Mount Alverno housekeeper advances, earns nursing certification

Warwick — Four years ago Denise Gannon took a job working on the housekeeping staff at Mount Alverno Center in Warwick. Today she is still working for the center, but she is now a Graduate Practical Nurse. “We think it’s wonderful to see our employees grow with us,” said Mount Alverno Administrator Lisa Fedorka. “And we encourage everyone to take advantage of the educational and advancement opportunities available.” Gannon had only been at Mount Alverno for four months when she decided to take advantage of those opportunities. “I loved our residents,” she said, “and I decided I could do more for them. I took a course to become a Personal Care Aide. At first I felt guilty about leaving my department but everyone encouraged me to move forward.” Shortly afterwards, Gannon took advantage of the tuition reimbursement program available to employees of the Bon Secours Charity Health System. And on June 28, she completed a two-year program at Orange - Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services leading to a certification as a Graduate Practical Nurse. During the two-year program, Gannon had an opportunity to learn and practice the skills associated with nursing care. She also continued to work at her regular job, attending classes, completing lengthy homework assignments and being a mom to her family: husband Josh and daughters Stephenie, 17 and Haleigh, 3. “It was a crazy schedule,” she said, “but well worth every minute. Everyone at Mount Alverno gave me all the emotional support I needed.” Gannon will soon take her New York State Boards examination to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. In the meantime, she will work at Mount Alverno Center as a Graduate Practical Nurse under the supervision of Resident Nursing Care Coordinator Deborah Granata, RN, BSN. By coincidence, Granata was also Gannon’s instructor at BOCES. She had been teaching nursing for the past nine years when she recently accepted the supervisory position at Mount Alverno Center. “We’re proud of the high percentage of employees who work hard to advance within our organization,” said Leah Cerkvenik, executive vice president/administrator of the Warwick Healthcare Campus. “It is our stated goal to liberate the potential of everyone on our staff. We encourage employees to take advantage of the educational opportunities we offer to improve their skills and to grow with us in providing the best possible quality healthcare for our community.” Mount Alverno Center, a member of Bon Secours Charity Health System, is a New York State approved Adult Home with an Assisted Living Program.