Pat Giorgio wins 2016 NCAL pioneer award

The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) has named Patricia (Pat) Giorgio, the president of Evergreen Estates, the 2016 recipient of the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award.

In her 23 years as owner of Evergreen Estates, a three-location senior living company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Giorgio doubled its employees and championed quality improvements at all levels. She has served in a number of leadership roles, including as board chair of NCAL and as the assisted living representative on the board of governors at the American Health Care Association (AHCA).

“She is one of the rare professionals able to balance the business and human side of this profession with compassion and grace,” said Cindy Baddeloo, chief operating officer for the Iowa Health Care Association, who nominated Giorgio for the award. “Her efforts to educate, inform, promote quality care, and professional growth have made—and continue to make—an immeasurable difference.”

The Jan Thayer Award, created in 2015 and named for NCAL’s first board chair, lauds those who push the assisted living profession forward and demonstrate strong leadership and dedication in a changing world. Giorgio will be honored at the 67th Annual AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee next month.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.