Bob Meiss Wins Statewide Long Term Care Award

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ALBANY, NY (06/05/2009)(readMedia)-- The Lawrence E. Larson Memorial Award of Honor is NYAHSA's highest tribute, given to long term care administrators who have made outstanding contributions to the care of and services to the elderly in New York state.

The 2009 winner of the Larson Award is Robert R. Meiss, whose community-based vision and servant leadership has guided Beechwood Continuing Care through an extraordinary journey of organizational culture change and growth, from a simple nursing home to a leading comprehensive continuum of care.

Under Bob's gentle leadership, Beechwood added a short-term sub-acute rehab center and an independent retirement community, while Beechwood's physical facilities underwent a multi-million dollar transformation from an institutional setting to a household model. To make that happen, Beechwood raised more than $4.3 million for its capital campaign alone.

Bob's unwavering moral beliefs guide his staff and help them think outside traditional institutional ideologies. His "do the right thing" attitude and leadership style have helped his staff recognize and meet their residents' core needs as people, not just as patients, bringing to life his vision of Beechwood as Western New York's first person-centered care facility. Bob founded the Western New York Alliance for Person Centered Care and developed a national model that brings together proprietary and not-for-profit providers, regulators and educators to drive culture change in the region.

His constructive vision and leadership encompass not just Beechwood or Western New York, but the state as a whole, evidenced by his influence on legislation protecting the interests of older adults. One of his many supporters for this award said that when discussing an issue with a state legislator, "you want Bob Meiss in the room because it immediately lends credibility and integrity to the issue."

Bob has been an integral part of the Western New York Association of Homes & Services for the Aging, NYAHSA, AAHSA, the Network in Aging of Western New York, Buffalo and Erie County United Way, Kaleida Health Systems and Legal Services for the Elderly and has served as a clinical assistant professor of social and preventive medicine at SUNY-Buffalo as well as several of his church's building and inner-city projects.

Robert R. Meiss' distinguished record, professional vision and outstanding moral character have earned him the Lawrence E. Larson Memorial Award of Honor.

Founded in 1961, the New York Association of Homes & Services for the Aging (NYAHSA) represents nearly 600 not-for-profit and public continuing care providers, including nursing homes, senior housing, adult care facilities, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living and community service providers.