Bret Pomeroy only has to walk through the lobby of Warde Rehabilitation and Nursing Center to know he is in the right place as its newest administrator.

Hanging on the walls are plaques citing the Windham facility’s history of deficiency-free findings by the NH Department of Health and Human Services.

“I am extremely proud to be in this facility and to work for Catholic Charities. It has such as fantastic reputation. You can’t hear enough from the families about how they appreciate the care they get here,” Pomeroy adds. Shortly after he took over as administrator last year, Warde earned another deficiency-free rating for 2016.

It affirmed Pomeroy’s first impression that Warde – like six other centers owned and operated by Catholic Charities New Hampshire – puts residents first and foremost.

“The biggest difference here is the focus on the residents,” says Pomeroy, who came to Warde from a facility owned by a for-profit company.

Catholic Charities faces similar occupancy and financial pressures as for-profit nursing centers, Pomeroy notes. “But those things never supersede what is best for the residents and that allows us to put a different focus on where we spend our energy,” he explains.

The success of this resident-centered focus is reflected in high ratings given six Catholic Charities’ nursing centers by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The ratings are available on the Nursing Home Compare website.

Four facilities earned the top, five-star rating. They are: Mt. Carmel in Manchester; St. Vincent de Paul in Berlin; St. Joseph Residence in Manchester; and Warde.

Two others – Good Shepherd in Jaffrey and St. Francis in Laconia – achieved four-star ratings.

“Our focus is providing high-quality care and quality of life for both long-term care residents and short-term patients,” explains Mike Lehrman, vice-president of Catholic Charities Healthcare Services.

“Part of our success is a result of attracting leaders and caregivers who share our focus on quality and providing healing for mind, body and spirit. People find that being part of a Catholic health care provider really does make a difference in priorities,” Lehrman adds.

Joe Bohunicky, administrator of Mt. Carmel Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Manchester, agrees. “It really is resident-focused and that’s what differentiates Catholic Charities from for-profit facilities,” he says.

That attitude is reflected in the extensive renovations that transformed the building’s institutional style that was common among mid-20th century facilities into one that is more like home, Bohunicky adds.

“We wanted to turn an old-style building built 60 years ago into something more modern and more home-like for the residents. It was all resident-focused,” Bohunicky says. The renovations, completed in 2013, resulted in 96 private rooms out of a total 120 units.

Chrystal McCaffrey has been an administrator at two Catholic Charities’ facilities: St. Ann in Dover and, currently, St. Teresa in Manchester. While the dynamic of each building is different, she says there is a common theme.

“The mission is the same,” McCaffrey says. “We all really want to make sure we are delivering quality of care. And that is across all departments.”

McCaffrey recently received a thank-you note from a resident for the kindness shown by long-time employee, Diane Bossy. Bossy, who works in medical records, has been at St. Teresa for 43 years and goes out of her way to know the residents.

Bossy recently helped make Valentine’s Day special for one couple. The husband is a resident of the nursing facility, while his wife lives in the adjoining Independent Living apartment, known as Bishop Primeau Senior Living Community. The man was unable to get his wife anything for Valentine’s Day. Bossy surprised him by getting him a card and long-stemmed rose to give to his wife.

“It made his wife tear up,” McCaffrey says. “That’s what is so wonderful about working here. You get to do what you set out to do when you chose this profession; you get to be involved.”

Robin Fortin, the new administrator at St. Ann, has been an administrator for 14 years. She says she turned down positions at for-profit organizations to work for Catholic Charities.

“You feel part of this big family,” Fortin explains. “It all starts with your orientation, and it’s a philosophy we bring to the nursing home. We do what we do because we care about people.”

Visit cc-nh.org/healthcare to learn more about Catholic Charities’ rehabilitation and nursing centers.