Laurel Hill Hires New Administrator

WINSTED — Lisa Valenta, the new administrator at Laurel Hill Healthcare Center, has served in the area of nursing and health for more than 20 years, yet has somehow avoided working in any hospitals or doctors’ offices.

That’s because Valenta, a 1985 graduate of Quinnipiac University’s healthcare administration program, has spent the bulk of her career in nursing homes like Laurel Hill.

"This is pretty much the only setting I’ve ever worked in," she said.

Valenta, who also earned her master’s degree in healthcare administration from Quinnipiac, has held several similar positions with Connecticut nursing facilities prior to joining Laurel Hill this month.

Past jobs include working as an administrator for Bloomfield Manor (just outside Hartford) and the Waterbury Nursing Center, and as admissions director for Rose Haven in Litchfield and, most recently, Cherry Brook Healthcare in Canton.

"It’s quite rewarding, you get to know the residents and their families," she said of working in an assisted-living facility.

Since starting her new job Jan. 15, Valenta has been busy doing just that — getting to know Laurel Hill’s staff and its 75 residents.

Of those, the majority are long-term residents requiring 24-hour care, but Valenta said about 25 percent of Laurel Hill’s residents come in for short-term rehabilitation. Most of the center’s residents come from Winsted.

"We really cater to the local people, because we’re the only nursing home in town," she said.

Valenta got her feet wet in the health-care profession at an early age: she was certified as a nursing assistant at the age of 16, and earned her license as a nursing home administrator by the time she completed her undergraduate course work at Quinnipiac.

"I’m a real people person: I like to walk around, talk to the staff and the residents," said Valenta.

So what’s the worst part of her job?

"I don’t like paperwork," she said.

Valenta, whose daughter, Jessica, 13, is a seventh-grader at St. Anthony School, has lived in Winsted for four years. She said she has been able to acclimate herself with the town in that time, and is surprised by how friendly everyone is. She added that because most of the center’s residents are from Winsted, everyone "seems to know each other already."

"My hope is to continue serving the Winsted community," Valenta said. "We have really good service, really good staff, and I’m hoping to maintain that. There’s always room to improve the facility. I want to always make sure we give good care and are available to those who need it."