leadingage
new york
TOGETHER
LeadingAge NY Staff Mobilize Amid
COVID-19 Pandemic
In mid-March, as the COVID-19 pandemic began its grip on New York, LeadingAge NY staff
were suddenly sent home to work remotely as per an Executive Order from Governor Cuomo.
Knowing things were moving fast on this front, the IT team mobilized to ensure that each staff
person had the appropriate resources and remote access to continue our work from home.
Without skipping a beat, our new world of Zoom and Microsoft Teams was underway. The
Advocacy and Public Policy staff met each morning on Teams to discuss the continual influx
of Executive Orders and directives that overwhelmed members and immediately established
a weekly member update webinar to provide analysis of the documents, answer questions and
offer support.
In response to the fast-moving crisis, LeadingAge NY staff quickly coordinated free Zoom
webinars that provided members with information and data to assist them as they battled the
virus and heroically worked to keep residents safe and happy in the new world of isolation
from peers and families. Additional webinars were developed to help members understand
their obligations under new and evolving federal and state paid sick leave laws, as well as the
interplay of those laws. As needs arose during the chaos, LeadingAge NY staff were positioned
to support members by finding answers or seeking out experts who could help find the answers.
Unfortunately, at times there were no answers to be found.
By late spring, the LeadingAge NY Education Workgroup had developed a plan to move all
in-person conferences for the remainder of 2020 to a virtual setting, bringing members the
enriching and relevant programming and continuing education credits they seek in a safe,
low-cost environment. Nothing will replace the in-person experience, however, and our hope is
to be back in Saratoga Springs someday soon.
As the virus numbers began to decline and discussions about reopening began to pick up,
LeadingAge NY staff began to formulate a plan to phase employees back to work in the office.
The office was re-engineered to comply with social distancing requirements, cleaning and
sanitation logs were put in place, personal protective equipment was procured and electronic
screening questionnaires were created for staff to fill out each day prior to reporting to work.
This is the new normal.
LeadingAge NY is very proud of our team and the way they wholeheartedly dedicated
themselves to helping members navigate the unprecedented waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let us hope that many lessons were learned and that all of us are better prepared to face this type
of public health crisis in the future.
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