Editor’s note: McKnight’s Home Care, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living are profiling the McKnight’s 2022 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 5 through Aug. 11. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.
Colleagues describe Sandra Mundy, the Manhattan administrator of The New Jewish Home in New York, as an “exceptional leader whose efficacy as an administrator is respected by all.”
Mundy’s dedication to upholding the values of the caregiving facility pushed the staff in the most rewarding way. The New Jewish Home’s 500-bed skilled nursing facility took on COVID-19 patients under Mundy because it was consistent with the facility’s mission to serve the community.
The New Jewish Home recognized that New York City hospitals were experiencing challenges discharging many frail COVID-19 patients who required post-acute rehabilitation. Mundy was instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing a solution to close this gap in care for the vulnerable population as these patients were being discharged. She created a separate, specialized COVID-19 unit within the facility as a solution to this problem. Mundy drove the transformation of an entire building to meet New York state requirements, leading by example and quarantining herself with the unit staff.
Under her leadership, the facility was able to deliver life-saving rehabilitation to more than 300 critically ill patients whose complex needs would have otherwise remained unmet.
“There is no one more reliable and outstanding at her job than Sandra Mundy,” said Irene Liu, the communications director at The New Jewish Home.
Known for approaching tasks with attention and detail, Mundy’s “consistency is incredibly valuable from an institutional perspective because it provides stability and certainty of expectations.” This has been key to their facility’s success, Liu added.
Looking at her work from a humanitarian level, Mundy voluntarily involves herself as a part of the interdisciplinary team when there are extremely difficult resident cases. She becomes a key player in resolving these issues. She is hands-on when needed, often intervening with families during trying circumstances.
“It is her remarkable ability to rise above any challenge, as she so notably has done during the ongoing pandemic, that makes her truly a Woman of Distinction and meritorious of this honor,” Liu said.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Home Care, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare. Silver sponsors include OnShift and PharMerica, and the Bronze sponsor is Reliant Rehabilitation. Table sponsors included Dreamscape, Gojo/Purell and Sound Physicians.
