Forty-four top leaders, along with Lifetime Achievement Award winner Wendy Simpson, chairman and CEO of LTC Properties, were championed Tuesday during the 2020 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards ceremony. 

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Wendy Simpson

The second annual event, which celebrates top women leaders in skilled nursing and senior living, culminated with a 90-minute online ceremony that featured a video montage of each of the honorees and words of encouragement from both political parties’ top leaders on the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The event was moved online due to pandemic restrictions.

“Whether a Hall of Fame inductee or a Rising Star, you are champions of fulfilling senior living and compassionate skilled care,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the chairman of the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging. Honorees’ leadership in the senior living and skilled nursing industries, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been invaluable to seniors’ safety, she added. 

“I commend you for your commitment and professionalism. Your dedication to provide a full and enriched life to our older relatives and friends makes such a positive difference. Thank you for your contributions to our seniors and keep up the good work,” Collins said. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) speaks during the
2020 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards ceremony.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), ranking member of the Aging Committee, also thanked the honorees for their around-the-clock work to provide high-quality care. 

“You have stepped up under the most difficult of circumstances. We owe you more than just our gratitude,” Casey said, who also vowed to fight for more funding, higher wages and personal protective equipment for providers. “Thank you again and congratulations.”

The full ceremony can be viewed online by registering here. The full lists of the Hall of Honor and Rising Star honorees can be found here and here.

During the online Women of Distinction awards ceremony Tuesday, Hall of Honor inductee Carol Hulgan was shown receiving her award during an earlier presentation at Life Care Centers of America headquarters.

Forum starts today, features CE credits

The awards ceremony also served as a prelude to today’s Women of Distinction Forum, which includes three hour-long webinar sessions at 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and noon (all ET).

The three sessions will offer free CE credits and question-and-answer opportunities with the speakers, who will provide professional insights for all long-term care professionals. To register for the free event, click here.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare. Silver sponsors are OnShift and PharMerica, and the Signature sponsors are Acadia Pharmaceuticals and Enquire.