February 29th Leap Year Day
Dear Families and Staff,
I’m sorry it has been since before the Holidays that I wrote to you. I got that bad flu on Christmas Eve and ended up in bed for Christmas night and the following days. While suffering from this, I became dehydrated and fell one night. After being taken to the emergency room, they found two broken ribs. That sidelined me for all of January and most of February. I am back at full steam now, so I thought I would catch up.
As always, I am very sorry for the residents who have passed since I last wrote to you – Lindsey DiOrio, Mary Blake and Nicky Panice from McAuley and Marybeth Omastiak from Quinlan. Thanks to all of the staff who so carefully and patiently cared for these folks on their final journey to God. Let me express my sympathy to families and staff who are affected by these losses.
Click on the Campus Connections drop-down item under the Misericordia Info menu item (in toolbar above) to read the February 2024 Campus Connections Newsletter and to catch up on past newsletters you may have missed.
Please join us for our first 2024 Candy Days Meeting. Wednesday, March 13th in the Lois Gates Courtyard Inn. 5:30 dinner, 6:00 meeting begins. Please RSVP by Monday, March 11th to Dorie Finnegan
Candy Days will be held on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th. We're back in the community, and we need you! Collecting will NOT BE IN THE STREET, but we will have insurance and permits to collect at storefronts, train stations, etc.
by Barb Quaintance
It’s a group no one wants to become a member of. But it’s a group that is a very important part of the Misericordia community–and is very meaningful to its members. The Misericordia Alumni Families (MAF) is a group of parents, guardians and siblings whose Misericordia loved one has passed away. (You’ll see them listed in the Misericordia directory with a heart next to their names.) Formed in 2014 by four families–the Tesmers (who lost Julie), the Scouffas’ (who lost Mary), the Hoynes (who lost Jeff) and the Gibbs (who lost Bryan)–the goals of the MAF are:
Sister Rosemary was the one who first suggested the term ‘alumni’ for the group, since she calls the residents who pass ‘graduates’ of Misericordia. The name resonated with the founders and the Misericordia Alumni Families was born.
Starting this month, Misericordia will continue to recognize the hard work and dedication of the Staff with appreciation events. The following departments will be recognized with an appreciation luncheon on Thursday, February 22nd.
Therapists consist of physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech language pathologists (SLPs), a certified occupational therapist assistant (COTA) and a physical therapy assistant (PTA).
Nurse Practitioners are licensed providers who manage the acute medical needs of the residents and ensure annual health exams and screenings are performed for optimal quality care and clinical safety.
Our Physicians guide care and support the medical and psychological needs of the residents. Thank you to Dr. Brenda Sikorski, Dr. Max Pitlosh and our many independent specialty physicians.
Dental Clinic which provides dental services to residents on campus. Thank you to Dr. Ashley Kauffman and Dr. Daniel Bicknell.
Dietitians are licensed professionals who are trained in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to help people lead healthy lives.
Respiratory Aides who maintains the medical equipment of the McAuley residents.
The Campus Connections Employee Monthly Review Newsletter will follow a new format and schedule. It will now be distributed at the end of the month to provide staff with sufficient time to learn about and seek clarification on important organizational news. This also helps Campus Connections capture weekly events and stories about our staff and residents, as requested by readers. So please look for us in Mis Biz, following the last Wednesday of the month. And as always, thank you for reading!
Click on the Campus Connections drop-down item under the Misericordia Info menu item to read the January 2024 Campus Connections Newsletter and to catch up on past newsletters you may have missed.
by Kathryn Moery
Misericordia residents enjoy a proximity to nursing care that is hard to beat. Each residential community is assigned a nursing care staff. Many residential areas on the campus require nurses to administer medications, e.g. McAuley, McGowan, Marian Center, etc., and have dedicated nursing staff assigned to each location on each shift. The residences that do not require staff nurses, e.g. the Village, Mercy Glen, Shannon and the Community Homes (CILAs), have primary nurses assigned to each unit, who train the direct care staff members to administer the medications.
Sponsorships are the major source of fundraising for the Benefit! Sponsorship/Benefit Book forms are available...do it now!
Become a Benefit Book Sponsor by donating $5,000 or more. Click HERE to learn more about becoming a Sponsor.
Become a Benefit Book Contributor by donating less than $5,000. Here's how! Complete the online Benefit Book form (click HERE).
Or you can print the paper form (click HERE) and mail with payment to Misericordia.
And, please help us identify businesses and individuals who could be major Benefit donors. Contact the Sponsorship Committee: Rick & Connie Nash at
Robert Noga – aka Bob, Mr. Noga or NOGA! is retiring after 50 years as Food Service Manager of Misericordia
In 1969, upon his return from his tour of duty in Vietnam in the US Army (thank you for your service!), Mr. Noga took a position at Angel Guardian Orphanage (AGO) under the direction of Fr. Niemeyer, Administrator of AGO as Food Service Manager and Purchasing. Five years later, he joined Sr. Rosemary Connelly at Misericordia South as Food Service Manager and the rest is history.
As Director of Food Service, Bob’s main role was being responsible for assuring quality meals for the Misericordia residents every day of the year. He was always available and eager for our residents to enjoy life to its fullest.
Dear Families/Guardians/Friends,
I share the message below from the They Deserve More coalition and hope everyone will take action by taking the time to write to share how important DSPs (Direct Service Providers) are to your family member. It might be the easiest letter you are ever asked to write as we all know how important they are here at Misericordia.
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