Director of Nursing
Cynthia Lavers
Ararat Nursing Facility of Los Angeles
Glenville,CA
17
years of professional experience
3
years of post-secondary education
1
Certification
Accomplished Director of Nursing with over 40 years of experience in clinical nursing services and regional consultancy. Demonstrated expertise in developing patient care protocols, managing nursing staff, and adhering to regulatory standards, resulting in enhanced patient satisfaction and care quality. Committed to addressing diverse patient needs through strategic planning and effective communication.
Compassionate Director of Nursing with proven ability to lead teams in delivering patient-centered care while maintaining operational efficiency. Specialize in clinical management, healthcare compliance, and staff development. Excel in communication, leadership, and problem-solving to enhance team performance and patient satisfaction.
Work History
Director of Nursing
2 Years 4 Months- Administered clinical operations for 254-bed skilled Medicare/Medical nursing facility to ensure regulatory compliance and quality care. Oversaw facility preparation for surveys and ensured quality of care standards. Coordinated nursing services to ensure continuity of resident care and improve overall satisfaction. Planned and directed operations of clinical service departments, including MDS, care planning, risk management, and infection prevention, ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local standards.
- Directed nursing operations for Los Angeles long-term care residents
- Supervised registered nurses, licensed nurses, and nursing assistants
- Coordinated care plans with physicians, therapy, and families
Interim Director of Nursing
5 Months- Administered all aspects of the clinical nursing department and planned nursing services education.
- Directed nursing operations at Chinese Hospital across inpatient and outpatient care areas, ensuring effective delivery of services and quality patient care.
- Developed nursing policies and procedures for safe patient care.
- Developed and implemented nursing policies and procedures that enhanced safety and quality of patient care.
Director of nursing services
2 Months- Administered clinical nursing department operations for a 142-bed skilled nursing facility. Planned and evaluated nursing services, managed clinical phases, and secured QAPI and infection control standards. Evaluated resident care to meet needs, coordinated hiring and training of clinical staff, and managed HPPD hours.
- Oversaw nursing services to ensure compliance with healthcare regulations at Sunny Hills post-acute, aligning care delivery with standards.
- Managed nursing staff to ensure effective scheduling, assignments, and daily clinical coverage, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Managed nursing staff to ensure effective scheduling and assignments. scheduling, assignments, and daily clinical coverage.
Director of Nursing Consultant
3 Months- Consulted as an expert resource to the nursing leadership team, contributing to recertification efforts. Worked collaboratively with our nursing leaders to provide expert Director of Nursing (DON) coaching, and mentorship related to skilled nursing facility (SNF) operations. Advised and supported senior nursing leaders, including Chief Nursing Officer and Directors of Nursing, in day-to-day operations at Laguna Honda, focusing on CMA regulatory compliance, resident safety, Title 22, and nursing leadership.
- Directed nursing operations across Laguna Honda Hospital rehabilitation and long-term care units.
- Supervised nursing staff schedules, assignments, and daily patient care workflows.
- Developed nursing policies aligned with California healthcare regulations and hospital standards.
Director of Nursing Consultant
7 Months- Oversaw clinical nursing operations for 120-bed Medicare/Medical facility; planned, implemented, and evaluated nursing service department for enhanced quality of care. Defined the nursing services objectives and philosophies and analyzed nursing services rendered to enrich quality of care, better utilization of clinical staff. Promoted quality measures related to QAPI, contributing to an increase in Medicare census to the highest average of 40. Reviewed and revised care plans and assessments. Facilitated leadership training on administrative and supervisory principles for supervisors, charge nurses, and directors to strengthen managerial skills. On day 1 of hire, annual survey started. Passed survey with good outcomes and no Is. Implemented compliance meetings to meet regulatory standards. Established clinical stand-up meetings and formats to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Managed nursing staff in rehabilitation units, ensuring smooth patient care delivery.
