Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2023 Women of Distinction honorees daily from July 5 to Aug. 15. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.
Christmas Day 2020 continues to be one of the most memorable days of Hannah Sizemore’s career. At the time, she was the director of nursing at Barbourville Health & Rehabilitation, and she knew she’d found her niche in healthcare as she spent the day watching residents and families navigate the holidays with window and Facetime visits.
Sizemore holds bachelor’s degrees in registered nursing and information resources management from Eastern Kentucky University and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Union College. She was one of the first licensed diabetes educators in the state of Kentucky.
In 2021, Sizemore took over as administrator of the facility, where she continues to lead by example with her staff, never veering from being resident-focused. She often can be seen pitching in where needed to bathe or feed residents and help out in the kitchen, and she even worked in the laundry department one night so that the housekeeping supervisor could take a break. Colleagues note that she brings gifts for residents’ birthdays and encourages them to smile, and she is compassionate and comforting to families. She even has driven staff members to and from work herself during snowstorms to ensure residents were properly cared for.
Her staff members say that she also inspires others to follow her lead and has brought a spirit of teamwork within the facility by implementing transparency in communications. She enforces accountability among employees and has high standards for the care of the residents, but she also is fiercely dedicated to promoting professional/personal life balance with her staff.
Sizemore’s two children volunteer often at the facility, making snow cones and popcorn, hosting games or playing movies for the residents.
“She is a servant and will work right alongside her fellow coworkers doing anything necessary to enhance the lives of the residents, their families and the employees,” says Shannon Glenn, Babourville’s activities director. “She is a huge asset to the facility and the community she serves.”
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.
Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.
