemic, no matter how challenging.
 
“Now that we’ve seen the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, we feel it’s our moral obligation to deploy them to their full extent, like we do all other tools at our disposal, to keep our patients, residents, and employees as safe as we possibly can.” 

Factoring in the uptick of people testing positive for COVID-19, including the highly infectious Delta variant, Hebrew SeniorLife set October 1, 2021 as the deadline for all employees who wish to continue to work at the organization to be fully vaccinated.  Employees will be able to request a medical or religious exemption.  

With one of the highest vaccination rates for senior care organizations – almost 100 percent for patients and residents and 84 percent for employees – Hebrew SeniorLife has led the way in vaccination in its senior care and living settings since it began its COVID-19 vaccination program at the end of December 2020.

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. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
 

BOSTON – Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults, today announced a Tuition Discount Benefit for all employees. Hebrew SeniorLife has signed agreements with seven institutions of higher education including Drexel University, Quinnipiac University, Regis College, Regent University, and University of Cincinnati.

The benefit is designed to make a quality education more affordable for all Hebrew SeniorLife employees and their families, and offers discounts ranging from 10% to 20% on both online and in-person classes for many different educational opportunities. The program allows employees to bundle the tuition discount with Hebrew SeniorLife’s tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities. 

“We have longstanding partnerships with institutions of higher education focused on nursing and other programs but the impetus behind this new benefit program is to make college affordable and to ease the burden of going back to school, whatever coursework employees and their families want to take,” said Tabitha Fineberg, M.H.A., M.S.Ed., Administrative Director for Academic Programs, Hebrew SeniorLife. “We believe our best investment is in the future of our employees — and continuing education, whether or not it leads to a new degree, is a powerful incentive.”

Participating Institutions
The colleges and universities were selected based on their course offerings, including subject matter and a mix of online and in-person classes, and their ability to partner with Hebrew SeniorLife.

• Drexel University: Offers 5-50% discounts, depending on program of study, to employees and immediate family members.
• Quinnipiac University: Offers a 10% discount for employees only. 
• Regent University: Offers a 15% discount for employees, spouses, or dependents (on tax returns).
• Regis College: Offers a 10% discount for online students and a 20% discount for on-campus students for employees and families.
• University of Cincinnati: Offers 10% discounts to employees and qualified family members.

Hebrew SeniorLife will continue to sign partnerships with other academic institutions to broaden the range of courses and degrees available to its employees.

Other Educational Offerings
Hebrew SeniorLife offers a Certified Nursing Assistant training program based at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston. This five-week, fully paid program combines classroom time, lab skill training, and supervised time with patients. The program is facilitated by Hebrew SeniorLife nurse educators and other trainers, and prepares students to take the American Red Cross certification exam at the end of the program, with the costs of the exam covered by Hebrew SeniorLife.

Hebrew SeniorLife also has established relationships for nursing programs with partner schools such as Northeastern University, Regis College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Simmons College, Curry College School of Nursing, Massachusetts General Institute for Health Professionals, and Labouré College.

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 and our blog, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities, and the only senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School, will virtually host entertainers Mavis Staples and Mandy Patinkin at the 8th annual EngAGE, November 1 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The lineup includes two entertainers: Mavis Staples, a Grammy Award-winning singer and a member of both the Blues and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a civil rights icon who released a trio of critically acclaimed albums in her 70’s with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy; and Mandy Patinkin, a Tony- and Emmy award-winning actor and concert artist, who has starred on Broadway, TV, and film.    

EngAGE also will feature George Q. Daley, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of Harvard Medical School and the Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine and an authority on stem cell science and cancer biology; and Louise Aronson, M.D., M.F.A., a leading geriatrician and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and the author of the New York Times non-fiction bestseller, Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life.

Hebrew SeniorLife has hosted the successful EngAGE for eight years. In announcing the EngAGE 2021 speaker program, Lou Woolf, President and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “Join us and leading influencers for a lively conversation that will cue how we think and talk about aging.”

EngAGE 2021, which will be held virtually via livestream, features a mixed media program with dynamic guest speakers and entertainers. For tickets and other information about EngAGE, visit www.hslengage.org. 

