This Friday, Jan. 12, is the final nomination deadline for the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards program. All submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET.

Nominations for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories (described below) during this extended nomination period carry a $119 entry fee. Nominations for the Spirit award are being accepted at no charge.

The program, now in its sixth year, is coordinated by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Nominations opened Nov. 7, and the standard nomination period ended Jan. 5.

Since the program began in 2019, 252 women in the fields of senior living, skilled nursing or home care have been honored across multiple award categories.

Eligible for recognition are women working as direct care providers, managers, executives, corporate executives and owners in independent living, assisted living, memory care and life plan communities, as well as those working in those capacities in skilled nursing facilities and in home care, home health, hospice and palliative care. 

Women who serve the fields indirectly — for instance as association staff members, academicians or thought leaders — also are eligible for recognition. Individuals working for vendor companies serving the industry are not eligible.

The nomination categories:

• Hall of Honor: Candidates should be senior-level professionals in the C-suite or at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and should have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry.
• Veteran VIP: Candidates should have more than 15 years of experience making an impact in long-term care and should be at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent. Whether as a community/facility administrator or executive director; or as a director of nursing, health/wellness or activities; or through some other position, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry through their accomplishments.
• Rising Star: Candidates must be aged 40 or fewer years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. Also, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. Those achievements/accomplishments may include, for example, managing a project, developing a campaign or contributing to the field via research or thought leadership.
• Spirit Award: This award recognizes inspiring caregiving and service provision efforts. Eligibility is open to women who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures.

Nominators for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories should be prepared to share detailed qualitative and quantitative information about nominees’ work histories, exceptional achievements and contributions or service, and anything else the judging panel should consider. Nominators for the Spirit Award should be prepared to detail the actions that qualify the potential honoree for the recognition. 

A Lifetime Achievement Award winner also will be named.

All honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event on Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago that also will recognize inductees from previous years. Some information about the event, which also will include educational sessions, is available now at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the awards, or to submit a nomination for them, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.

Questions should be directed to Anna Naumoski, senior event manager for Haymarket Media, the parent company of McKnight’s, at anna.naumoski@haymarketmedia.com.

Read about previous award winners here. See lists of previous classes of honorees here and here.

Sponsors of the 2024 awards program include Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Healthcare Services Group, PharMerica, Priority Life Care and ShiftKey.

Nominations for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories (described below) that are submitted by that date will have an $89 entry fee. Nominations submitted Saturday, Jan. 6, to Tuesday, Jan. 9, the final deadline, will carry a $119 entry fee.

The program, now in its sixth year, is coordinated by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Nominations opened Nov. 7.

Since the program began in 2019, 252 women in the fields of senior living, skilled nursing or home care have been honored across multiple award categories.

Eligible for recognition are women working as direct care providers, managers, executives, corporate executives and owners in independent living, assisted living, memory care and life plan communities, as well as those working in those capacities in skilled nursing facilities and in home care, home health, hospice and palliative care. 

Women who serve the fields indirectly — for instance as association staff members, academicians or thought leaders — also are eligible for recognition. Individuals working for vendor companies serving the industry are not eligible.

The nomination categories:

• Hall of Honor: Candidates should be senior-level professionals in the C-suite or at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and should have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry.
• Veteran VIP: Candidates should have more than 15 years of experience making an impact in long-term care and should be at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent. Whether as a community/facility administrator or executive director; or as a director of nursing, health/wellness or activities; or through some other position, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry through their accomplishments.
• Rising Star: Candidates must be aged 40 or fewer years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. Also, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. Those achievements/accomplishments may include, for example, managing a project, developing a campaign or contributing to the field via research or thought leadership.
• Spirit Award: This award recognizes inspiring caregiving and service provision efforts. Eligibility is open to women who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures.

Nominators for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories should be prepared to share detailed qualitative and quantitative information about nominees’ work histories, exceptional achievements and contributions or service, and anything else the judging panel should consider.

Nominators for the Spirit Award should be prepared to detail the actions that qualify the potential honoree for the recognition. Nominations for the Spirit Award will be accepted at no charge.

A Lifetime Achievement Award winner also will be named.

All honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event on Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago that also will recognize inductees from previous years. Some information about the event, which also will include educational sessions, is available now at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the awards, or to submit a nomination for them, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.

Questions should be directed to Amanda Hassler, director of events for Haymarket Media, the parent company of McKnight’s, at amanda.hassler@haymarketmedia.com.

Read about previous award winners here. See lists of previous classes of honorees here and here.

Sponsors of the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum program include Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Healthcare Services Group, PharMerica and Priority Life Care.

Nominations for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories (described below) that are submitted by that date will have an $89 entry fee. Nominations submitted Jan. 6 or later will carry a $119 entry fee.

The program, now in its sixth year, is coordinated by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Nominations opened Nov. 7.

Since the program began in 2019, 252 women in the fields of senior living, skilled nursing or home care have been honored across multiple award categories.

Eligible for recognition are women working as direct care providers, managers, executives, corporate executives and owners in independent living, assisted living, memory care and life plan communities, as well as those working in those capacities in skilled nursing facilities and in home care, home health, hospice and palliative care. 

Women who serve the fields indirectly — for instance as association staff members, academicians or thought leaders — also are eligible for recognition. Individuals working for vendor companies serving the industry are not eligible.

The nomination categories:

• Hall of Honor: Candidates should be senior-level professionals in the C-suite or at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and should have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry.
• Veteran VIP: Candidates should have more than 15 years of experience making an impact in long-term care and should be at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent. Whether as a community/facility administrator or executive director; or as a director of nursing, health/wellness or activities; or through some other position, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry through their accomplishments.
• Rising Star: Candidates must be aged 40 or fewer years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. Also, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. Those achievements/accomplishments may include, for example, managing a project, developing a campaign or contributing to the field via research or thought leadership.
• Spirit Award: This award recognizes inspiring caregiving and service provision efforts. Eligibility is open to women who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures.

Nominators for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories should be prepared to share detailed qualitative and quantitative information about nominees’ work histories, exceptional achievements and contributions or service, and anything else the judging panel should consider.

Nominators for the Spirit Award should be prepared to detail the actions that qualify the potential honoree for the recognition. Nominations for the Spirit Award will be accepted at no charge.

A Lifetime Achievement Award winner also will be named.

All honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event on Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago that also will recognize inductees from previous years. Some information about the event, which also will include educational sessions, is available now at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the awards, or to submit a nomination for them, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.

Questions should be directed to Amanda Hassler, director of events for Haymarket Media, the parent company of McKnight’s, at amanda.hassler@haymarketmedia.com.

Read about previous award winners here. See lists of previous classes of honorees here and here.

Sponsors of the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum program include Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Healthcare Services Group, PharMerica and Priority Life Care.

A recent Pew Research Center analysis of data from the US Census Bureau and other sources, found that women now hold 29% of the CEO and public administrator positions in the United States. 

The center also recently shared that the number of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies reached an all-time high of 10.6% in 2023; 53 women lead the firms, according to the Fortune 500 list and Catalyst. Also, Pew said, the share of women who serve on the boards of Fortune 500 companies was 30.4% in 2022, up from 9.6% in 1995, according to Catalyst, Deloitte and Heidrick & Struggles.

It all sounds like positive news, and it is, and yet Pew also pointed out that “the share of women in top business leadership positions remains well below their share of the population.”

Some good news, according to a recent Pew survey, is that a majority of the public seems to support women in leadership positions. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they believe that there are too few women in top executive business positions (although this percentage is down from 59% in 2018), and 79% of those respondents believe that there should be an equal number of men and women in leadership roles (additionally, 10% said that it would be ideal if there were more women than men in these roles, and another 10% said that it would be ideal to have more women in the positions than there are now, but still not as many women as men).

Reading all of this news, my mind went back to 2019, when Juniper Communities’ founder and CEO Lynne Katzmann accepted the first McKnight’s Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award and used her acceptance speech in part to call for more women at the highest ranks of organizations.

“Women make up an overwhelming majority of our consumers. They also make up an overwhelming majority of the workforce” in long-term care, she said at the time. “The ranks of CEOs really need to reflect that strong, dynamic group of women that we serve and that provide care and service to the people that are our residents.”

