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Raichilson’s 20 years at Menorah Park helm
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BY: ARLENE FINE Senior Staff Reporter
Visionary. That’s how people who work with him often describe Menorah Park CEO Steve Raichilson.
During the 20 years Raichilson has been at the Menorah Park helm, for example, he has overseen the building of two different senior-living options n Stone Gardens and Wiggins Place n Menorah Park’s Weinberg Pavilion for rehab and long-term care and the Peter B. Lewis Aquatic Center and Therapy Center.
He also supervised the renovation of R.H. Myers Apartments, expanded home-health services, and turned Menorah Park into a state-of-the-art rehab center.
Raichilson’s interest in senior living extends well beyond bricks and mortar.
“We are in the human-services business,” he stresses. “That means our main focus is taking the best care of our residents and outpatients each day.”
This also requires vision for the days to come.
“I admire Steve’s proactive approach as he prepares for the challenges that lie ahead for nonprofit senior care facilities,” says former Menorah Park board president Ed Singer.
The biggest challenge facing skilled nursing facilities like Menorah Park, Singer says, will be staying up with industry trends. “As the need for skilled nursing home usage goes down, the community has to adapt its facilities to support the way a new elderly generation wants to live. Frankly, without rehab departments, there would be vacant beds both at Montefiore and Menorah Park. As we plan for the future, we are counting on Steve’s foresight to put us ahead of the curve.”
Both men are also concerned about the revenue shortfall resulting from Medicaid payments. Menorah Park’s average daily private pay rate is $258.40, but its Medicaid reimbursement is $202.71. With 70% of the patients on Medicaid, this results in an annual deficit of $3 million, with Menorah Park required to pick up the rest of the tab.
As Raichilson, who puts in a 50-hour workweek, continues to look for ways to make up the shortfall, he focuses on “increasing the revenue stream, rather than lowering the quality of care.” That revenue stream comes from the more profitable expanded rehab program, three home-healthcare offices (soon to be a fourth), a home cleaning and repair service, a medical equipment business, and classes for area nursing home personnel.
Cost-saving methods are also part of Raichilson’s vision. To save energy costs, Menorah Park completed a $300,000 energy conservation project that involved replacing the lighting on Menorah Park’s campus. “We have a three-year payback of $100,000 a year,” he says. “After that we will reap dividends from this project.”
The Menorah Park staff turnover is currently 9% compared with the 75% national average, notes Raichilson. The challenge will be to maintain dedicated staff with a low turnover. “It will be harder and harder to find patient, reliable and compassionate staff that can handle difficult low-tech jobs in the senior living environment,” Raichilson acknowledges.
Like nursing homes nationwide, Menorah Park will have to grapple with a shortage of qualified workers because of the declining birthrate. “More people will be aging, and there will be fewer people to care for them and to pay the taxes to support them,” says the CEO.
Raichilson often travels to Columbus to lobby for nonprofit homes, where he works closely with Joyce Garver Keller, executive director of Ohio Jewish Communities. She considers him an “important partner in working on long-term care issues on both the state and federal level.”
“Steve has been a great advocate for the elderly, both with his long-term vision and short-term advocacy,” says Garver Keller. “Although he heads Menorah Park, he understands the bigger picture when talking about funding to provide quality care for the frail elderly. His sense of commitment extends to the much broader nursing home community.”
With an eye to the future, Raichilson is making plans to build another housing residence, to expand the childcare center, and to enlarge the Peter B. Lewis Aquatic Center, which has attracted clients from all over Cleveland.
The freedom to pursue these visions is what invigorates the trim CEO.
“I’ve stayed here because I am able to accomplish everything I want to do,” he says. “Twenty years is a long tenure for a CEO in this business, but I have been very fortunate not to have any professional disappointments. Before we begin a project, I work closely with the board and staff. We never proceed until we are sure it is a winner.”
One of the biggest plusses for Raichilson’s forward planning has been the Menorah Park campus itself.
“Around 40 years ago, Menorah Park trustees found a perfect piece of land in Beachwood and plopped us down,” he says. “We have been in the heart of the Jewish community for years. Location is very important because residents do not want to be cut off from their doctors, synagogues, relatives and familiar surroundings. That is why our next facility will be built no more than four miles from our main campus.”
A typical day for the executive director begins with a game of tennis early in the morning before he heads for the office. After updates with key Menorah Park staffers, he makes the rounds of two of the 15 units. “Like the other administrators on staff, I am personally assigned two units,” he says. “I check on all details of care and make sure that the residents are fed, groomed and entertained. Being responsible for the same two units each day keeps me grounded.”
Having a great deal of resident contact and putting their interests first is one of the reasons Raichilson has won the heart of current Menorah Park president Enid Rosenberg. “Steve can be all business, and then at one point in a meeting, his softer side comes through,” she says. “He surprises me because he appears so business-driven, and then he shifts to his number-one goal: serving the greater good of our residents and our community clients.”
