Village Concepts, a third-generation family-owned business helping seniors thrive in retirement and assisted living communities throughout Washington state, is proud to announce the Washington Health Care Association (WHCA) has awarded Michelle Strazis, executive director of Village Concepts of Issaquah, Spiritwood at Pine Lake, the Quality Award for Assisted Living Administrator of the Year.
The award will be presented at the 2017 WHCA Annual Convention and Expo held from May 22, 2017 to May 27, 2017.
“Michelle is an outstanding Village Concepts staff members and we could not be more proud of her for earning such a notable award from the Washington Health Care Association,” said Stuart Brown, Chief Operating Officer of Village Concepts. “Michelle truly demonstrates our commitment to diligent care and creating invaluable relationships with our residents and we are thrilled about the recognition of her passionate care.”
As an administrator who prefers visiting with residents or talking to staff rather than staying behind a desk, Strazis is known for her availability, approachability and hands-on leadership. Her innovative ideas have created unique services within the assisted living community that keep residents engaged. On a given day, she might be chatting with residents while pouring drinks at “Winey Wednesdays,” organizing regular volunteering trips for Spiritwood or hosting political forums, including a resident women-only debate party during the latest election and an afternoon with U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert.
Strazis has been executive director of Spiritwood within Village Concepts since 2011, where she has led a team of more than 60 employees to maintain outstanding service standards in day-to-day operations, including resident care, dining, resident activities, marketing administration, housekeeping and maintenance. The Washington Health Care Association honored Strazis for her hard work and dedication to The Cottages at Spiritwood and her approachability to support residents.
Village Concepts is committed to improving the senior living environment at all 17 of its communities throughout the Puget Sound, Olympic Peninsula and Central Washington. Earlier this year, the entire staff at Village Concepts’ Channel Point Village in Hoquiam was voted Best Assisted Living of Twin Harbors by the readers of The Daily World. The dedicated company and its communities are at the forefront of the industry with programs and facilities to offer the best care, including on-site physical and occupational therapists, individualized care programs designed for each resident, and certified and licensed staff on-site 24 hours a day.