An even more important goal, Katzmann continued, is that company boards have appropriate representation of women.

“Gender-balanced boards are imperative, and gender-balanced boards get results,” she said.

Katzmann pointed to a report for Credit Suisse that found that companies with women directors, compared with those without, had higher growth, higher value and higher return on equity. In addition, she pointed to a study published in 2018 in the Harvard Business Review that “noted that gender-balanced teams achieved greater customer satisfaction and enhanced employee engagement,” she said.

There’s still more work to do, both overall and in senior living, until we see more women at the top. Along the way, we can ensure that women leaders get the recognition they deserve and tell their stories to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. And we can celebrate women at other points in their careers who are striving to make their organizations the best they can be.

Nominations for the sixth annual McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards program are now open. Get details here and make plans now to attend the May 14 awards ceremony and educational sessions in Chicago. It promises to be an exhilarating day where many more worlds of wisdom will be shared.

Lois A. Bowers is the editor of McKnight’s Senior Living. Read her other columns here.

Since the program began in 2019, 252 women in the fields of senior living, skilled nursing or home care have been honored across multiple award categories.

“The Women of Distinction awards are a highlight of the year — not just for the honorees, but for all of us at McKnight’s,” said John O’Connor, vice president and editorial director over the three McKnight’s brands. “We enjoy sharing the accomplishments of the dedicated, passionate, hardworking women in long-term care and facilitating the wide appreciation they deserve. But to be considered for recognition, they first must be nominated, and now is the time to do that.”

Eligible for recognition are women working as direct care providers, managers, executives, corporate executives and owners in independent living, assisted living, memory care and life plan communities, as well as those working in those capacities in skilled nursing facilities and in home care, home health, hospice and palliative care. 

Women who serve the fields indirectly — for instance as association staff members, academicians or thought leaders — also are eligible for recognition. Individuals working for vendor companies serving the industry are not eligible.

The nomination categories:

• Hall of Honor: Candidates should be senior-level professionals in the C-suite or at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and should have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry.
• Veteran VIP: Candidates should have more than 15 years of experience making an impact in long-term care and should be at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent. Whether as a community/facility administrator or executive director; or as a director of nursing, health/wellness or activities; or through some other position, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry through their accomplishments.
• Rising Star: Candidates must be aged 40 or fewer years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. Also, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. Those achievements/accomplishments may include, for example, managing a project, developing a campaign or contributing to the field via research or thought leadership.
• Spirit Award: This award recognizes inspiring caregiving and service provision efforts. Eligibility is open to women who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures.

Nominators for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories should be prepared to share detailed qualitative and quantitative information about nominees’ work histories, exceptional achievements and contributions or service, and anything else the judging panel should consider.

Nominations for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories that are submitted by Friday, Jan. 5, will have an $89 entry fee. Nominations submitted between Jan. 6 and 9 will carry a $119 entry fee.

Nominators for the Spirit Award should be prepared to detail the actions that qualify the potential honoree for the recognition. Nominations for the Spirit Award will be accepted at no charge.

A Lifetime Achievement Award winner also will be named.

All honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event on Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago that also will recognize inductees from previous years. Some information about the event, which also will include educational sessions, is available now at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the awards, or to submit a nomination for them, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.

Questions should be directed to Amanda Hassler, director of events for Haymarket Media, the parent company of McKnight’s, at amanda.hassler@haymarketmedia.com.

Read about previous award winners here. See lists of previous classes of honorees here.

When Natalie Spencer and her son decided to take in a Philadelphia Eagles game in January, they experienced a big win, but not the kind they expected. The Eagles lost the game, but Spencer and an emergency department physician who also was attending the game were able to rush into action to save the life of another fan in critical condition.

Spencer and the physician both rushed to the side of a fan who fell to the ground unconscious during the game. Spencer was able to move him from the steps where he fell as he began to turn blue, and she provided life-saving CPR along with the physician who joined her. 

Spencer joined Sanatoga Center as director of nursing in 2022. She is regarded by colleagues as a true leader in and out of the facility. 

During her 18-year career in healthcare, Spencer has filled almost every role, from nursing assistant to director of nursing, but her best work may have been done on that day in the Eagles stadium.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.

