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Mont Marie Health Care Center, Inc., a sponsored ministry
of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, is separately
incorporated
as a charitable corporation and is committed to providing
comprehensive nursing home care. The Center, an 84-bed licensed
and certified skilled nursing facility, values the
sacredness of life, respects the dignity of all persons,
and is committed to total quality care. In response
to the mission of the Congregation, the Center serves the
dear neighbor without distinction.

Licensed within Massachusetts, the Health Care Center
provides comprehensive services that promote, maintain
and restore health and foster independence and wellness. A
plan of care that supports a personalized program
promoting wellness is developed and implemented by an
interdisciplinary team. Recreational activities, cultural
events, pastoral care, and social service programs augment
the services that call our residents to holistic and
meaningful living.


What's
New at Mont Marie Health Care Center
March 2010
New Furniture for Residents
Several rooms now sport
brand new furniture, thanks to everyone who supported the
annual Sisters of St. Joseph Golf Classic last August.
The proceeds from the tournament were used to purchase
bed-side cabinets, bureaus, over-the-bed tables and room
chairs.
The purchase
also included three electric beds, new dining room chairs
and three scoot chairs. Scoot chairs are similar to wheel
chairs, but allow non ambulatory residents to use their
feet to “scoot” along unassisted.
The golf
tournament has provided monies for several improvements in
the Mont Marie Health Care Center over the years.
14th Annual SSJ Golf Classic August 30, 2010
Plans are underway for
this year's golf tournament. The 14th Annual Sisters
of St. Joseph Golf Classic will be held August 30, 2010 at
the Springfield Country Club:
Shotgun Starts: 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM
Luncheon: 11:00
Dinner 7:00 PM
Entry Fee: $150 for morning
starts, $175 for afternoon starts.
(For details on this and previous
tournaments, please see story at bottom of page.)

Dec. 2008
Mont Marie
Health Care Center Receives 5-Star Rating
The Mont Marie
Health Care Center is one of only two area nursing
homes to receive the highest five-star rating from the
federal government. The 84-bed facility is a sponsored
ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and
is located on the Mont Marie campus in Holyoke,
Massachusetts. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services rated the facility for health inspections,
staffing and
quality measures in the first of what will be
monthly nationwide rankings.
The Center’s
Administrator, Sister Betsy Sullivan, said she attributes
the high rating in part to the longevity of staffing and
good working environment. “The low employee turnover
reaps many benefits for the residents.” Sullivan said.
She added that administrators and staff take care to
provide for the residents’ emotional and spiritual needs
as well their physical needs.
Mont Marie
Health Care Center is a skilled nursing facility that
provides long-term care as well as short-term
rehabilitation. Services include physical, speech and
occupational therapy, wound care, pain management,
nutritional needs and hospice care. Originally built as
an infirmary for the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Center has
been open to the public since 1995.
Additional
information on the new Five Star Quality Rating system for
nursing homes can be found at
www.medicare.gov

Center
Receives Perfect Score from State
The Mont Marie Health
Care Center has once again passed its annual State
inspection with flying colors. In April, 2008, the Center was found to be
“deficiency free” for the seventh year in a ten year
period.
The Center’s
Administrator, Sister Betsy Sullivan, said of the
deficiency-free rating, “These
results support our efforts to work together so our
residents can live in peace with dignity and respect at
this tender time in their lives. I congratulate our staff
who always go the extra mile in responding to the needs of
our residents.”
Once a year, the
Department of Public Health makes an unannounced visit to
health facilities to assess their compliance with
regulations. The surveyors interview residents and staff
and review clinical records and business, personnel,
dietary and housekeeping departments.
The team of
surveyors also includes a Life Safety representative who
reviews compliance with safety regulations pertaining to
fire sprinklers, generator testing, electrical systems,
oxygen storage, fire drills and other maintenance records.
The
Annual Survey Performance tool was developed in
collaboration with the Division of Health Care Quality and
the Massachusetts Extended Care Federation to help
consumers assess the quality of care in nursing homes for
the past three years.
Over the
period, 2006 - 2008, Mont Marie Health
Care Center has met 131 out of the 132 critical
requirements in various categories. The facility's
score is 131. 96% of all facilities had a score of 131 or
lower. The statewide average facility score is 122.
Details
on this survey can be found at:
http://www.mass.gov/dph/qtool/qthome.htm

