Gavinski named Biz Times Health Care Hero for executive leadership
BROOKFIELD, WIS. (December 21, 2017) – The Health Care Heroes awards, presented annually by BizTimes Milwaukee, honor the accomplishments of people and organizations making a positive impact on health in the area. This year, Dr. Mary Gavinski of Community Care, Inc. was chosen for the Executive Leadership Award.
Dr. Gaviski has been instrumental in shaping and championing the care of the region’s elderly for more than 30 years. She is an internist and geriatrician and was the driving force behind the development of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Milwaukee. Gavinski currently serves as chief medical officer for Community Care Inc., an integrated primary, acute and long-term provider.
Pace is considered one of the national gold standards for care for the elderly. It helps frail and disabled individuals ages 55 and older live as independently as possible for as long as possible within the community. The Community Care Pace Program is the only PACE plan in Wisconsin and has been in operation for more than 25 years. Community Care PACE currently serves more than 700 members in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. In 2018, it will also begin serving Racine County.
Gavinski has provided technical assistance for integrated and long-term care models across the country and is actively involved in state and national initiatives to promote community-based care and integrated health care models.
She is an active member of the American Geriatrics Society, the American Medical Directors Association and the National PACE Association. Gavinski earned her undergraduate degree at UW-Milwaukee and her medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The 2017 Health Care Heroes were chosen by a panel of judges, including Heidi Mayer, executive director of the Lutheran Home Foundation; Phyllis King, associate vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Karen Ordinans, executive director of the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin and BizTimes staff. The winners were featured in the BizTimes’ Dec. 18, 2017 issue.
About Community Care
Headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., Community Care, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization that serves the long-term care and health needs of more than 11,000 older adults and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1977, Community Care is the only Wisconsin managed care organization to offer all three programs of Family Care, Family Care Partnership and Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The organization provides care in the 14 eastern Wisconsin counties of Calumet, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca and Winnebago. For more information about Community Care, visit www.communitycareinc.org.
