Homeland Infection Preventionist/ADON Latashia Simmons: Keeping residents safe

/in /
test

Even as her job gets busier and she takes on more responsibilities, Latashia Simmons makes sure to spend time with Homeland Center’s residents.

“When I’m going around and seeing who needs vaccinations, that’s one way I can socialize,” she said. “I talk with the residents about movies or what they’re watching on TV. We talk about pets. Kids. Just anything.”

Latashia is a 13-year member of the Homeland family, recently promoted to the critical infection preventionist position. It’s a role she holds even as she continues as an assistant director of nursing, filling in when other ADONs go on vacation or take leave.

The infection prevention post opened in January 2024. At first, Latashia hesitated to apply because it meant adding more responsibilities to a plate already loaded with being ADON, earning her bachelor’s degree, and being a mom and wife.

She took the opportunity because she is a super-learner, always striving to build knowledge and reach the next career step. Infection prevention is a critical skill she’ll need if she decides to become a director of nursing someday.

“It is very, very challenging,” she said. “If there are some things I don’t know, I look to other resources to guide me.”

Sometimes, she’ll find the answer from other infection preventionists. She also knows she can turn to Homeland Director of Nursing Jennifer Tate-DeFreitas or President/CEO Barry Ramper II for help.

Latashia’s title describes her duties. If there is an infection case of any kind in a unit, she helps lead efforts to contain it and keep Homeland residents safe. She oversees vaccinations of all sorts — COVID, flu, pneumonia. She communicates with physicians and family members to receive clearances and ensure that appropriate care is delivered to each resident.

“The new project I’m working on is getting out shingle vaccines,” she said.

She expects to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing from U.S. University in 2025. Clinicals are coming soon, and she’s hoping to earn those field credits at Homeland.

Getting a bachelor’s degree is important to her.

“It’s always good to be more educated,” Latashia said. “In school, I’m writing a lot of papers on evidence-based practices, which ties into my work because a lot of the work in infection is evidence-based.”

Bulletins and news from the CDC and its Health Alert Network simplify staying on top of infection trends. From there, she maintains a never-ending learning loop to keep Homeland staff updated about infection-prevention practices.

“I try to stay out on the floors so people can see me and follow what I’m doing,” she said. “I try to set an example.”

Outside of work, Latashia’s four kids keep her busy. She is excited about becoming a first-time grandmother when her eldest son becomes a dad this summer.

Her 18-year-old son is taking an educational trip to Italy next year, which inspired an idea. She reached out and asked if family members could go. The answer was yes, so Latashia, her husband, and their two youngest children, ages 12 and 14, are going to Italy.

“I had to jump on that opportunity because I never really take time off,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to that.”

Latashia’s husband also works in the maintenance department at Homeland.

“He works the night shift, coming in at 7,” she said. “I do a lot of double shifts, so when I’m here until 11, I see him for a couple of hours.”

As she continues in her new role, Latashia expects to keep learning. As always, there’s one thing she loves about Homeland most of all.

“What I love is the residents,” she said. “I love socializing with them. They’re my family away from home.”

John Scunziano, Assistant Director of Dietary Services

/in /
test

John Scunziano spent the first two decades of his career cooking for celebrities and high-end restaurants. Now that he’s cooking in health care, he says the work feels more meaningful.

“You’re going to have these residents three times a day, every day, no matter what,” he said. “They’re your biggest critics. You take what they say seriously. You look out for them like you’re cooking for your parents or your grandparents.”

Since joining the Homeland dietary department in early 2024, Scunziano has brought his knowledge of fresh foods and natural flavors to the kitchen – and a willingness to learn from the wisdom of residents and staff.

Scunziano, who grew up in Long Island with five older sisters, said he often cooked with his mother and grandmother, making sauce, meatballs, and pasta from scratch. His mother taught him to make cheesecake – which he has since honed to resident-favorite variations, including caramel shortbread, Oreo fudge, and pumpkin spice.

What’s the secret to a good cheesecake?

“Patience,” he said. “You’ve got to let it cook. Stop touching it. Stop checking on it. Use good cream cheese. Honestly, Philadelphia is the best. Your food is only as good as the ingredients.”

After graduating from culinary school, the next 25 years took him to hotels and restaurants all over Long Island and the Hamptons.

