Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living are profiling the McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 6 through Aug. 6. To see the 2021 McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction awards ceremony, register for free here. For additional profiles of McKnight’s Women of Distinction, visit this page.
Since starting at the Vincentian Collaborative System in Pittsburgh, Josiane Dusabe has demonstrated a strong work ethic and inspiring leadership capabilities.
After joining continuing care retirement community Vincentian Home in 2007 as a certified nursing assistant, she transitioned into an RN role in 2009. She moved through the ranks and became an RN supervisor in 2015.
Dusabe’s supervisors recognized her dedication and ability to provide creative, effective solutions, and she was promoted to director of nursing for skilled nursing facility Vincentian de Marillac in 2016. She currently holds this position as well as the role of director of clinical excellence for Vincentian Homes’s three skilled nursing facilities and three personal care (assisted living) homes.
At Vincentian Homes, Dusabe reveals her passion for providing the highest standard of care by constantly finding ways to improve the six facilities, colleagues say. She has managed to help maintain 4- and 5-star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for Vincentian Homes during her time as director.
She also has implemented and led multiple on-site projects, including the transfer of all Vincentian De Marillac residents to Vincentian Home during an elevator installation in 2018. Dusabe also spearheaded the Curavi Health telemedicine program at Vincentian De Marillac in 2019 and across the Vincentian Collaborative System in 2020.
The pandemic helped shine a light on Dusabe’s commitment to her residents. In 2020, after being promoted to infection preventionist director of COVID unit, Dusabe was determined to keep residents safe and keep Vincentian running smoothly, according to colleagues. Near the start of the pandemic, she quickly created a specialized unit and all related policies and procedures, including the implementation of universal rapid COVID-19 testing clinics. She also orchestrated adding vaccine clinics to each facility as part of the organization’s participation in the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.
Dusabe knows a bit about hardship. Born in Rwanda, she is a survivor of the 1990s genocide there. In 1994, when she was 7, she and her family fled the country. They were able to find refuge in the United States and eventually became full U.S. citizens.
Outside of her professional work, Dusabe is an extremely active member of her church and participates in many service projects, colleagues say. She has participated in several mission trips, including to Africa and Europe to assist and counsel victims of human trafficking.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare, and the Roundtable Sponsor is Paycor.
