PROVIDENCE — Laura Dos Santos has been named director of operations of the Diocese of Providence’s newly developed HealthCare Facilities Management Office. In this new role, Dos Santos and her team will provide support, leadership and guidance to diocesan nursing homes and skilled care facilities, ensuring that residents receive the best care while honoring their Catholic mission and values.
Under the leadership of Dos Santos, this new office will continue to strengthen and support both the Saint Antoine Residence, The Villa at Saint Antoine in North Smithfield, as well as St. Clare—Newport, with all three serving the many physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of older adults and their families in Rhode Island.
Msgr. Raymond Bastia, vicar of the diocesan Office of Planning and Financial Services, offered his congratulations to Dos Santos on her new appointment as director the new HealthCare Facilities Management Office.
“Our team is deeply committed to the people we serve, while ensuring our mission and ministry of caring for those we serve is done with the utmost respect and dignity, while improving the services and quality of life of those under our care,” he said.
With extensive experience in various capacities as an innovative healthcare leader, Dos Santos has spent the past 20 years providing solutions for older Americans. She will be responsible for the day-to-day oversight for operations of these diocesan nursing homes and plans to have a strong presence at each facility.
“This way our employees know who we are, our families know who we are, and residents know who we are. We’re not just a name and a title in an office. I feel very strongly that it’s important to make those connections,” explained Dos Santos.
She began her caretaking career as a teenager, working on the weekends in a nursing home while going to school full time.
“I started at 15 and I never left,” she said. “I have worked side-by-side with pretty much every employee that works in a nursing home. I’ve worked in housekeeping, as a nurse’s aide, dietary, and I’ve assisted residents with their activities of daily living.”
Dos Santos describes herself as a hands-on administrator. When she speaks with staff, she speaks from experience with a loving and hardworking approach.
“I was born and raised for a portion of my life in the Azores and I watched my parents care for their grandparents and then watched my grandparents care for their parents. I was always surrounded by elders. It was just a very close knit family. Caring for others has truly always been a passion of mine.”
The new director noted the many challenges nursing homes have faced, especially throughout the pandemic.
“It has been challenging to say the least,” she said. “The healthcare industry has really had many obstacles to make sure that staff and residents continue to be protected. Our staff are truly heroes, in every aspect of the word. I don’t believe we’ve given our staff enough credit for everything that they’ve done in putting themselves and their families at risk every day to make sure that our elders had the care that they needed.”
Dos Santos’ new team consists of Clinical Services Director Kathryn Brown and Finance Director Patrick McAssey, both of whom have extensive knowledge in their area of expertise, she explained. The team is responsible for working closely with the leaders at the facilities for managing daily operations necessary to ensure that the organization achieves its objectives, in addition to supporting the ongoing growth and development of the organization in order to carry out its mission.