Dementia Specialist Named ‘Hero for the Common Good’

In her 24 years at St. John’s, Mimi DeVinney has learned a lot about the common and not-so-common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Her experience supporting long-term care residents and the staff who care for them has given her a solid base of knowledge about many of the other, less prevalent forms of dementia as well.

“She is well-versed on dementia,” St. John’s Clinical Coordinator Ashley Hrywnak says of DeVinney. “But Mimi doesn’t just tell people how to do something, she shows them. She truly leads by example.”

The SUNY Brockport School of Business & Management announced the winners of its Heroes for the Common Good award, and St. John’s staff members lined up to support Mimi DeVinney’s winning nomination. Employees from across St. John’s talked about the importance of DeVinney as “a valuable resource for our residents, their families, and our staff.” As St. John’s Home Director of Nursing Julie Wood puts it, “her communication style is such that she can explain even the most complex dementia diagnoses in a manner that, whoever her audience is, they can understand it and apply it.”

“I have seen first-hand how she jumps right into a situation with no hesitation,” says Hailey Jones, another clinical coordinator at St. John’s Home. “She immerses herself in the reality of the individual resident’s state of mind and helps guide them into a positive mindset.”

Tishyra Griffin, a clinical coordinator on one of the other Beyond Memory neighborhoods, echoed those perspectives on DeVinney as not only a specialist, but a guide and teacher to other staff. “Mimi is very hands-on and she shows us her techniques so we can better support someone who might be having a hard time.”

Heroes for the Common Good is an award sponsored by SUNY Brockport and Causewave Community Partners “designed to recognize outstanding professionals who are making a difference at area non-profits.” Congratulations to Mimi DeVinney for this well-deserved honor!