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Director of Nursing at Cabrini of Westchester Completes Leadership Program
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“The bathroom had heated floors, towel warmers and rose petals in the bathtub,” recalls Ms. Haye, Director of Nursing at Cabrini of Westchester in Dobbs Ferry, NY. “I could tell that this was not in keeping with normal resident care, and that this facility had no regard for resident safety—what if the resident burned themselves on the towel warmers? Are there rose petals in tubs at all times? It was obvious that this room was set up, and the CEO was just trying to impress the tour group.” It was in this instance that Ms. Haye learned a lesson in transparency and its effect on one’s leadership skills; one of the many vital lessons she learned from the Leadership American Association of Home and Services for the Aged (Leadership AAHSA) program. Ms. Haye was one of thirty-five people chosen from across the country to participate in this year long training program in leadership. Meeting in Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Vermont and Chicago for weeklong periods, the group was split up into five groups of seven and given a leadership coach. For each meeting, they were assigned a book to read that covered various aspects of leadership and discussed what it meant to be a great leader. According to Ms. Haye, each meeting led her to a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a leader. “I came to the realization that everyone wants to be successful and wants successful outcomes,” said Ms. Haye. “The program forced me to see how my values affect my leadership and helped me to better analyze character- that of my own and of others in addition to embracing the perspective of others.” But Ms. Haye is no stranger to leading. With almost a decade of service to Cabrini, Ms. Haye began working at the home in February 2000, as the Director of Education. She performed a variety of tasks which included all clinical teaching for nursing, educating staff on infection control, reviewing and writing policies St. Cabrini, and educating volunteers and family members on issues pertaining to residents and loved ones. She was then promoted, and for the past six and half years Ms. Haye has been the Director of Nursing at Cabrini of Westchester, overseeing a staff of approximately three hundred. “We were happy to encourage Velma to apply for the program, and to support her throughout,” said Patricia Krasnausky, President and CEO of Cabrini Eldercare Consortium. “Velma’s attributes and Cabrini’s commitment to support her growth and development were a winning combination. I was pleased to be present at graduation ceremony and was impressed with her achievements.” By the end of the program, it was evident Ms. Haye became a leader amongst her peers, as she was chosen to speak in front of an audience of about 7,000 people at the final meeting in Chicago. This meeting was also the annual AAHSA conference, which several thousands of professionals in healthcare attend each year. When writing her speech, Ms. Haye noted that she had a limited amount of time, but wanted to convey how the program guided her through a journey of self-examination, and changed her actions and thought process. In addition, “I wanted the crowd to know how grateful I was to the Cabrini Board, Patricia Krasnausky, and Barbara Gaughan for being so supportive of me,” said Ms. Haye. “I also spoke of how very proud I am of our facility.” And her colleagues share the same admiration for Ms. Haye. “We are very proud of Velma’s participation and graduation from this Leadership Program,” said Barbara Gaughan, Administrator and Vice President of Operations for Cabrini of Westchester. “She was one of only thirty five candidates selected from around the country. Velma has worked diligently on all the assignments and projects given her for this AAHSA leadership program. She brought to the program the same dedication and commitment she brings to St. Cabrini on a daily basis.” Though the program is over, each participant was given one final assignment called, an Action Learning Process (ALP) assignment. This is a required assignment each participant must fulfill. The ALP is to encourage the fellows to practice what they learned from the program and illustrate their leadership skills. “I’m writing a book for my ALP,” said Ms. Haye. “It will be about relationships I have observed in healthcare and how we can bring about transformational changes…and the rest will be left on the pages you can all read!” |
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