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NEW STAFF AWARD WILL HONOR
GODDARD HOUSE BOARD MEMBER
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Phyllis Vineyard
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Retiring Goddard House Board Vice President, Phyllis
Vineyard, who served Goddard House for over two decades, will
be honored with the establishment of the Phyllis Vineyard Award
for Exemplary Service. The award will be given annually to an
outstanding Goddard House employee in both Jamaica Plain and
Brookline. Employees will be recognized with a
plaque at Goddard House and a financial merit
award.
In Touch interviewed Phyllis about her
work on the board of Goddard House through
the years:
“I am a people person. That has been at the
core of my service to Goddard House. I came to
serve on the Goddard House Board of Trustees in
the late l980’s after my tenure as President of the
Friends of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Back
then, Goddard House residents were all women, often retired
caregivers, most of whom simply needed a safe, supportive home in
their later years, though we were also providing some skilled
nursing care. Residents would hop on the trolley from Jamaica Plain
and go downtown to Filene’s Basement or the Boston Symphony.
One area that has always been important to me is staff
development. We’ve encouraged our staff to improve their skill
levels as well as to be compassionate and caring as we ventured into
new areas in elder care: rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s care, and assisted
living. As a new generation of caregivers from many cultures
emerged in Boston, we have responded to the need for English
language and diversity training. State ECCLI staff-training grants
and our Matilda Goddard Scholarships have given us vehicles to do
this. It’s essential for employees to see that their employer supports
their good work and motivation to learn. Today we are reaping the
rewards of this effort. We are a great, desirable place to work with
incredible directors and staff. Goddard House has evolved into a
Boston area teaching organization for many disciplines in the field
of gerontology. We have liaisons with Boston University, Lesley
University, Simmons College, and Berklee College of Music, to
name a few.
My other area of focus on the board has been as Chair of the
Ethics Committee. We’ve worked diligently at developing a manner
of doing business so that everyone living and working at Goddard
House does so in a safe, dignified environment.
As for the award in my name, I couldn’t be more touched – this
is absolutely the best way to be honored. The award will go to
individuals who achieve excellence working day-in, day-out on the
front lines of eldercare. Everyone employed at Goddard House is a
caregiver – nurses, cooks, housekeepers, and office staff. The kind
of person is what’s important to giving the best care – it takes a
sense of humor and commitment in addition to skill and
compassion. Not everyone has that combination, but this is what
we all strive for at Goddard house. I’ll be very proud to meet the first
recipients of the Phyllis Vineyard Award.
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