New chief executive is eager to make St. Dominic Village a true home for residents
February 25, 2014
HOUSTON — The Board of Directors of St. Dominic Village, the only Catholic senior care community in Houston, is pleased to announce the arrival of Amy Shields as the new chief executive officer.
The native Houstonian has spent her entire career in long-term care and looks forward to growing capacity at the Village and forging partnerships, especially with local hospitals.
“I am eager to begin showcasing the impact that St. Dominic Village has made in this arena,” she said. “We are committed to translating our success in long-term care to the short-term needs of patients in the greater Houston area. I am very happy to have the opportunity to make St. Dominic Village a true ‘home’ for our residents.”
With a background in corporate skilled nursing, Shields is a strong believer in the Village’s dedication to the service of its residents, patients and their families as an extension of the compassionate and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
“I believe that when you come on this campus you truly feel this mission day to day,” she said. “The energy that is felt (at St. Dominic Village) is truly one of compassion for staff and residents alike. In my first week, I had so many wonderful residents, staff and volunteers who welcomed me and kept saying that they appreciated that I was here and wanted to know how they could help me. It’s great to know we are all working together for the same goals in taking care of our residents.”
Shields finds inspiration from the memories of time spent with her grandparents.
“Growing up I had such wonderful relationships with my grandparents,” Shields said. “One of my grandmothers had polio and always had at-home care. She never went in to a facility, but I was able to see the need for having caring and compassionate caregivers to help take care of people in need. In college, I also spent a great deal of time through my social work training with different types of people needing assistance, and I was always drawn to the elderly. I love hearing their stories and taking the time to get to know them.”
As a member of the Texas Medical Center and a ministry of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, St. Dominic Village provides a seamless continuum of care comprised of short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, assisted living including memory care services, independent living and Pope John XXIII Priest’s Residence.
The Village also features respite care services including Angel House, which provides housing for individuals and their families who are in need of an affordable, safe environment while receiving treatment in the Texas Medical Center.
St. Dominic Village recently opened a 14-bed skilled nursing unit for short-term rehabilitation residents — the only facility of that type belonging to the Texas Medical Center.
“My most current goal for St. Dominic is getting the word back out into the community as to who we are, the services we provide and the community that we serve,” Shields said. “Additionally, because of our close proximity to the Texas Medical Center, I want our campus to be the ‘go-to’ resource for hospitals and physicians.”
A key component of St. Dominic Village’s success comes from the generous donor and volunteer base that helps the Village thrive and serve the needs of the community. “Everyone that volunteers their time or donates to St. Dominic is a member of this community,” Shields said. “Being a non-profit organization, we could not do it without their support. It is humbling as a CEO that you have a group of people that are so committed to making St. Dominic a success, that they are willing to give tirelessly of their time.
“There are volunteers all over this campus daily, and we have a very involved and active board. Our board members not only want to make sure that we are committed to our mission, but they also are involved in helping the staff anytime that we ask for it.”
Shields, who holds an LNHA license, is a graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos with a degree in social work and is active in The Junior League of Houston.