Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards honorees daily in April and May. For additional McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards content, visit this page.
Betsy Mullen has spent four decades elevating the lives of residents of Chelsea Jewish Lifecare communities in Massachusetts.
A nurse who had early ambitions to be a nun growing up in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Mullen joined Chelsea Jewish Lifecare in 1982 as its director of nursing. At the time, it was still a single nursing home. Forty years later, CJL has seven communities and Mullen has held the title of executive director at its skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities, executive vice president of clinical operations and chief clinical officer.
Now, as chief operating officer of the affiliated Legacy Lifecare, she oversees day-to-day operations of CJL.
“Betsy’s deep commitment to skilled nursing, her extensive knowledge of the nonprofit world and her passion for her work are incredibly inspiring,” said Adam Berman, president and CEO of Legacy Lifecare.
Described by others as a compassionate and dedicated leader who lives the virtues she espouses, Mullen has been committed to making innovative changes to improve residents’ lives. Her early efforts included “gentle awakenings,” which meant residents would wake in the morning when they wanted and order their choice of breakfast.
She also fostered the addition of an on-site European day spa and started a vacation program for residents to go places such as Cape Cod, Atlantic City and Disney World.
Mullen proudly says she lives by the words of poet Maya Angelou: “I did then what I knew best. When I knew better, I did better.”
The McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care. Honorees were recognized March 7 at a gala banquet and awards ceremony in Chicago. The program’s Platinum sponsor was MatrixCare. Omnicare was a Silver sponsor, and additional sponsors included Pinnacle Quality Insight, HealthDirect and Sentrics.
