Kimberly Marselas

About this time last winter, I interviewed Lynn Hood about the challenges — and yes, victories! —  of overseeing a chain of 40-plus skilled nursing facilities during the first year of COVID-19.

While she could have outlined her strategies with all the weariness the industry’s leaders are still feeling today, she instead told her story with a sense of purpose. She was passionate in her conviction that skilled nursing leaders with the right attitudes and resources could steer their residents and their industry out of crisis.

She took advantage of opportunities that would never have come without the pandemic, giving her residents the chance to participate in emerging COVID treatments and helping transform the nation’s response to the virus.

Like so many of you, she didn’t know what the next day would bring. She simply kept moving forward, doing her best to anticipate and adapt.

“I don’t think we need a way back. We need a way forward,” said Hood, who would later be inducted into the 2021 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor.

In the months that followed, Hood shared decades of her experiences in long-term care with fellow industry professionals, hoping to inspire curiosity and persistence during McKnight’s webinars.

Now, we need a few more Lynn Hoods.

We know they’re out there: Keeping their struggling facilities afloat, finding ways to do more with less, and, through it all, leading with compassion and care.

Women of Distinction 2022 logo

Tell us who they are, and they, too, could find themselves honored as McKnight’s Women of Distinction.

Nominations for the Class of 2022, however, close Wednesday night. No more added deadlines. No more extensions.

Now, nominees don’t have to oversee facilities by the dozens, nor do they need to have spent nearly a lifetime in the skilled nursing trenches. There are recognition opportunities across the spectrum.

Categories this year include:

  • The McKnight’s Spirit Award, recognizing inspiring caregiving and service provision. Eligibility is open to women working in skilled nursing, senior living or home care who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures. Our judges will pick up to five honorees, and best of all, you can nominate candidates in this category for free.
  • Rising Stars, for women age 40 or younger or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession, who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. 
  • Veteran VIPs, with more than 15 years of experience making an impact on the senior living or skilled nursing fields and a level lower than VP or its equivalent. This includes facility administrators or executive directors; directors of nursing, health/wellness or activities; and those in similar positions with an exceptional track record.
  • The Hall of Honor, for candidates in senior-level or C-suite positions equivalent to vice president or higher who have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry at large.

We know you’re busy. But so are those potential awardees. Honor their commitment and hard work and help us tell their stories by putting together a nomination at this link today. 

There’s no time like the present to help lift up leaders who are charting a course for the profession’s future.

Kimberly Marselas is senior editor of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.

Opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News are not necessarily those of McKnight’s.