Raichilson prides himself on his open-door policy for staff, family members and residents. It is not unusual, for example, to see Menorah Park resident and Holocaust survivor George Adler, 75, reading a newspaper in the CEO’s office.
His affection for the residents, and theirs for him, is evident by the many resident-made objets d’art that decorate his office. These treasures share equal space with pictures of his wife Lori and sons Ryan, Scott, and Adam.
“Steve is wonderful not only to me, but to everybody in the nursing home,” Adler says. “You could not replace him so good. I hope he will be around for plenty more years.”
Board president Rosenberg particularly enjoys seeing Raichilson interact with the residents at their annual New Year’s Eve parties. “The festivities include a live band, and Steve, brimming with energy and dressed very handsomely, goes from table to table asking all the women to dance. It is like being at a wedding or a bar mitzvah. Everyone has such a great time.”
Recently, Raichilson’s mother Julia, 89, moved to R.H. Myers from her home in Buffalo. Now that his mother is happily settled in her new apartment, Raichilson does not have to make good on the promise he gave her.
“I told my mother the same thing I tell all the new residents: ‘if you don’t like it here, you can return to your home.’ So far no one has taken me up on the offer.”
As happy as Raichilson is about his mother’s move from Buffalo to Cleveland, he sees that as a worrisome portend of things to come.
“I’m fearful that within about 20 to 30 years, when the baby boomers require some type of care, they will do what I did,” says Raichilson. “Their children, many of whom never returned to Cleveland, will bring their aging parents to the city in which they are living. So we will have a much smaller pool of seniors to care for.”
Working hard is nothing new to Raichilson, who grew up in a blue-collar household. “My dad needed to work two jobs to support my mother, my three sisters and me,” he says. “I had a lot of jobs while I was growing up. Along the way I learned a strong work ethic from my dad, but I also knew that when I had children, I would make my family my number one priority.”
Raichilson is adamant about the value of family life. “I tell staff that family always comes first,” he says. “Work is a clear second. If you have a happy family life, you will be a better employee. That is why we built FUNdamentals, our on-site staff childcare facility.”
The toned, dapper Raichilson, 56, puts a premium on his own fitness and a healthy lifestyle. “I’m a firm believer that if you are vigilant about exercise and diet and have a good mental outlook, you can age gracefully,” he says. “I see people in their 80s and 90s who are living rich, full lives because early on they were proactive about their health.”
In June, the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations presented Raichilson with the Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award. On August 9, the Menorah Park board honored Raichilson for his 20 years of service at a surprise party at The Oakwood Club.
afine@cjn.org
During the 20 years Raichilson has been at the Menorah Park helm, for example, he has overseen the building of two different senior-living options n Stone Gardens and Wiggins Place n Menorah Park’s Weinberg Pavilion for rehab and long-term care and the Peter B. Lewis Aquatic Center and Therapy Center.
He also supervised the renovation of R.H. Myers Apartments, expanded home-health services, and turned Menorah Park into a state-of-the-art rehab center.
Raichilson’s interest in senior living extends well beyond bricks and mortar.
“We are in the human-services business,” he stresses. “That means our main focus is taking the best care of our residents and outpatients each day.”
This also requires vision for the days to come.
“I admire Steve’s proactive approach as he prepares for the challenges that lie ahead for nonprofit senior care facilities,” says former Menorah Park board president Ed Singer.
The biggest challenge facing skilled nursing facilities like Menorah Park, Singer says, will be staying up with industry trends. “As the need for skilled nursing home usage goes down, the community has to adapt its facilities to support the way a new elderly generation wants to live. Frankly, without rehab departments, there would be vacant beds both at Montefiore and Menorah Park. As we plan for the future, we are counting on Steve’s foresight to put us ahead of the curve.”
Both men are also concerned about the revenue shortfall resulting from Medicaid payments. Menorah Park’s average daily private pay rate is $258.40, but its Medicaid reimbursement is $202.71. With 70% of the patients on Medicaid, this results in an annual deficit of $3 million, with Menorah Park required to pick up the rest of the tab.
As Raichilson, who puts in a 50-hour workweek, continues to look for ways to make up the shortfall, he focuses on “increasing the revenue stream, rather than lowering the quality of care.” That revenue stream comes from the more profitable expanded rehab program, three home-healthcare offices (soon to be a fourth), a home cleaning and repair service, a medical equipment business, and classes for area nursing home personnel.
Cost-saving methods are also part of Raichilson’s vision. To save energy costs, Menorah Park completed a $300,000 energy conservation project that involved replacing the lighting on Menorah Park’s campus. “We have a three-year payback of $100,000 a year,” he says. “After that we will reap dividends from this project.”
The Menorah Park staff turnover is currently 9% compared with the 75% national average, notes Raichilson. The challenge will be to maintain dedicated staff with a low turnover. “It will be harder and harder to find patient, reliable and compassionate staff that can handle difficult low-tech jobs in the senior living environment,” Raichilson acknowledges.
