Meet Mary Gessay
Meet The CALTCM Board of Directors:  
Mary Gessay, MSRD, MBA, CPHQ, ORSCC
CALTCM BOD Member
 

Mary Gessay is a former federal surveyor (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) in nursing homes and hospitals and Captain, retired, US Public Health Service.  Mary combines 11 years of experience with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, quality improvement expertise and coaching to help individuals, care teams and facilities meet performance goals while building strong culture to sustain success.  

CALTCM Interview with Ms. Gessay:

CALTCM:  Please give us a brief background of your training, practice setting and years in practice.

Ms. Gessay: I am a former federal surveyor (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) in nursing homes and hospitals and Captain, retired, US Public Health Service.  Served 11 years with CMS and 10 years as a clinical dietitian in a referral Indian Health Services Hospital.  I am currently the owner/operator of Heart First Healthcare Coaching serving nursing home teams and management with certified coaching combined with compliance and quality improvement.

CALTCM:  What are you passionate about in long term care?  How are you pursuing your passion?

Ms. Gessay: Staff serving in nursing homes need and deserve meaningful support to build connection and community in their teams and throughout the home.  I believe this is the only way to assure that residents and patients will receive the best, heart first care possible.  This is what my business is and will always be about.  I bring certified coaching into creating change and addressing quality improvement in nursing homes because it creates ownership and allows staff to be heard, understood and embraced for their diversity and for their contributions.  It’s time to move deeper into community in nursing homes. 

CALTCM:  What advice would you give to a new graduate contemplating a career in long term care?

Ms. Gessay: Follow your heart and passions and assume that what you see now in nursing homes is not the future.  Innovative, creative and committed people are needed to see and build the way forward.  The opportunities are endless if you can see them.

CALTCM:  How has CALTCM impacted your practice?

Ms. Gessay: As a non-physician, I have been blessed and enlightened to meet so many physicians on the Board of Directors that not only have insight and experience to move nursing homes forward, but tremendous commitment and passion as well.  I am proud to be part of CALTCM, the leader in California post acute care improvement.