Jane Shukitis, RN, BSN, MPA, President and CEO of UR Medicine Home Care, will retire in December 2021 after seven years leading the agency. Shukitis announced her plans to the board and staff last week.
"It has been an honor to lead UR Medicine Home Care over the last seven years," Shukitis said. "I am so proud of the work we do to provide excellent care to people in their homes, and I am forever grateful for the support and guidance from my colleagues and our Board of Directors."
"This has been a very difficult decision for me. But as I am turning 66 this year, my husband and I have decided it is time to seek other life adventures while we are still young enough to enjoy them. With the benefit of an early announcement, I will be able to work with the Board toward a seamless transition to a new CEO."
Shukitis earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Roberts Wesleyan College and her Master's in Public Administration, Health Care Concentration, from SUNY Brockport. She brought more than 30 years of health care leadership experience with her when she joined UR Medicine Home Care as President and CEO in January 2015.
During her tenure, Jane led the operational redesign and financial turnaround efforts with the agency. Key components of her work include:
- Strengthening the alignment with UR Medicine through patient centered/integrated care strategies and collaborations to improve quality and increase growth.
- Creating new service lines: Pediatric and Perinatal Services, Home Infusion and Assistive Technology, while eliminating programs that were under-utilized and not financially viable.
- Restructuring and rightsizing the organization to reduce overhead and administrative costs, while re-balancing the workforce to increase clinical field staffing that opened capacity for growth.
- Using Lean process improvement to eliminate waste and improve workflows and efficiencies in revenue cycle, administrative and clinical operations.
- Improving revenues through better case mix capture and volume growth.
- Redesigning the clinical operations model to achieve improved patient outcomes and high star ratings from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid.
"Jane has been a tireless champion for UR Medicine Home Care and the patients we serve," says Hazel Robertshaw, Chair of the UR Medicine Home Care Board of Directors. "While we are sad she is leaving, we appreciate the time she is giving us to find a successor. We look forward to being able to celebrate her many contributions and professional accomplishments in the time she remains with us. Her departure leaves a void that will be hard to fill."
Steven I. Goldstein, president and CEO of Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals in Rochester, and senior vice president of the University of Rochester Medical Center, also praised Shukitis' leadership.
"During Jane's tenure as CEO, UR Medicine Home Care has improved both as a leading home care agency in the region and as a valuable part of the UR Medicine system, providing high-quality and compassionate home care services to families throughout the Finger Lakes region," Goldstein said. "We thank Jane for her service and look forward to working with the Board of Directors in the months ahead to find a new CEO who will build upon her successes and continue leading UR Medicine Home Care in a positive direction."
In an email note to agency employees, Shukitis credited them for the achievements made during her tenure. "I truly love this organization and am very proud of the great work we do. We have faced many difficult challenges together, and have had many great successes during my seven years as CEO."