During the initial phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the MHCO Board of Directors appointed Board Chair Elizabeth Kelly as Acting Chief Operating Officer – helping to coordinate the organization’s response during uncharted times. As we acclimate ourselves to the “new normal” of routine operations in a post-COVID world, the time has come for Elizabeth to transition back to her role of MHCO Board Chair, which took place on August 1st. She will also continue to serve as the MHCO COVID Response Coordinator.
Kelly said of her time as Acting COO of MHCO, “I feel honored to have been accepted as a drop-in guest on the remarkable MHCO Leadership Team.” She added that COVID-19 pushed the organization to become more nimble and able to quickly adapt to ever-changing circumstances. The Board and leadership team are capable and eager to shift to a collaborative decision making model and organizational structure.
As a first step in this process, Daren Lee has been named MHCO Team Leader as of August 1st. Daren started his tenure with MHCO over 14 years ago when he was selected as the Director of Maple Crest and Independent Living, and his track record includes leading the Maple Crest team to seven consecutive deficiency-free state surveys. Daren will continue as the Director of Maple Crest as he adopts the new responsibilities as Team Leader, which include coordinating leadership team meetings, facilitating continued collaboration between campuses, and looking for opportunities to better align service areas across the MHCO continuum of care.
John Fischbach, Chief Financial Officer, will be shifting focus primarily to handle the financial challenges of the new post-COVID world of government subsidies, grants, and the effects of a disease that has disproportionately affected senior living. John will continue to be directly involved with operational issues that have a significant impact to the organization.
In addition, MHCO continues to work closely with Brethren Home Management Services. This consultation agreement began in November 2019 and was scaled back in March due to the many competing claims presented by COVID-19. We have returned to the original consultation agreement and are glad to welcome back their presence and services.
And, as always, our most essential team members are those housekeepers, nurse aides, kitchen staff, social workers, nurses, chaplains, laundry staff, activities staff, maintenance, and others on the front-line that embody our mission with residents, children, and families we serve.