Strategy for Success

Jan 22, 2025

Donnamarie Lynch, MBA, MHA, PhD, is the new President and CEO of Broadway House. Read more about her plans to strengthen community partnerships, recruit and retain staff, build our brand, and continue bringing great care to our residents.

How did you prepare for your new role?

I went to school for business—earning an MBA and a PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership—so I purposely followed an educational and career path to someday lead an organization. Here at Broadway House my predecessor, Jim Gonzalez, MPH, FACHE, LNHA, also took me to different meetings, events, and conferences. When Jim told me he wanted me to step into this position upon his retirement, it was confirmation of everything I have worked toward. His words to me were, “You’re going to be fine.”

What are your immediate priorities?

I’ve outlined four priorities: First, CMS guidelines around the staffing mandate are unrealistic in the current healthcare environment. I want to work with decision makers, policymakers, and healthcare leaders to support any initiatives to move toward a more realistic standpoint for staffing. Second, staff development is very important; I want to support the growth of young healthcare professionals into future decision makers.

Third, I plan to strengthen current relationships and partnerships within the community and create new ones. And finally, building greater brand awareness and raising our profile is key to extending the world-class care Broadway House provides to even more people.

Please share your long-term strategic vision.

For the long term, I want Broadway House to be the subject matter expert, not only in HIV/AIDS, but also for high complex acuity cases. The type of care we provide is a true holistic approach to individuals. The exceptional health outcomes we achieve are because of that approach. Here at Broadway House we have experts in each discipline, which leads to extraordinary results.

What are the challenges?

The biggest two challenges are staffing and compliance. We want the most qualified staff, but the healthcare job market is very competitive. How can we attract good talent when some competing healthcare facilities pay more? While money is important, it isn’t everything. At Broadway House, we need to be creative about how we attract and retain quality talent. We accomplish this by offering flexibility and benefits, while maintaining a higher resident-to-staff ratio. The demographics of Broadway House residents—who may have experienced substance abuse, homelessness, mental health issues, and social isolation— complicates the care prescribed to the residents we serve. We must accomplish all of this while complying with regulatory guidelines.

What’s your message for the Broadway House community?

Broadway House is a wonderful organization that provides extraordinary, lifesaving care. My door is always open to every member of our community.

To our staff: Own your role here. Own your value and the benefit we gain by having you here. Know the impact you have every day on our residents. Know that you are valued. Take ownership in the successful health outcomes our residents experience. You are the subject matter experts in your respective fields, so my door is always open to help support you and to provide constructive feedback.

To Broadway House residents and their families: Thank you for trusting us. We want the best for you. We are here to serve you.

To Jim Gonzalez and the Board of Trustees: Thank you for the opportunity to lead.