- Directed skilled nursing staff and managed daily patient care assignments for optimal service delivery.
- Established compliance standards for state and federal regulations in long-term care facilities.
Director of Nursing Subacute Unit
9 Months- Assumed Director of Nursing position amid staffing shortages, including absence of infection preventionist, staff developer, and MDS coordinator. Assured the Subacute unit remained COVID-19 free. Reported to the Department of Health services weekly and every Wednesday for any exposures. Major tracking and trending were initiated on a daily basis. Completed the COVID Infection Control First Annual Survey with zero deficiencies. Assured all staff were constantly being trained and in-serviced in Infection Control Standards/ COVID. Managed all aspects of strategic operations, clinical services, and overall quality clinical outcomes. Earned 2 awards from CDPH for maintaining a unit free of COVID exposures and no deaths. Unit was ready for Annual survey which was running two years late. Survey binder completed with all required documentation.
- Pipeline Healthcare/ Avanti Health
- Managed nursing operations across inpatient units to ensure quality care. across East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital inpatient units.
- Oversaw staffing, scheduling, and daily workflow for nursing departments.
- Ensured compliance with hospital policies, state regulations, and accreditation standards.
COVID-19 Nurse Consultant
4 Months- Initiated screening protocols for all Amazon employees as a Clinical Nurse Consultant. Established systems to track screening requirements.
- Collaborated on complex patient care plans for East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital, ensuring comprehensive and coordinated care.
- Reviewed clinical charts for accuracy, completeness, and nursing care coordination.
- Educated bedside staff on patient education and discharge planning, improving patient understanding and readiness for discharge.
Clinical Supervisor
2 Months- Conducted survey readiness consultations, developed QAPI program, and performed home visits to ensure timely completion of care conferences and accurate staff documentation.
- Supervised home health clinicians and caregivers to deliver compassionate patient care effectively.
- Reviewed and coordinated patient plans of care for seamless home health service delivery.
- Trained staff on compassionate care home health policies and procedures.
Interim Director of Nursing Consultant
3 Months- Directed the hiring process for a new candidate as Interim Director of Nursing Consultant. Led leadership, clinical start-up, QAPI, and monthly meetings while establishing COVID-19 protocols for the facility.
- Managed daily nursing operations at the residential long-term care facility. at residential long-term care facility. at residential long-term care facility.
- Supervised licensed nurses and aides across daily care shifts.
- Reviewed resident assessments and updated individualized care plans.
Clinical Nurse Consultant
3 Months- Acted as Interim Director of Nursing, sharing best practices and training newly hired entry-level Director of Nursing in leadership and compliance with QAPI, Title 22, and federal regulations.
- Consulted with Horizon Health and Rehabilitation center teams on complex patient care plans.
- Reviewed resident assessments and updated nursing interventions, enhancing care quality at Horizon Health and Rehabilitation Center.
- Advised staff on clinical standards and bedside care practices, promoting consistent care across the facility.
Nursing Director Subacute Unit
1 Year 1 Month- Directed strategic, operational, fiscal, and quality clinical outcomes of Subacute Unit, upholding QAPI and infection control, ensuring nursing staff adhered to professional standards in nursing care delivery. Oversaw ancillary departments, including maintenance, dietary, activities, social services, MDS, and central supply, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Achieved excellence in annual CDPH survey and life safety and environmental inspections, maintaining minimal to zero deficiencies. Significantly achieved the 5-star Rating status from a 2 star to a 3-star Rating through developing areas with measurable improvements in clinical outcomes and customer satisfaction.
- Oversaw daily hospital operations, ensuring all departments functioned effectively to provide quality patient care. at East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital and Avanti Health, ensuring efficient workflow.