All proceeds power Hebrew SeniorLife’s health care, communities, research, and teaching that transform the experience of aging. Last year’s event raised $1.2 million. 

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. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities dedicated to improving the lives of older adults, and the only senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School, last night launched its Age  of Opportunity campaign, the largest fundraising program in the organization’s history. 

“Aging is universal. Aging well should be, too,” said Lou Woolf, President and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife. “Yet the needs facing today’s seniors are truly urgent: More housing - and more supportive services within that housing, especially for low-income seniors. More support for people with dementia and their families. More programs that support a senior’s mind, body, and spirit. And more geriatric research and training to continually move this important, specialized field forward.”

Woolf added, “Meeting this challenge is our calling and our commitment. Only an organization like Hebrew SeniorLife, that’s been successfully pushing boundaries for almost 120 years, is equipped to innovate for the seniors and caregivers of tomorrow.”

Board member and Age of Opportunity co-chair Hinda Marcus said, “The Age of Opportunity is about this particular moment in time when we can change the trajectory of how society cares for seniors  and in doing so, change the trajectory of our lives. The Age of Opportunity is also about how we, HSL’s donors and supporters, have the unique opportunity to step forward and make a serious impact on this critical issue.” 

“We have already reached $93M of our $125M campaign goal. Those funds are being put to good use: building the infrastructure needed to help researchers nationwide develop clinical trials that prioritize older adults and their needs; enhancing our memory health services so people with memory concerns or a dementia diagnosis have a place to turn for help and answers for themselves and their families; transforming a patient floor on our flagship campus into a person-centered, modern environment that feels like home; and enhancing our programs that go above and beyond in the care of seniors. And we’ve only just begun,” Marcus added.

The Age of Opportunity campaign was launched last night at Hebrew SeniorLife’s eighth annual EngAGE event. Featured performers included Grammy Award-winning singer and Blues and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mavis Staples and Tony and Emmy award-winning actor and concert artist Mandy Patinkin. Guest speakers included George Q. Daley, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of Harvard Medical School and the Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, who spoke about Hebrew SeniorLife’s and Harvard Medical School’s partnership to advance geriatric medical education and research; and Louise Aronson, M.D., M.F.A., a leading geriatrician and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Aronson is the author of the New York Times non-fiction bestseller, Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life.

Co-chairs for the Age of Opportunity are Hinda Marcus and Irwin Chafetz.

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Boston - Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, which is located on Hebrew SeniorLife’s flagship campus in Boston and at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, is led by Mary K. Moscato, FACHE, President of Hebrew SeniorLife Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center. With more than 1,400 employees, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center provides geriatric specialty care under a long-term chronic hospital license to meet the medical needs of older adult patients in a therapeutic and healing environment.  

Hebrew SeniorLife is New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities dedicated to improving the lives of older adults, and is the only senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School. 

“I am deeply proud that Hebrew Rehabilitation Center has been recognized as a top women-led business in the state for the past six years. It is a tribute to the commitment from our leadership team to our staff, which includes many women nurse leaders and managers, to helping our patients live the highest quality of life possible, and we feel this recognition continues to validate our work and mission,” said Moscato.  

Launched in 2000, The Commonwealth Institute’s Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts program is based on multiple selection criteria such as revenue, operating budget, number of employees, diversity, innovation and more. Members are women CEOs, senior executives, executive directors, and entrepreneurs from a wide array of industries and backgrounds – corporate, start-up, and nonprofit. 

The current honorees were recognized at an award breakfast today, and will appear in the Boston Globe Magazine’s “Women & Power” edition on Nov. 7th.

Earlier this year, Moscato was appointed to serve on the Massachusetts’ Public Health Council, and was elected 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.

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. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. 

Hebrew SeniorLife, the fifth largest nonprofit in Massachusetts and regularly named a Top Place to Work, is hiring. To find a career that is right for you in a culture that supports your growth, please visit our careers page.

For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities dedicated to improving the lives of older adults, has been listed again as one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts in the 14th annual ranking by The Boston Globe. This is the fourth time Hebrew SeniorLife has been included. The Top Places to Work 2021 issue is published online at Globe.com/TopPlaces and will be in Globe Magazine December 5.

