The onset of the COVID-19 health crisis challenged healthcare leaders everywhere. Our own Christine Sanders faced those challenges in her newly appointed role as Administrator of United Hebrew’s skilled nursing facility, a role she assumed in March. She navigated her new responsibilities while overseeing day-to-day operations of our nursing home, which found itself at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in New York State.
“There’s no one who could have managed this crisis better for us,” said Rita Mabli, president and CEO of United Hebrew of New Rochelle. “Christine showed great resolve in handling the crisis right here on the frontlines, while managing the needs of multiple stakeholders. She did all that ably amid the uncertainty each day seemed to bring.”
Sanders, who is the youngest Administrator in our 100-year history, has been since 2018 our Vice President, Administration. She began her career at United Hebrew in 2012 as an intern in the Office of the President. Since then, she served in a variety of roles with progressive responsibilities, amassing an outstanding track record in supporting our complex daily operations. She also assisted the president and CEO in the planning and construction phases of United Hebrew’s memory care residence, Willow Gardens, and senior housing complex, Meadow Lane Apartments.
“Taking on this role during the pandemic confirmed for me that I made the right career choice,” Sanders explained. “We had no playbook for this unprecedented crisis. Our team came together and went above and beyond to ensure our residents’ health, safety, and well-being. Caring for our vulnerable population was a huge responsibility, and it was an honor.”
To help steer us through this crisis, Sanders actively accessed multiple information sources at the federal, state, and local level to better lead our response to the crisis. She managed our nursing home’s closure to visitors, even before Governor Cuomo directed all senior care facilities to do so. She also worked with clinical leadership to implement new safety measures and direct our capacity to handle infected patients, and oversaw the development of new communications — including telephone hotlines and video visits — to keep residents and their families informed and connected.
“Christine has a great resilience and is incredibly calm, even when the stakes are high,” said Mabli. “She takes a multi-dimensional view and considers all stakeholders — residents and families, staff, suppliers, vendors, and broader community — when making decisions. I’m confident in her enormous ability. She is wise, flexible, confident, and knowledgeable. She’s already reflecting and developing new best practices to see us through any future crises or challenges that might come our way.”
