Meet Our Wellness Leadership Team: Jennifer Gomez

At Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care, our associates are like family, and it is this family's mission to improve the quality of life for our residents and their families by focusing on each individual resident as the whole person--body, mind, and spirit. We are passionate about and proud of the work that we do, and over the next several weeks, will be introducing you to members of our dedicated Wellness Leadership Team. 

Meet Jennifer Gomez. A registered nurse for nearly 20 years, Jennifer is a graduate of Geisinger Medical Center and serves as Juniper's clinical coordinator. Originally from nearby Bellefonte, she returned to her hometown two years ago after residing in the Philadelphia area. 

Having worked in many clinical settings over the years, Jennifer says that being with Juniper has allowed her to use all of her past nursing experiences while working on developing exciting new skills. Jennifer currently oversees the highly successful Restorative Nursing Program at JV Brookline, 

"I enjoy my co-workers and being part of a dynamic interdisciplinary team. Making a difference for the residents and their families is satisfying for me," Jennifer said. The feelings are obviously mutual, as smiles and warm greetings abound when she makes her way down the hall. 

Jennifer lives in Bellefonte with her two daughters, Emerson (15) and Elsa (14), and her son Maximo (12).

September 2015 Events in State College, PA: Spread Your Joy

As the air begins to cool and summer wanes, Juniper Village ends our “Stay Connected” series by recognizing Friendship and Joy. What is it that brings you joy? Is it the wet nose of a newborn pup? The smile of your first grandchild? The taste of a triple chocolate ice cream cone? Whatever it is we invite you to share that joy with others at Juniper Village this month.

Much attention has been paid to studies regarding the effects of stress on your health, but what about the effects of joy? The landmark “Nun Study,” as it's often known, revealed that positive emotion is correlated with longevity: 90% of the most cheerful quarter of nuns was alive at the age of eighty-five, whereas only 34% of the least cheerful quarter lived to that age. Similarly, 54% of the most cheerful fourth was alive at age ninety-four, versus 11% of the least cheerful. Of the 678 sisters in the original study about four dozen are still living. So go ahead, grab that triple chocolate cone it might just extend your life!

This month we invite you to “Spread Your Joy” as we honor our friendships in our Red Hat and Villager clubs and our Best Friends events; get our hands dirty at our Friendship Daffodil Project; and celebrate with our Birthday Party and House Warming Initiatives.

Our fabulous September 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care include our:

§  “Stick it to Temple” Tailgate Party as we show our spirit and watch the game on the big screen while Matt cooks up favorite picnic foods on a stick on September 5^th at noon.

§  Friendship Lunch and Learn as Evelyn Wald, MS, M, DIV, talks about the importance of social groups and friendships in maintaining positive mental health at any age, so bring a friend or two, on September 9^th at noon. (RSVP to 814-235-2041.)

§  Spaghetti Dinner and Bake Sale Fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters for a sit-down or take-out meal and delicious treats with a program that will teach you how you can make a difference in the life of a very special child through Centre County’s Children and Youth initiative that fosters positive friendships on September 23^rd at 5:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our September 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as we Spread Your Joy.

Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care at Brookline: Your Partner for Successful Outcomes

We want to be your partner of choice in the new shared savings environment. At Juniper Communities, we have been collecting critical data for nearly 10 years. For example, we closely monitor residents to assure successful returns from either the hospital or rehabilitation setting.

Many re-hospitalizations are the result of falls. While unavoidable, response rate and injury rate contribute dramatically to unnecessary readmissions.

Another common cause of both initial hospitalizations and rehospitalizations is medication errors. Changes to medication regime whether after a scheduled physician appointment or emergency hospitalization can leave patients confused about what medications are most current. Our wellness team is responsible for medication reconciliation and management, a process which virtually eliminates medication errors.