Like nursing homes nationwide, Menorah Park will have to grapple with a shortage of qualified workers because of the declining birthrate. “More people will be aging, and there will be fewer people to care for them and to pay the taxes to support them,” says the CEO.
Raichilson often travels to Columbus to lobby for nonprofit homes, where he works closely with Joyce Garver Keller, executive director of Ohio Jewish Communities. She considers him an “important partner in working on long-term care issues on both the state and federal level.”
“Steve has been a great advocate for the elderly, both with his long-term vision and short-term advocacy,” says Garver Keller. “Although he heads Menorah Park, he understands the bigger picture when talking about funding to provide quality care for the frail elderly. His sense of commitment extends to the much broader nursing home community.”
With an eye to the future, Raichilson is making plans to build another housing residence, to expand the childcare center, and to enlarge the Peter B. Lewis Aquatic Center, which has attracted clients from all over Cleveland.
The freedom to pursue these visions is what invigorates the trim CEO.
“I’ve stayed here because I am able to accomplish everything I want to do,” he says. “Twenty years is a long tenure for a CEO in this business, but I have been very fortunate not to have any professional disappointments. Before we begin a project, I work closely with the board and staff. We never proceed until we are sure it is a winner.”
One of the biggest plusses for Raichilson’s forward planning has been the Menorah Park campus itself.
“Around 40 years ago, Menorah Park trustees found a perfect piece of land in Beachwood and plopped us down,” he says. “We have been in the heart of the Jewish community for years. Location is very important because residents do not want to be cut off from their doctors, synagogues, relatives and familiar surroundings. That is why our next facility will be built no more than four miles from our main campus.”
A typical day for the executive director begins with a game of tennis early in the morning before he heads for the office. After updates with key Menorah Park staffers, he makes the rounds of two of the 15 units. “Like the other administrators on staff, I am personally assigned two units,” he says. “I check on all details of care and make sure that the residents are fed, groomed and entertained. Being responsible for the same two units each day keeps me grounded.”
Having a great deal of resident contact and putting their interests first is one of the reasons Raichilson has won the heart of current Menorah Park president Enid Rosenberg. “Steve can be all business, and then at one point in a meeting, his softer side comes through,” she says. “He surprises me because he appears so business-driven, and then he shifts to his number-one goal: serving the greater good of our residents and our community clients.”
Raichilson prides himself on his open-door policy for staff, family members and residents. It is not unusual, for example, to see Menorah Park resident and Holocaust survivor George Adler, 75, reading a newspaper in the CEO’s office.
His affection for the residents, and theirs for him, is evident by the many resident-made objets d’art that decorate his office. These treasures share equal space with pictures of his wife Lori and sons Ryan, Scott, and Adam.
“Steve is wonderful not only to me, but to everybody in the nursing home,” Adler says. “You could not replace him so good. I hope he will be around for plenty more years.”
Board president Rosenberg particularly enjoys seeing Raichilson interact with the residents at their annual New Year’s Eve parties. “The festivities include a live band, and Steve, brimming with energy and dressed very handsomely, goes from table to table asking all the women to dance. It is like being at a wedding or a bar mitzvah. Everyone has such a great time.”
Recently, Raichilson’s mother Julia, 89, moved to R.H. Myers from her home in Buffalo. Now that his mother is happily settled in her new apartment, Raichilson does not have to make good on the promise he gave her.
“I told my mother the same thing I tell all the new residents: ‘if you don’t like it here, you can return to your home.’ So far no one has taken me up on the offer.”
As happy as Raichilson is about his mother’s move from Buffalo to Cleveland, he sees that as a worrisome portend of things to come.
“I’m fearful that within about 20 to 30 years, when the baby boomers require some type of care, they will do what I did,” says Raichilson. “Their children, many of whom never returned to Cleveland, will bring their aging parents to the city in which they are living. So we will have a much smaller pool of seniors to care for.”
Working hard is nothing new to Raichilson, who grew up in a blue-collar household. “My dad needed to work two jobs to support my mother, my three sisters and me,” he says. “I had a lot of jobs while I was growing up. Along the way I learned a strong work ethic from my dad, but I also knew that when I had children, I would make my family my number one priority.”
Raichilson is adamant about the value of family life. “I tell staff that family always comes first,” he says. “Work is a clear second. If you have a happy family life, you will be a better employee. That is why we built FUNdamentals, our on-site staff childcare facility.”
The toned, dapper Raichilson, 56, puts a premium on his own fitness and a healthy lifestyle. “I’m a firm believer that if you are vigilant about exercise and diet and have a good mental outlook, you can age gracefully,” he says. “I see people in their 80s and 90s who are living rich, full lives because early on they were proactive about their health.”
In June, the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations presented Raichilson with the Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award. On August 9, the Menorah Park board honored Raichilson for his 20 years of service at a surprise party at The Oakwood Club.
afine@cjn.org
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