News Archives

Newsletter Features, 1999

• Woodbriar Honors More Five Year Employees
• Lahey Clinic Physician Heads Subacute Unit
• Tai Chi Classes A Big Hit With Residents
• Woodbriar Sponsors Seminar "Positive Planning for Aging"
• Congratulations to Woodbriar's Award-Winning Nursing Assistants
• JCAHO Accreditation for Woodbriar

Woodbriar Honors More Five Year Employees

Twenty-four additional staff members were recently recognized for five years of service. This brings to 41 the number of employees who have received that honor. This is very impressive considering that Woodbriar has been opened only 61/2 years.

Each individual was presented with a certificate from Long's Jewelers to choose a gift to their own personal tastes.

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Lahey Clinic Physician Heads Subacute Unit

Dr. Robert Schreiber has been named Medical Director of the Subacute Unit at Woodbriar. Dr. Schreiber is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been a senior staff physician at Lahey Clinic since 1995, where he is Director of Clinical Operations, General Internal Medicine. The American Board of Internal Medicine has certified Dr. Schreiber in Internal Medicine and in Geriatrics.

One of Dr. Schreiber's first acts as Medical Director was to assign Anne Marie Sommer, Nurse Practitioner, to regular rounds at Woodbriar. This assures continuity of care at Woodbriar and provides more frequent interactions with the patients. In a future article, we will feature Anne Marie and the role of the nurse practitioner in delivering care to the patient.

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Tai Chi Classes A Big Hit With Residents

One of the most popular group activities offered at Woodbriar is Tai Chi. It is a slow moving exercise program originated in the orient over 200 years ago. It is said to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, arthritis pain, stress and to increase circulation. Some of our residents who participate in this program regularly swear by it. Tony Williams feels that, ìit makes my shoulders feel looser.î And Evelyn O'Conner says, "I look forward to this program every week." Since the introduction of the program several months ago, it has been bumped up from once a week to twice a week. "I think the reason for the popularity is the slow pace. The person performing the movements can work within his or her own functional limitation, unlike a conventional exercise program. Although seated exercises do have their benefits, they can seem redundant to some folks." states Frank Paolini, Activities Coordinator.

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Woodbriar Sponsors Seminar "Positive Planning for Aging"

Woodbriar hosted one of its free seminars created to help families deal more proactively with the issues of aging. Paula Koppel, RNC, GNP, MS, a widely recognized expert on aging and senior life issues led this seminar. The seminar covered such topics as learning new ways for seniors and their loved ones to cope with issues of health, finance, psychology and family relationships. The seminar had about 35 attendees from the area. This seminar was extremely well received. Said one participant, "Very articulate, informative, upbeat, encouraging! Great job!" Please feel free to contact Dennis Sargent @ 1-978-658-2700 if you wish to be included in future seminar announcements.

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Congratulations to Woodbriar's Award-Winning Nursing Assistants

Two Woodbriar nursing assistants recently won coveted and impressive awards from the Massachusetts Extended Care Federation (MECF). Sherri Ballentine and Shannon Larkin each received a scholarship of $2,000.00 to defray the costs of nursing school. These awards were presented a gala MECF ceremony also attended by Paula Fuller, Barbara Davis and Dennis Sargent.

Sherri, who grew up in a family of caregivers, says that she always knew she would be part of the nursing profession. Sherri became a certified nurse assistant at Woodbriar and realized that she loved caring for the elderly. She plans to earn a degree in June 2000 from Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing.

Shannon grew up believing that, "nurses were angels sent to us to make the pain go away." This belief was founded upon Shannon's experience watching both her mother and grandfather suffer with long term, debilitating illnesses. Shannon is enrolling in Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing in August 1999, and is committed to a career of caring for the aged and infirmed.

The Woodbriar family is extremely proud of both Sherri and Shannon, and congratulates them on their recognition.

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JCAHO and CARF Accreditation for Woodbriar

Woodbriar has recently undergone JCAHO review resulting in accreditation for the facility. The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has once again given Woodbriar its "seal of approval", indicating that the facility and its programs meet demanding standards.

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