Adviser LeadingAge New York Summer 2015 July 2015 | Page 6

Spotlight
Welcome Mary Costigan!
Meet Mary Costigan, administrator of Michaud Residential
Services and newly elected member of the LeadingAge New York
Board of Directors.
What do you think is the most significant threat to missiondriven long term care services and supports?
Having access to a qualified workforce and cuts to funding for providers in rural settings
are serious issues. Also, as the level of change in healthcare in general accelerates,
provider organizations are at risk if they are not able to adapt to change without losing
their mission in their respective communities.
Conversely, what opportunities are presented?
Initiatives like DSRIP, under Medicaid redesign, and the emergence of Independent
Provider Associations (IPA’s) will provide an opportunity for collaboration among
community providers in ways that have not been considered previously. These
collaborations among community providers, who in some cases are also competitors,
may help providers identify new programs or service delivery models that will help
ensure continued viability in a changing regulatory and reimbursement environment.
How did you end up in the field of long term care?
I happened to take a gerontology course at SUNY Cortland in my undergraduate
studies; it was from the Introduction to Gerontology course that I decided the path for
my career, working with the older population. From there, I participated in the first
ever Upstate NY Student Symposium for LTC and received my Bachelor of Arts with
a concentration in Gerontology. I then decided advocacy was my mission and went to
Syracuse University for my Masters in Social Work where I again received a certificate of
concentration in Gerontology.
How did your earlier work experience, education and training
lend itself to this career path?
Before preparing for my Master’s studies, I worked in a nursing home in Albany in
the recreation department. I then was accepted to Syracuse University for the MSW
program. As soon as I graduated I applied for a Social Work Director position in a small
Nursing Home in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC. While working there, the owner of the
company felt I was Nursing Home Administrator material. I performed my AIT at that
facility and was licensed as a NHA when I was in my mid-20s. After my first daughter
was born, I decided to step out of Skilled Nursing Home and worked in a small Hospice
in a suburb of South Carolina. When I moved back to New York, I knew my passion was
working in a nursing home and being a voice for one of the most vulnerable populations.
What prompted you to apply to the LeadingAge New York Board
of Directors?
I truly want to make a difference and be a voice for long term care providers. St. Luke
CEO Terry Gorman has been active in Leading Age NY for many years and under
his direction, I have come to better understand and appreciate the challenges and
opportunities we all face today. As the saying goes,” I want to be part of the solution,
not the problem,” and I think younger professionals such as myself have a perspective
worth considering.
(See Welcome Mary Costigan on page 6)

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Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Summer 2015