Barbara Rode, President & CEO, Saint Therese Receives Top Leadership Award

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Jodi Boyne

Barb Rode, President & CEO, Saint Therese was recently honored by LeadingAge Minnesota with the Ray Johnson Pioneer Leadership Award. 

The award recognizes an older adult services leader who challenges the status quote and influences others in leading change that will transform and enhance the experience of aging. 

“Barb Rode is agent of change. Driven by a mission to do ordinary things with extraordinary love, she has transformed the field of older adult services through innovation, experimentation and collaboration,” said Gayle Kvenvold, President & CEO, LeadingAge Minnesota. “Barb is a leader in clinical care, care coordination, and her sustained commitment to give back to the community through services and actions that benefit older adults and those who provide them with care, services and support.”

Photo Caption: Barb Rode accepted the Ray Johnson Pioneer Leadership Award at the LeadingAge Minnesota Institute. Pictured (l to r) Gayle Kvenvold, President and CEO, LeadingAge Minnesota; Barb Rode; Nancy Stratman, Board Chair, LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors; and Sara Sterling, LeadingAge Minnesota Awards & Recognition Committee Chair.

Barb began her career in older adult services in 1972 and has served as the President and CEO of Saint Therese for 18 years. She oversees more than 1,000 employees serving more than 2,000 seniors and their families. Throughout her dedicated service to the older adult services field, Barb has led thoughtful, meaningful growth at Saint Therese with a passionate focus on building communities that are right for residents, their families and the neighborhoods in which they exist.

An innovative leader in compassionate, clinical care, Barb spearheaded initiatives to respond to the evolving needs of older adults. She developed a specialized cardiac care program that reduced re-hospitalization rates by utilizing cross-functional teams of nurses, dieticians, therapist, social workers and pharmacist to develop a comprehensive care plan. The innovative transitional care model has now expanded to North Memorial Health Hospital as Transitional Care by St. Therese.

St. Therese was also one of the first older adult services providers in the Midwest to dedicate an entire wing to palliative care. The organization under Barb’s leadership was also one of the first older adult services providers to fully implement care coordination that would guide families as they consider senior care and help them execute plans for support, care, transportation home care or suitable housing options. Since launching the program, four other senior care providers in the Twin Cities have since adopted the care coordination model. Barb’s passion to provide the very best in memory care programming also led Saint Therese to require all employees to become Dementia Capable Care specialists.

“Barb Rode has a tireless work ethic, boundless energy and is very passionate about senior care,” said Patrick L. Taffe, Saint Therese Board of Directors. “Under her leadership, Saint Therese continues to thoughtfully grow its senior community and the programs that serve seniors through the addition and expansion of new, innovative senior services and campuses while spreading kindness and compassion for those we serve.”

Barb began her career as a nurse and can often be found working alongside staff throughout the Saint Therese communities. 

“Barbara spends time with employees at all levels and motivates the entire Saint Therese community with positive, contagious methods that make everyone proud to work for her, as agents of Saint Therese’s mission and for the wonderful residents we call care so much for,” said Paul Metzler, Executive Director, Saint Therese at Oxbow Lake in Brooklyn Park.

For more information, watch Barbara Rode – Ray Johnson Pioneer Leadership Award.