Top Places to Work recognizes the most admired workplaces in the state voted on by the people who know them best—their employees. The survey measures employee opinions about their company’s direction, execution, connection, management, work, pay and benefits, and engagement. The employers are placed into one of four groups: small, with 50 to 99 employees; medium, with 100 to 249 workers; large, with 250 to 999; and largest, with 1,000 or more.

Hebrew SeniorLife was ranked #24 for large organizations with more than 1,000 employees. The nonprofit, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, has provided services for seniors in the Boston area since 1903. Today, the organization provides health care, senior living communities, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers. The organization’s 2,600 employees serve more than 3,000 seniors each day, at its nine locations in Boston, Brookline, Canton, Dedham, Randolph, and Revere, as well as through its home and community-based services.

“We are proud to be recognized as a 2021 Boston Globe Top Place to Work and grateful to know that our employees continue to view Hebrew SeniorLife as a great place to work despite the many challenges they’ve endured during the ongoing pandemic. The recognition is also important as it provides the opportunity to receive input from staff about how we’re doing so we can become an even better place to work,” said Lou Woolf, president and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife.

“The workplace is undergoing a once-in-a-lifetime transformation, and the companies that embraced that change, and put their employees’ needs first, really stood out,” said Katie Johnston, the Globe’s Top Places to Work editor.

The rankings in Top Places to Work are based on confidential survey information collected by Energage (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), an independent company specializing in employee engagement and retention, from more than 80,000 individuals at 363 Massachusetts organizations. The winners share a few key traits, including offering more flexibility to continue working remotely, tracking progress on efforts to support a diverse workforce, and, above all, remembering to have some fun along the way.

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. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Broken bones in later life are a leading cause of disability, recurrent fracture, nursing home placement, and death. 

Prior studies have shown that health care providers can prevent poor outcomes, including death, by treating patients with bone-strengthening medications and by stopping risky medications that cause falls. However, few patients receive this high-quality care because it is time consuming and requires specialized knowledge that primary care providers may not have.

Researchers from Hebrew SeniorLife and Duke University will undertake a 5.5-year study that will compare two care models that have previously been shown to improve care in skilled nursing facilities.  The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved $10.5 million in funding to support the study, entitled “Models of Post-Acute Care in Complex Older Adults with Fracture.”

Forty-two skilled nursing facilities will be enrolled in this study, which will compare two care models: a fracture liaison service in which recommendations are given to start medications to strengthen bones; and a deprescribing care model, which helps patients reduce medications that cause falls. 

Both models are led by a remote nurse who will engage patients and providers in the decision-making process.

“The study is exciting because it will help provide patients who have recently experienced a fracture and their families to make personalized choices about starting medications to prevent more broken bones and stopping risky medications that cause falls,” said Sarah Berry, M.D., MPH, clinical researcher at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

“The study will prepare us to spread the care models to health systems so that all patients can receive high-quality care after having a broken bone,” said Cathleen S. Colon-Emeric, M.D., FACP, MHS, Professor of Medicine; Chief, Division of Geriatrics in the Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine.

About the Study

In random order, our study team will provide the fracture liaison service care model for 6 months, the deprescribing care model for 6 months, or both models simultaneously for 6 months.  All patients who are admitted to a participating facility after a broken bone will receive the model that facility is being offered at that time. Patients will be followed for about 2 years using information that is already in their electronic health record and from Medicare to see if they have fewer injuries from falls compared to similar patients in facilities that don’t offer these care models. Patients or their caregivers will  be asked to complete a survey 90 days after admission. We will compare whether important symptoms like pain, anxiety, sleep, and medication side effects are different in patients treated with the different care models.  

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. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $85 million, making it one of the largest gerontological research facilities in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research

Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

About the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development

The Aging Center is a multi-disciplinary hub for the promotion of healthy aging across the lifespan and management of social and medical complexities in late life. With more than 150 affiliated faculty members from across the University and Medical Center, and millions of dollars annually in aging-related research funding, the Center is a vital national resource for the study of aging.

About PCORI

PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better informed healthcare decisions.