www.ohca.com FALL/WINTER 2023 The Oregon Caregiver 7 FEATURE CONTINUES » someone who took the time to stop me and say, ‘would you consider this?’ or ‘I think that you’re capable.’ Without somebody taking the time to do that, I can’t tell you that I would still be in this profession.” As president of Arete Living, Silva oversees operations and manages 26 senior living properties in six states. Her day-to-day consists of a variety of working with the home office team members to support the communities, working on strategic planning, and future planning. “My leadership style is whatever the team or the team member that I’m working with needs from me. The team that I’ve worked with in the past would probably say consistently that I am very transparent. I believe in prompt communication, and I think that any conflict or problem can be resolved by sitting down and having a face-to-face conversation,” said Silva. “At the end of the day, the best teams believe that the other person is doing the best they can at any given time.” Silva says she has been fortunate enough to work with mentors and leaders who are women for a majority of her career. In the times that this hasn’t been true, she describes the primary difference as the acceptance of processing emotion. “We all have a lot to offer. It comes back to whether people are willing to take that time and put that investment in,” she said. “We are passionate individuals. We are here to serve a purpose. We are here to serve a resident. We feel very deeply, and that’s okay and that’s actually a strength.” Silva’s goal is to get more women in leadership roles. “I do think leaders should always reflect who they lead and who they represent. The more female leaders that you see in the industry, then the more those caregivers and CNAs and LPNs and RNs can see themselves in those roles and understand the path for advancement for themselves,” she said. “Our goal essentially as a leader, should be for our people to outgrow us. When that happens, we’ve done our job and now we become the cheerleader for that person. If you measure your success as a leader in the advancement of your team, even if that means that your team members reach a point that they then leave you, that means you succeeded. It’s not something that should ever be a frustration.” As a self-declared introvert, Silva says she found her confidence from surrounding herself with a team that had a great deal of trust and respect for one another. For young women especially who want to be leaders in long term care, Silva’s advice is to invest in themselves and take the time to learn about leadership. That tenacity may be the one step that will differentiate someone from others. “The game changer in your life as a female leader, as a leader in general, are your mentors, your cheerleaders, and the people who’ve helped you along the way. If you don’t have those people, it’s okay to ask someone to be that person. It’s okay to go to somebody that you admire and tell them that you admire them and ask for advice,” said Silva. It’s the cheerleaders in Tara Pray’s life that have led her down an unconventional path to long term care. Fresh out of college with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, pray joined the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles as a dietician aide, not yet certified as a registered dietitian. It was her first job, and she quickly embraced the opportunity. Pray’s passion for helping others and the supportive environment of her workplace encouraged her to pursue her certification. Over the years, pray evolved within the organization, moving from the kitchen to the clinical team. Thanks to the encouragement of her mentor, Cheryl Maitland, she was able to see her potential. Now, 16 years later, Pray is the current administrator for the same place she started her career. “I’m never afraid to make a mistake; it’s very growth-oriented. I’ve never been afraid of making a decision and not feeling supported in it and I’ve never been afraid of saying, ‘hey, I messed up on this,’” said Pray. “It speaks to the culture that we have here and that I love so much. There’s so much opportunity for career advancement that we’ve seen almost all of our senior leadership grow in-house.” In a facility run by women, serving mostly men, there is an interesting dynamic. Still, the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles has become a second home to Pray. Unlike clinic-based or short term healthcare environments, long term care allows staff to form deep connections with residents and their families. Pray believes this connection is what sets the industry apart, making it a fulfilling and distinct aspect of healthcare. “We’re a family. If you’re having a hard day, you go talk to a resident and it just “I do think leaders should always reflect who they lead and who they represent. The more female leaders that you see in the industry, then the more those caregivers and CNAs and LPNs and RNs can see themselves in those roles and understand the path for advancement for themselves.” – Sara Silva, President, Arete Living
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