Many community members recognized at JGS Lifecare Annual Meeting on May 23
New board members welcomed; retiring board members thanked for service
JGS Lifecare, a leading health care system serving seniors and their families, held its annual meeting on May 23 in the Gloth Family Auditorium at JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow. Dr. Robert Baevsky was thanked for his service as chair of the Board of Directors for the past three years, during which time JGS Lifecare underwent tremendous transformation, including construction of the new $11.4 million Sosin Center for Rehabilitation, a $1 million renovation of Ruth’s House, and a myriad of other enhancements.
Susan Goldsmith of Longmeadow was elected as the new chair of the board. She praised Dr. Baevsky and noted, “The entire organization has benefitted from the depth and experience Bob brought as board chair; we appreciated his thoughtfulness, intelligence and calm demeanor.”
Both Goldsmith and Martin W. Baicker, president and CEO of JGS Lifecare, referenced the challenges facing nursing homes across the country, including changing demographics that require care for a frailer and sicker elderly population, reimbursement challenges and a shortage of qualified caregivers.
“We are not immune,” said Goldsmith. “We must be prudent with our resources and creative with our approach.”
Baicker agreed and added, “Changes across the organization continue to underscore our determination to take bold and positive steps to secure the highest reputation and compete successfully in the marketplace.”
Family members of three patients cared for through JGS Lifecare shared their stories, underscoring the importance of quality eldercare for seniors:
- Mike Cinq-Mars spoke movingly via video about the care his wife received during her five years as a resident of the Leavitt Family Jewish Home. “There’s so many things here you don’t appreciate unless your loved one is here. She always had a smile. They would do little things for Jean, but it meant the world to me.”
- Betsy Bertuzzi shared her appreciation for “world class elder care in our community” after her mother’s experience recovering from pneumonia at the Sosin Center for Rehabilitation.
- Diane Dean gratefully acknowledged the loving and compassionate support her family received from Spectrum Home Care & Hospice when her husband was ending his four-year battle with colon cancer in 2016. “They wrapped their arms around us,” she said.
Dr. Baevsky thanked outgoing members of the Board of Directors––Maxine Goldsmith, Art Richton and Michael Swirsky––for their service, with a special presentation to Richton for serving three consecutive terms (nine years) on the board, the maximum possible.
The new slate of officers elected to the board included Susan Goldsmith as incoming chair, Mark Dindas as 1st vice chair, Rudy D’Agostino as treasurer and Stuart Anfang as clerk. New board members include Anne Chernick, Peter Greenberg, Gerald Lazarus, Ellen Ratner, Harvey Shrage and Candace Weiner.
Frank Colaccino and Jeffrey Grodsky, co-chairs of the Project Transformation Building Committee, were honored with the Chairman’s Service Award for their tireless efforts overseeing the success of Phase I of Project Transformation.
“Together, they have been a driving force of the construction of the Sosin Center and Michael’s Café,” said Stephen Krevalin, co-chair of Project Transformation. “They understood and pushed forth our vision. We are grateful for their continued commitment to oversee the renovations of the A-1 and A-2 units of the Leavitt Family Jewish Home into the small house model of care.”