Community beyond construction at 899 Charleston Songwriting ...

leading the teamEdwin Cabigao is a very busy man. As theJewish Home’s new chief nursing executive,he is managing the strategic, operational,clinical, regulatory, and financialperformances of the Home’s nursing service.Edwin came to the Jewish Home from Kindred Healthcare wherehe was district director of clinical operations. This involved lookingfor opportunities for clinical and operational improvement in nineskilled nursing facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was aposition, he says, that was more like a consultant than a memberof the nursing staff.“I missed having a family,” Edwin explains his decision to return toa single-setting position. “In a nursing facility, you have familiarity,continuity, and a sense of being part of a large family. You get toknow the staff professionally as well as personally. And I get to seemy residents every day.”Among the changes is a daily meeting of the11 unit managers and three assistant nursingdirectors, where situations are reported andsolutions and interventions discussed. Structuredclasses have also been introduced – Friday morningtrainings where staff members have an opportunityto expand their knowledge of both medicalcare-giving and Jewish Home systems and policies.“The staff is extremely motivated to augment theirknowledge and skills. They’re passionate aboutquality assurance,” Edwin says.Keeping the staff happy and engaged is a keyto staff retention and ultimately to providing andachieving quality service, Edwin believes. “It’s aboutachieving a balance between providing the higheststandards of care and making sure the staff ishappy. We want to give our nurses an opportunityto have their voices heard. In doing so, all of us arediscovering our own potential.”Edwin began his San Francisco nursing career at VictorianHealthcare, first as a charge nurse and then as assistant directorof nursing. He next accepted a position as director of nursingat Golden Gate Healthcare Center, which, under his leadership,achieved state recognition for exemplary standards.He is currently working on his doctorate in healthcareadministration at Touro University International, where he isfocusing on nursing retention. He earned his master’s degree fromSan Francisco State University in gerontology/long-term careadministration and graduated from SFSU magna cum laude witha Bachelor of Science in Nursing.15