Simulated
Sports Game Entertains Residents
Residents
of the Health Care Center can now go bowling, or play
baseball, tennis or golf right in the first floor solarium
– at least virtually! The Activities Department purchased
the popular simulated sports game called Wii for the use
of the residents. The game allows people to “play” the
sport by swinging and controlling a hand-held remote. The
player’s action is then simulated on a large screen TV.
Although it took
a few practice turns at one recent session, some
residents got the hang of the bowling game, even bowling a
few spares! After watching for awhile, one thing became
evident: there were as many laughs as points scored, but
who’s counting?!

Health Care Center Gets
High Rating from Families

Family members have given high marks
to the care that their loved ones are receiving at the
Mont Marie Health Care Center according to a survey
released by the State Department of Public Health.
The Mont Marie Health Care Center in
Holyoke, a not-for-profit skilled nursing facility owned
and operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield,
scored 4.63 in overall satisfaction, well above the
statewide average of 4.19 (on a scale of 1-5.)
The Mont Marie
Health Care Center is the only Medicaid provider in
Western Massachusetts to score in the top 10% of the
survey rankings. When asked if they would recommend
the nursing home to a friend or family member, 97% of the
respondents said “yes.” Commenting on the high
score, Center Administrator Sister Elizabeth Sullivan
said, “Our staff works diligently in providing care with a
strong emphasis on dignity and individuality.”
This is the second time the state has
conducted this survey. The first survey, in 2005, was
voluntary. The Mont Marie Health Care Center received an
equally high rating in that survey as well. 
The survey collected detailed
information about nursing home staff, physical
environment, activities, personal care services, food and
meals and resident’s personal rights. It also asked
respondents to rate overall satisfaction and ability to
meet residents’ needs. Surveys were mailed to more than
34,800 family members of nursing home residents across the
state.

Residents Enjoy New Health Care
Center Van
Trips to the Butterfly House, a
local marina and doctors appointments are possible now
that the Health Care Center has a specially equipped van. The vehicle
allows the Center to transport a combination of
wheelchair-bound and ambulatory passengers. Residents
enjoy foliage rides in the
fall and trips to the ice cream shop in the summer. The van was purchased with donated funds
and profits from the Sisters of St. Joseph Golf Classic. The
residents and staff are very
grateful for the efforts of everyone who helped make the
purchase possible.

For more information contact:
Betsy Sullivan SSJ Administrator
Mont Marie Health Care Center, Inc.
36 Lower Westfield Rd.
Holyoke, MA 01040-2739
Tel: (413)
538-6050
Fax: (413) 533-4505
Email:
bsullivan@ssjspringfield.com
Liz Britton
Director of Social Services/Admissions Coordinator
(413) 536-0853 x 221
Email: lbritton@ssjspringfield.com
^ Top

14th
Annual
SSJ
Golf Classic
August 30, 2010
The 14th Annual Sisters of St.
Joseph Golf Classic will be held at Springfield Country
Club August 30, 2010.
Shotgun Starts: 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM
Luncheon: 11:00
Dinner 7:00 PM
Entry Fee: $150 for morning
starts, $175 for afternoon starts.
Proceeds from
last year's event
were used to help purchase new furniture at the Mont Marie
Health Care Center, a ministry of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield. The Center's administrator,
Sr. Betsy Sullivan, says the Center was able to replace beds,
dressers, over-the-bed tables and some room
chairs with the funds.
Past tournaments have raised money
for a new elevator, sprinkler system, a new entrance, a
handicap van and a new phone system.



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