Friendly, approachable and unquenchably driven, Aimee Middleton brings the heart and humility of a frontline caregiver to the C-suite. As she climbed the corporate ladder at the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, she never forgot her humble beginnings waiting tables. And even though she no longer is working for tips, she didn’t lose that occupation’s service mindset. 

Middleton held leadership and faculty roles at Clarkson College and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has served as a branch manager for Associated Staffing, a national account manager for Hirease, an administrator for home care specialties and director of client development for Tabitha Health Care Services, and administrator for Vetter Health Services.

Middleton joined Good Samaritan in 2017, serving first as an administrator (2017-2019) and then as a regional executive director of operations before taking on the vice president of operations role in January 2022. In addition to her professional responsibilities, she taught college-level healthcare business classes as an adjunct professor as a way to share her love for older adults with the next generation of healthcare administrators. 

Middleton is known as someone who runs toward trouble, not away from it. As Hurricane Ian was bearing down on Florida in September 2022, she was on-site at Good Samaritan communities, helping staff evacuate residents and making sure they had everything they needed. It was important to her that everything possible was done to ensure that residents retained their dignity throughout the evacuation. 

In addition to tending to the needs of residents displaced by the hurricane, Middleton led Good Samaritan’s incident command process and gave numerous media interviews, always propelled by the needs of residents. 

Middleton energizes those around her to find a way to do more with less, to be creative, to serve with passion and to not take no for an answer if something is in the best interests of those the organization serves.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.

Armed with the soul of a caregiver and a background in all facets of management — operations, team building, staff development, efficiency, continuous improvement and a focus on customer satisfaction — Rhonda St. Onge went to work as a licensed nursing home administrator and became a certified executive for assisted living and an executive director of senior living communities. 

St. Onge has an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, OH. She then earned a master’s degree with a focus on lean management at Ohio State University, Columbus. 

St. Onge became the executive director of Wesley Woods, a Life Enriching Communities continuing care retirement community in New Albany, OH, in late 2018. There, she oversaw operations that included 118 units, including villas, independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. While serving as executive director at Wesley Woods, occupancy increased from 35% in 2018 to 85% in 2020. She retained 100% of the community’s directors, managers and coordinators. 

Since December 2020, St. Onge has been executive director of Brookdale Trillium Crossing, a 213-unit independent and assisted living community in Columbus, OH. There, she manages an operating budget of almost $7 million and leads a team of nine direct and 130 indirect reports. 

A key part of St. Onge’s success is her client-focused managerial training combined with her deep love of people and understanding of the needs of residents. St. Onge is the first and only McKnight’s Women of Distinction honoree whose nomination came from residents. Residents say they know that they have her full support (and that of her dedicated staff) in pursuing any interests or activities. 

St. Onge goes about her work with intensity, with her eyes always on the goal, forever juggling the myriad aspects of her role. Residents say she is the consummate team player and always maintains a sense of humor, a ready wit and a steady calm as she makes Trillium Crossing a true home.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.

What began as a “punishment” for teenage rebellion turned into a 42-year career in long-term care for Vicky Nordby. Her first job — started at the insistence of her parents — was in a nursing home, and Nordby went on to work as a certified nursing assistant, activity director, charge nurse and director of nursing on the frontlines of long-term care. Those roles led her to her current tenure in leadership, as director of clinical services and nurse consulting. 

Nordby joined Marquis Companies as a nurse consultant in 2008, focusing on the implementation of electronic health records and improvements in infection control. Her efforts in those areas are spread across 25 campuses specializing in post-acute rehab, memory care, assisted living and independent living. Nordby has helped establish clinical policies and programs at the facility, state and federal levels related to infection control and the prevention of healthcare associated infections. 

She works closely with facility teams to develop clinical policies and workflows that will improve quality outcomes. She is particularly recognized for her expertise in the area of infection control, as well as her work as a state and federal level advocate for reducing healthcare-associated infections and ensuring appropriate antimicrobial use. 

Though she has made a career of providing top-level clinical guidance and ensuring quality improvement, Nordby is recognized as playing a role in virtually every aspect of positive growth at Marquis over the past 14 years.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.