Dr. Gilster Receives the PIONEER AWARD

Dr. Susan Gilster was the recipient of the 2010 Ohio Health Care Association’s Pioneer Award. The Pioneer Award honors individuals for their influence, progressive thinking and accomplishments, and for their ability to shape the profession both today and tomorrow. These pioneers are recognized as forward-thinking leaders in the development and advancement of long-term care in the state of Ohio. The award honors Dr. Gilster’s commitment to excellence in long-term care services.

Pioneer Award candidates are nominated by a select group of Ohio Health Care Association Past Presidents. Her selection as a winner of this most prestigious honor places Susan in an impressive position in Ohio’s long-term care history.

Dr. Gilster’s award was presented during the President’s Dinner during the Annual Convention in Columbus on May 5, 2010.

It’s Not Always About the Money: The True Costs of Administrator Turnover

Kathleen Mears is a resident of a long-term care facility and hosts a regular blog for Long-Term Living. Ms. Mears wrote of the facility getting a new administrator, and offered her thoughts on the awkward but common pattern of revolving-door administrator turnover. Her thoughtful insights highlight the need to discuss not only administrator turnover and resulting financial costs, but perhaps the more important costs related to resident and staff care, morale and support. To read Ms. Mears’ blog, visit www.ltlmagazine.com.

We’ll address this topic in a upcoming Ask the Staffing Experts column on Long-Term Living soon.

To read previous columns of Ask the Staffing Experts, click on the image below.

Great News! Save Thousands on Staff Turnover

We wanted to share some exciting new research on the benefits and enormous savings of one facility using the SERVICE model recently featured as the cover story in Long-Term Living Magazine. Click on the image below to see outcomes: turnover decreased by 50% in the first year, financial savings in excess of $500,000.00, and statistically significant improvement in staff satisfaction.



If you desire a change in your culture, want to stop staff turnover, and enhance satisfaction in residents, families and staff, contact Susan Gilster & Associates today at SusanG@careleadership.com or 513/673-1239.

Speaking at the Alzheimer's Disease International Meeting in Greece

Susan Gilster and Jennifer Dalessandro presented three sessions at the 25th International Conference of Alzheimer Disease International, “Dementia Making a Difference,” in Thessaloniki Greece. The conference included approximately 1,000 individuals from around the world. Sessions included “Research Results of an Organizational Intervention on Staff Recruitment, Retention and Satisfaction in a Dedicated Alzheimer’s Facility,” and “Organizational Research Results in Improved Success in Alzheimer’s Programs and Long-Term Care.” The final presentation, “Preparing Future Health Care Professionals in a Specialized Alzheimer’s Facility” was particularly well-received, as Alzheimer’s disease is gaining international recognition as a major source of concern in the coming years in all countries around the world. Currently there are over 35 million people with dementia and that number is expected to grow to over 100 million in 2050. Groups from many countries are specifically interested in consulting with us and our 24 years of experience with developing and operating an Alzheimer’s and dementia facility. These include professionals from Singapore, Slovenia, Thailand and Australia, all of whom are planning similar projects in their own countries.

Susan Helps Prepare Future Health Care Professionals at AGHE

Susan recently spoke to professors, university faculty and leaders at the AGHE Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference in Reno. She shared a 23 year old education program in a session entitled, "Preparing Future Health Care Professionals in a Specialized Alzheimer's Facility." This meeting is the premier national forum for discussing ideas and issues in gerontological and geriatric education. Educators, clinicians, administrators, researchers, and students share their experiences, expertise, and innovations regarding teaching and learning about aging and older persons.

Susan Gilster presents at Harvard's Practice Fellowship Program

For the second year Susan Gilster, along with Robert Schreiber of Harvard Medical School and Hebrew SeniorLife, co-chaired the Leadership Culture Change Workshop for the Practice Fellowship Program. The Practice Fellowship Program is a two year fellowship designed to build leadership capacity among nominated and selected high level physicians, nurses and social workers. Supported by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the John A Hartford Foundation, and under the direction of Executive Director Eric A Coleman, MD, the program develops national Leaders in Geriatric Care. The “Leadership and Culture Change Workshop” was well received with the majority of student evaluations indicating it was the “most inspiring and though provoking” of the sessions. Other comments included: “This was a wonderful integration of understanding cultural change and relating it to our individual projects and leadership development,” “Awesome,” and “Improved understanding of steps needed to create culture change.”