Get to Know Kae Santos, Regional President at CJL in Chelsea

Dear Residents and Families,

It is my great honor to write to you in my new role as the Regional President, Chelsea at Chelsea Jewish Lifecare (CJL). In this role, I will oversee the campus and services provided by Katzman Family Center for Living, Leonard Florence Center for Living, Cohen Florence Levine Estates and Florence & Chafetz Specialized Care, and Chelsea Jewish VNA and Hospice. I am truly excited to have the opportunity to lead our incredible staff in providing the best quality and most compassionate care and services to our residents and families every day.

Throughout my life, I have been drawn to improving the care of others. Since graduating from Harvard, I have spent my entire 20-year career in healthcare helping organizations strive for excellence by building a culture in which patients, families, and staff are able to work together to make improvements. Prior to Chelsea Jewish, I worked at Brigham and Women’s (BWH) and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner (BWFH) Hospitals where I led several groups dedicated to improving the patient and family experience and quality, safety, and efficiency of care. In 2019, I earned my MBA from MIT Sloan which I pursued to learn from leaders in other industries about ideas that can transform healthcare. I also currently hold several teaching positions at Harvard Medical School and serve as Program Director in both the master and certificate programs in quality, safety and leadership. These programs allow me to continue to teach and learn from healthcare leaders across the globe.

Three years ago, I joined this amazing organization as the Vice President of Strategy and Operational Excellence at Legacy Lifecare. I was drawn by the leadership’s complete focus on mission and values and the strong commitment and dedication of all staff to each other and the residents in their care. While I knew that moving to senior care would be a new challenge, I did not imagine the daunting crisis that COVID would present us. My work quickly focused on supporting our caregivers and frontline staff in managing the needs of our residents. When we were forced to abruptly close our physical doors to our families, I led the efforts to implement new capabilities for virtual communication and online scheduling to allow our staff to help residents connect with their families. I was also proud of our work with DPH and other local and state officials to respond to new guidelines, such as organizing vaccine clinics for staff and residents and operationalizing our surveillance testing protocols to keep everyone safe.

As Regional President, I will work with each Executive Director to support our staff and place the resident at the center of everything we do. I want to continue the legacy of innovative and compassionate care at CJL and emphasize the critical role that families play in the well-being of our residents. Just as I draw strength and support from my husband, Abraham, and my three sons, Benjamin, Matthew, and Jonathan, I know that seeing our loved ones’ faces and hearing their stories can make the busiest and challenging of days better. I also know that all of us never hesitate to advocate for the best care for our family members, and I want to ensure your voices continue to be heard.

I am so excited to connect with you and to hear about your and your loved ones’ experiences. I plan to do routine walk rounds to check in with residents and introduce myself to families. Listening to your feedback is an essential component of how we continue to strive for excellence. With your support, I look forward to partnering with the Executive Directors and their teams to make our Chelsea campuses the best places to live and receive care.

All the best,
Katherine (Kae) Santos, MBA