- Coordinated clinical staff schedules and workflows to optimize patient care and team efficiency., scheduling, and daily workflow oversight
- Oversaw patient care standards to guarantee compliance with healthcare regulations and improve service quality., service quality, and regulatory compliance
Center Nurse Executive
5 Months- Oversaw nursing operations of a 99-Bed Medicare/medical Facility. Managed Quality and Improvement Program and improved Quality measures as they relate to the QASP program. Wrote and structured policies and procedures for care of patients, evaluated the care on a daily basis to guarantee care needs are met, and coordinated overall training, hiring of clinical staff, and all HPPD hours. Increased Medicare census at Founta view subacute Care from 1 to 11, ensuring resident rights and maintaining survey readiness. Transferred and appointed to manage Alexandria Care center a 177-bed Medicare/Medical facility to help address poor survey results resulting in IJ and G tags and to address the transitional care kaiser unit with quality-of-care issues. Passed survey with positive outcomes and I's, improving quality measures and elevating % star status. Instituted the TCU kaiser unit, partnering with the physicians and facilitating weekly meetings to update any concerns and improvements. Preserved the HPPD of 3.50 and 2.4 for CAN staffing.
- Delivered skilled nursing care in Genesis Alexandria transitional care unit.
- Monitored resident vital signs and reported condition changes.
- Administered medications according to care plans and physician orders.
Director of Nursing Services
3 Months- Coordinated nursing services to enhance the continuity of the resident's total regimen of care. Planned and directed the overall operations of the Clinical services Department in accordance with the federal, state, and local standards. Assisted in preparing the nursing budgets and variance reports. Reviewed and revised care plans and assessments and made sure all personnel were aware of the resident's care plan. Developed and implemented quality assurance and performance improvement programs for resident departments, enhancing quality of life in accordance with company policies. Facilitated leadership training included the administrative and supervisory principles essential for Resident Care managers and Charge Nurse.
- Directed nursing operations for Sunny Hills Post-Acute resident care teams.
- Oversaw care plans, medication practices, and daily clinical workflows.
- Ensured compliance with state, federal, and post-acute care regulations.
Director of Nursing Services
8 Months- Planned, applied, and evaluated the nursing services department and programs for a 99-bed skilled nursing community. Advanced and periodically updated policies and procedures that govern the day-to-day functions of the Nursing Services Department and define the nursing service objectives and philosophies. Analyzed nursing services rendered to enrich quality of resident care and plan better utilization of staff time and activities. Coordinated hiring and training of staff. Promoted the quality measures as it relates to the QASP program and focused on developing the 2- star status to a 4-star status. Increased Medicare census from 5 to an average of 22.
- Planned, applied, and evaluated the nursing services department and programs for a 99-bed skilled nursing community. Advanced and periodically updated policies and procedures that govern the day-to-day functions of the Nursing Services Department and define the nursing service objectives and philosophies. Analyzed nursing services rendered to enrich quality of resident care and plan better utilization of staff time and activities. Coordinated hiring and training of staff. Promoted the quality measures at it relates to the QASP program and focused on developing the 2- star status to a 4-star status. Increased Medicare census from 5 to average of 22.
- Supervised licensed nurses and nursing assistants across post-acute units.
- Facilitated the admissions process for new residents, ensuring all necessary paperwork and assessments were completed efficiently., assessments, and care plan reviews.
Director of Clinical Services
1 Year 4 Months- Directed clinical services for Brookdale Senior Living communities across senior care operations.
- Administered all aspects of Clinical Operations for a 120- bed skilled Medicare/Medical Nursing Facility. Collaborated with case managers to review HMO referrals, admissions, and discharge plans, ensuring comprehensive resident care. Supervised the assessment of complete narrowing needs of each resident using standard long- term care tools and according to state and federal times forms. Increased community awareness and referral base by establishing connections with potential referrals, resulting in a growth of Medicare referrals from 5 to 20. Managed community compliance with NHPPD requirements while maintaining QAPI performance measures. Expounded quality measures and raised CMS 5-star status. Successfully surpassed 2015 with good results.
