PALTC23 Conference Recordings FR22 Passion for Success: Innovative Careforce Recruitment and Retention Strategies in Long-Term Care

Passion for Success: Innovative Careforce Recruitment and Retention Strategies in Long-Term Care

In light of the current staffing challenges, this session will review current statistics of the long-term care staffing crisis, evidenced by survey results from the American Health Care Association and US Department of Labor reports. Attendees will hear from a panel including: Chief Medical Officer, Director of Talent and Acquisition and Director of Student Success Program from a top skilled nursing company. Topics will include: effects of the COVID pandemic on the long-term careforce, an innovative student success program including strategies and approaches for recruitment and retention, innovative plans to attract new careforce interest in the long-term care setting and pathways for career advancement.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this session, learners will be able to:

  • Summarize current statistics of careforce shortages in PALTC.
  • Identify the effects of the COVID pandemic on the careforce in PALTC.
  • Recognize innovative opportunities for recruitment and retention.
  • Develop and implement plans for future careforce growth.

Sarah Whitesel, RRT

Sarah Whitesel, RRT, is the Director of Respiratory Programs for Saber Healthcare Group. She is the founder and Director of Saber's Student Success Program. Sarah has been a respiratory therapist in the long-term care setting for 22 years. She serves on the advisory boards for Tri-C and Bryant and Stratton Colleges. Sarah also serves on the Ohio Respiratory Care Board- Managers and Educators Workforce Team.

Nancy Istenes, DO, CMD, FACP

Nancy Istenes, DO, CMD, FACP, is the Chief Medical Officer for Saber Healthcare Group which operates 120 skilled long-term care facilities in seven Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. She is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine and holds added qualifications in Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. Dr. Istenes previously practiced for 15 years and specialized in developing innovative models of care delivery for complex medical patients. She is a Certified Medical Director and serves as the Workforce Development Chair for The Society for PALTC Medicine and is President of the Ohio Medical Directors Association.

Nancy Pehanic, LNHA

Nancy Pehanic, LNHA, is currently the Director of Talent Acquisition with Saber Healthcare Group. She has been in Long Term Care for over 30 years serving in several roles including Operations, Marketing, Human Resources, Nursing Home Administrator as well as Divisional Director of Operations.

  • 1.0 CME
  • 1.0 CMD Management
  • 1.0 MOC

Release Date: 03/29/2023   |   Expiration: 03/01/2026

Credit Statements:

Accreditation: Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

CME Designation: Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CMD Credit Hours: This CME activity has been pre-approved by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM) for up to 1.0 management hour(s) toward certification or recertification as a Certified Medical Director (CMD) in post-acute and long-term care medicine. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit actually spent on the activity.

The CMD Program is administered by the ABPLM. For further information, contact ABPLM at 410-992-3117 or at cmd@paltmed.org.

ABIM Maintenance of Certification (MOC): Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.0 Medical Knowledge MOC points and patient safety credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.

Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Financial Disclosure Statement:

The Association requires the disclosure of all speaker/faculty/planner’s relevant financial relationships; presence of off-label use of a device or medication; and discussion of any experimental, new or evolving topic prior to each accredited education activity.

If the learner perceives any bias toward a commercial product or service, advocation of unscientific approaches to diagnosis or therapy, or recommendation, treatment, or manners of practicing healthcare that are determined to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients please report this to the Association's staff.


The following speaker(s) disclosed relevant financial relationship(s): 

  • Julie Gammack, MD, CMD (Planner & Speaker): Stockholder: Amarin
  • Kenya Rivas Velasquez, MD, CMD, FAAFP (Planner & Speaker): OptumRx: Stockholder
  • All other planners, speakers, and AMDA staff have no relationships with ineligible companies.

All relevant financial relationships have been identified and mitigated.

Components visible upon registration.