Doing every job that kitchens demanded, he found that cooking “ends up being the easy part.”

“You meet so many different personalities and people along the way,” he said. “I like figuring out how people work and how to work with them rather than trying to force them into a different way of working. There’s something to learn from everyone.”

There were 120-hour workweeks along the way, but he promised himself that he would shift gears if he ever married. That happened in 2000 when he married one of his sister’s friends. When their now 5-year-old daughter was born, he and his wife decided to leave New York and follow her parents to Ephrata.

In central Pennsylvania, Scunziano switched to working dietary and catering in large retirement settings.

“Working in health care, you’re more of a necessity,” he said. “You’re appreciated more because you’re not cooking for people with extra money to go out. They count on you for their lives.”

Moving to the Harrisburg area, he said Homeland offered the position – and environment – he wanted.

“There are people who’ve worked here for 20 or 25 years, so they must be doing something right to keep people here that long,” he said.

During his first weeks at Homeland, he listened to the residents and dietary team. Now, based on his experience, he is gradually introducing new menu items and processes.

Fresh foods and natural flavors are coming into play, such as honey for sweetening instead of sugar. There are fresh crab cakes and braised meats. Scalloped potatoes are made from scratch. The annual summer picnic featured fresh sweet corn.

“When you’re surrounded by farmland, if you’re not using fresh vegetables, it’s kind of a slap in the face,” he said.

Resident requests guide menu decisions.

“At this point in their lives, food is very much a comfort,” Scunziano said, adding he appreciates feedback. “It’s more than sustenance. It’s a social activity. It’s something they can look forward to. They like to know somebody’s listening to them.”

Scunziano can always tell when residents enjoy the day’s menu selection because requests decline for a grilled cheese or hamburger from the backup menu. At Homeland, it’s about committing to quality food that supports quality of life.

“When the food’s good and they’re anticipating it, residents are more excited about coming in for their meals,” he said. “Everyone here genuinely cares about the residents and their health, happiness, and well-being.”

Called to Serve Others: Meet Volunteer Coordinator Tamara Jaroszewski

/in /
test

As a young woman, Tamara Jaroszewski of Harrisburg experienced the profound impact of hospice services when her sister died of breast cancer at age 40. For Tamara, hospice work became a beacon of hope and inspiration. She felt called to help patients during their end-of-life journey. Her call was recently answered when she joined Homeland’s Hospice team as the volunteer coordinator. Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program, serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

“I proudly do this work in honor of my sister,” Tamara says. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Tamara joined Homeland after working as a volunteer coordinator for a large hospice organization that served a sizable region. Her work with Homeland gives Tamara the opportunity to build relationships with patients and their families and the dedicated cadre of hospice volunteers. Homeland’s life-changing work is made possible by volunteers who share their time and compassion with others. From working directly with patients to helping with administrative tasks, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization.

“I am getting to know our volunteers personally,” Tamara adds. “I am overwhelmed by their kindness and dedication to our work.”

Many volunteers find personal satisfaction from the relationships formed through patient visits. Often, patients think of volunteers as an extension of their family. Tamara helps support these relationships and assists volunteers to ensure they feel supported in their roles. When a volunteer returned to her scheduled patient visits after a reprieve to grieve the death of her father, Tamara was by her side.

“I knew her first visit back could be difficult,” Tamara says. “We approached it as a team.”

While Tamara has been with Homeland for only a few months, she is impressed by the longevity of service and creativity volunteers bring to their work. Many individuals have dedicated years to the organization and continue to raise their hands to take on new and different projects to bring comfort to patients and their families.

Tamara is excited to see more people participate in My Life, My Legacy, which gives hospice patients an opportunity to tell their life story to a volunteer who records the responses and allows the family to add their thoughts and recollections, as well as photographs. The end result is a printed book for the patient to help him/her find peace, and pride in his/her life story. The book also helps families preserve memories after their loved one dies.

“The books are beautifully written,” Tamara adds. “Our volunteers put their heart and souls into these projects and it shows.”

As Tamara grows in her tenure with Homeland, she looks forward to shepherding new projects as they evolve to benefit patients. For her, each day is a new and wonderful opportunity to build on Homeland’s rich history of service.

“You know when you are in the right place,” Tamara says. “I feel I was destined to do this work.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Homeland Hospice, call Tamara at (717) 221-7890.