- Oversaw resident assessments, care plans, and clinical documentation for compliance.
- Supervised nursing staff, supporting training, scheduling, and daily care coordination.
Regional Director, Clinical Operations
2 Years 7 Months- Directed daily clinical operations for central region, overseeing 3 communities with 480 beds, 24/7. Planned and organized 41 individual and team- based leadership development plans. Served as part of the team that introduced an employee engagement program. Functioned as an expert in utilizing the Malcolm Baldrige healthcare quality system (ADLI) focusing on key outcomes: healthcare, financial, workforce, process, and leadership. Spearheaded the reduction of deficiencies by 12%, 28% for falls, re-hospitalization, falls 100% eliminations of physical restraints: reduction of antipsychotics; condensed in-house acquired pressure ulcers; decreased annual turnover for RN's 17%; and annual turnover for LVN's 22%. Lessened the scope and severity of pf surveys to below national and state averages. Ensured all communities consistently met and exceeded NHPPD standards.
- Oversaw clinical operations for home health service teams across the region to ensure quality care delivery.
- Developed and implemented standardized care processes for clinical programs in Life house health services to improve consistency and quality.
- Organized nurse schedules and staffing requirements daily to ensure adequate coverage and efficient workflow.
Regional Interim Director of Nursing for CA- Nevada- Indianapolis
6 Months- Managed clinical operations for 3 regions and ensured facilities maintained regulatory compliance.
- Oversaw nursing operations across multiple facilities to ensure effective patient care delivery. for Covenant Care Health Services patient care programs.
- Monitored and guided licensed nurses and aides during daily clinical assignments to maintain high standards of care. and aides across daily clinical assignments.
- Developed care plans with physicians, families, and interdisciplinary health teams.
Director of Nursing
11 Months- Directed nursing operations for a Los Angeles nursing facility.
- Directed nursing operations for Los Angeles nursing facility, ensuring high standards of patient care.
- Supervised licensed nurses and nursing assistants, facilitating effective daily care shifts to meet resident needs.
- Managed resident care plans in collaboration with physicians and interdisciplinary teams, enhancing overall care quality.
Regional Interim Director of Nursing, Interim DNS. Western Division
1 Year 6 Months- Managed clinical phases of nursing team, ensuring compliance with CQI, infection control, staff development, MDS 3.0, pharmacy, and central supply.
- Streamlined operations by implementing policies and procedures and ensuring a timely review of all admissions/ discharge for all residents.
- Ensured management of resident rights through consistent oversight and compliance with regulations.
- NorCal, AZ, Utah, Washington
Director of Nursing Consultant
6 Months- Oversaw survey results to ensure compliance with standards for a good survey outcome that will beat state and Federal survey and received only 4 deficiencies.
- Initiated and developed management team, achieving survey readiness within 3 months.
- Managed survey outcomes for a good survey outcome that will beat state and Federal survey and received only 4 deficiencies.
Education
Bachelor of Science - BSN/PHN Nursing
Skills
Healthcare Administration
Regulatory Compliance
Nursing management
Team Building and Leadership
Patient engagement
Strong Clinical Judgment
Problem Resolution
Family advocacy
Regulatory compliance
QAPI management
Infection control
Survey readiness
MDS coordination
Clinical operations
Staff development
Leadership development
Effective communication
Conflict resolution
Interdepartmental collaboration
Team supervision
Verbal and written communication
Hospital admissions
Clinical leadership
EMR software
Process improvements
Strong work ethic
Long-term care
Employee coaching
HIPAA regulations
Effective multitasking
Bilingual Spanish fluent
Healthcare regulations compliance
Clinical documentation
Patient safety protocols
Nurse education and training
Leadership and guidance
Certification
Licensed California RN, Licensed California PHN, Malcolm Baldrige Healthcare Quality System.
