158 Business View - August 2015
physician, an on-site dietitian, social services and case
management, a pharmacy, and laboratory, psychiatry,
dentistry, podiatry, audiology, dermatology, and op-
tometry support services for their residents.
In addition, Brinton Woods facilities offer robust, fun,
and interactive activities and programs meant to en-
gage their residents and promote their physical, men-
tal, and social well-being. “We take care of people who
are going to be staying with us for long periods of time,
if not for the rest of their lives,” says Cortese. However,
the goal for short-term patients is to “provide them
nursing and rehabilitation services so they’re back to
their best level of function and they can get back to
their homes and their lives.”
Christine MacMillan is Brinton Woods’ Regional Director
of Clinical Services. She describes how incoming patients
are assessed: “We consider quite a few different things
when we’re looking at admission criteria. We look at what
medical needs they may have; what needs, as far as as-
sistance with daily living – personal hygiene, ambulation;
what their potential is, as well, because we partner with a
rehabilitation company, so that we can provide physical,
occupational and speech therapy. All these things figure
into our admission criteria.”
Once a short-term care patient is admitted, all Brin-
ton Woods’ 1017 employees strive to provide whatev-
er services may be essential to get that person on to
the next stage of care. “We try to be very quick with
turnarounds for admissions,” explains MacMillan. “It’s
something we pride ourselves on: to make sure that
we can get everybody into the facility, to receive ser-
vices, so that we can make their next transition either
to home or to long-term care as smooth as possible
and in the shortest possible time frame.”
While families in the Maryland/D.C. area may have
many other choices for skilled nursing care services,
Cortese points out how Brinton Woods’ success hinges
on the ability of its staff to provide the highest level of
care to its residents: “We are known as a local compa-
HEALTHCARE