Communication is key and Juniper Village, Rehabilitation and Skilled Care at Brookline takes communication to the next level through:
• Use of Electronic Health Records (Point Click Care)
• Optimized care transitions protocols
• Full implementation of INTERACT (Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers)
• Use of a highly recognizable and consistent transfer information packet
• Focus on resident and care giver education and engagement
• Individualized care and service

New Beginnings - Welcome Samantha Ianaro

We at Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care are proud to introduce our newest leadership team member, Director of Wellness, Samantha Ianaro (pictured at left). Samantha joins us with a lifetime of caregiving experience, having begun her journey as a child helping to care for an aging relative. "Having witnessed the aging process and illness progression as a child, I developed a unique understanding of the needs and expectations of long-term care residents," she shared. At 16-years-old, Samantha began volunteering as a candy striper in a long-term care community, and the rest is--as they say--history. Working her way through the ranks, she earned her certification as a nursing assistant, became a Licensed Practical Nurse, and four years ago, earned her RN from Excelsior College.

Ianaro values a person-centered, holistic approach to resident care, which is what, she says, first drew her to the Juniper family. Samantha shares that she already recognizes and appreciates the way that all departments work together to achieve the same end result. It's an honor to be a part of the Juniper journey, she said. "It is my goal to continue the good work that is being done here. No one wants to leave home, which is why we should always strive to make our community as much of a home-like environment as possible. We are here for whatever our residents need."

With the welcoming of our new Director of Wellness, comes a bittersweet farewell to former DOW, Janice Whitaker. After six years with our team, Janice has accepted an exciting new opportunity as Program Administrator for the Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence at Penn State. We wish both of these incredible women much success, both professionally and personally, and look forward to collaborating with Janice in her new role.

25th Annual MNMC Golf Classic

Juniper associates were out in full force last Saturday for the 25th Annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Golf Classic. The event--one of the hospital's largest fundraisers--brought in nearly $162,000 for its cardiac catheterization lab, which was recently accredited through ACE - Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence.

Each year, Juniper Village at Brookline serves as the "Closet to the Pin" contest sponsor, where golfers compete for cash prizes based on driving distance and accuracy. This year's consolation (4th place) prize was awarded to one of our Senior Living family members. Congratulations to all on a job well done!

Dr. Gong Chen Presentation at Brookline

It was a packed house for Penn State biology professor, Dr. Gong Chen. Chen, a world-renowned brain researcher, recently presented "Reversing Glial Scar Back to Neural Tissue for Brain Repair," about his work to repair brain tissue in those with traumatic brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and other brain-related illnesses.

Dr. Chen and his research group are studying ways to chemically reprogram damaged tissue. While implementation of such a treatment is five to ten years away, the research to this point has been been very promising for an array applications including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and ALS.

Read more about Dr. Chen's work with in vivo reprogramming for brain repair here.

August 2015 Events in State College, PA: Breathe in Life

As we continue our summer focus on Staying Connected, we devote our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village in Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care to connecting to the Environment. One of our Signature Programs is the Green Canopy Program. This program is designed to support healthier living for our residents and staff through environmentally conscious communities and events. This program directly supports this month’s focus on the environment and our vision to make the world a better place, a place where each of us can live fully throughout all seasons of life.

Margaret Mead reminds us that “We won't have a society if we destroy the environment.” To that end, Juniper Village has created Green Teams in each of our communities to support our environmental initiatives by assisting with our recycling and energy efficiency programs – such as using CFL light bulbs and Energy Star rated appliances, while making suggestions for additional programs to increase quality of life and promote sustainability in our communities. Have you met your Juniper Village Green Team? This month during our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care our Green Teams will share their mission with the greater community by heading up initiatives to help others learn how to live a more sustainable life through our Wide-Scale Recycling Programs, our Environmental Stability Program and the Implantation of our Green Teams. Stop in for one of our educational programs, recycling and upcycling events or anything else that strikes your fancy this month with our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care as we Breathe in Life!

Our fabulous August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care include our:

§  The Buzz About Bees Presentation as we learn about these essential creatures with beekeeper Mike Dahlberg as he presents a unique observatory experience, complete with the queen bee herself, then watch as honey is made and taste the sweet treat on August 10^th at 3:30 pm.

§  Farm Fresh Family Lunch for a sit down meal made from fresh, locally grown produce, prepared by our very own Matt to enjoy good food and good fellowship on August 14^th at 12:30 pm.

§  Green Canopy Upcycling Party to meet Rehabilitation and Skilled Care administrator Kathy Russell as she leads an evening of professional networking fun to help our fellow health care professional relax, unwind, and create upcycled masterpieces from wine bottles and corks as wine, cheese and other gourmet goodies abound on August 19^th at 6:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as we Breathe in Life.