Additional Experience
- Director of Nursing services (June- October 2009) Kindred Healthcare, Bakersfield, CA
- Director of Nursing Services Consultant (2008-2009) Bishop Car Facility, Bishop, CA
- Director of Nursing Consultant (2007-2008) Kern valley Healthcare District, Lake Isabella, CA
- Clinical Services Coordinator (2006-2007) Bakerfield Heart Hospital, Bakersfield, CA
- Director of Nursing services Consultant (2005-2006) Tule River Indian Health Canter, LLC Porterville, CA
- Director of Prime Health at Home (2003-2005) Watsonville Community Hospital, Watsonville, CA
- Director of Home Health Interim (2002-2003) Interim health Care, Bakersfield, CA
- Director of Patient Care services Interim Consultant (2001-2003) Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center
- Director of Home Health (1996-2001) Around the Clock Home Care, Inc.
- Administrative Program Director/ RN Charge Nurse (1994-1996) Cornerstone Health Management, Bakersfield, CA
- Director of Nursing (1992-1994) Good Samaritan Hospital
- Assistant Director of Nursing (1988-1992) Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Bakerfield, CA
- Consultant Director of Nursing (1987-1988) Mennonite Brethren Home Health Agency, Bakersfield, CA
- Administrative Manager (May 1987-August 1987) Mercy Hospital, Bakersfield, CA
- Charge Nurse/ Administrative Director (1984-1987) Delano Regional Medical center/ Delano Home Health, Delano CA
- Nursing Supervisor (1983-1984) Buttonwillow Health Center, Buttonwillow, CA
Professional Development
Bilingual English/ Spanish
Personal Information
Title: Director of Nursing
Timeline
Director of Nursing
Ararat Nursing Facility of Los Angeles
07.2024 - CurrentRead More
Interim Director of Nursing
Chinese Hospital
02.2024 - 07.2024Read More
Director of nursing services
Sunny Hills Post- Acute
09.2023 - 11.2023Read More
Director of Nursing Consultant
Laguna Honda Hospital/ Rehab center
03.2023 - 06.2023Read More
Director of Nursing Consultant
California Armenian Home
04.2022 - 11.2022Read More
Director of Nursing Subacute Unit
East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital
06.2021 - 03.2022Read More
COVID-19 Nurse Consultant
East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital
01.2021 - 05.2021Read More
Clinical Supervisor
Compassionate care home health
10.2020 - 12.2020Read More
Interim Director of Nursing Consultant
Leader STAT Group- The Armenian Long Term care facility/ Residential care facility
07.2020 - 10.2020Read More
Clinical Nurse Consultant
The Merritt Group- Horizon Health and Rehabilitation center
03.2020 - 06.2020Read More
Nursing Director Subacute Unit
East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital- Avanti health
02.2019 - 03.2020Read More
Center Nurse Executive
Genesis- Alexandria Care and Transitional Care Unit
09.2018 - 02.2019Read More
Director of Nursing Services
Country Villa MAR vista
10.2017 - 01.2018Read More
Director of Nursing Services
San Joaquin Nursing and Rehab Center
02.2017 - 10.2017Read More
Director of Clinical Services
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.
10.2015 - 02.2017Read More
Regional Director, Clinical Operations
Life house health services, LLC
03.2013 - 10.2015Read More
Regional Interim Director of Nursing for CA- Nevada- Indianapolis
Covenant Care health services, LLC
09.2012 - 03.2013Read More
Director of Nursing
Golden Living center, LLC
10.2011 - 09.2012Read More
Regional Interim Director of Nursing, Interim DNS. Western Division
Kindred Healthcare, LLC
04.2010 - 10.2011Read More
Director of Nursing Consultant
Windsor Chico Creek care and Rehab center
10.2009 - 04.2010Read More
Cal State University Bakersfield, CA/ CAL Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, CA. Cal State University School of Nursing Public Health License #36744
Bachelor of Science from BSN/PHN Nursing
06.1977 - 06.1980Read More