Pioneer Award 2013 - Denise "Nisi" Pozderac
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The OHCA Pioneer Award is designed to recognize Ohioans influential
in the development and advancement of long-term care programs,
education, professionalism or ideals. The Awards honor the commitment of
these individuals to excellence in long-term care services.
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DENISE "NISI" POZDERAC
Nisi
Pozderac is President/Administrator of Transitional Living Centers
(TLC), which provides 13 homes for Ohio’s developmentally and
intellectually disabled populations in Northern Medina County -
Brunswick and Valley City. Nisi has been in the field of healthcare for
over 30 years and in the forefront of the contemporary ICF/IID
residential service system for 25 years.
Nisi grew up in a family dedicated to providing long-term care
services. Her parents started building nursing facilities in the 70s,
and ran Willowood Nursing Home in Brunswick, instilling their work ethic
and the need to care for others in Nisi.
With her husband Patrick, Nisi had the vision to move individuals
with disabilities out of large institutional settings into group homes
for a better quality of life, and started TLC in the early 1990s. They
later built the TLC “Riverside Habilitation Center” for day programming
to serve their clients. Patrick passed away from cancer 14 years ago,
but his dignity, courage and example of giving back to others has led
their sons, daughter in laws and other family members to work for LTC
and assuring a third generation of caregivers.
Now with a staff of 230, Nisi and TLC believe that their success is
dependent on the success of those people living in the homes they
provide. Emphasis is placed on self-determination and independence, both
in-house and on community outings via handicapped equipped vehicles.
The company takes pride in its homes and the outstanding professional,
loving care each resident receives.
Nisi has worked within OHCA to build the representation of ICF/IID
providers within the Association’s membership. With more than 36 years
of long-term care experience, she was instrumental in chairing the
Association’s DD/ID constituency when it was represented as a committee,
moving to a conference and now operating as the Ohio Centers for
Intellectual Disabilities (OCID).
In addition to her work with the Association, she has worked with
legislators, state agencies and others to assure the continuation of
Ohio’s ICF/IID program. Nisi has served as a member of the Futures
Committee for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD),
and currently serves on several IID subcommittees. Most recently, she
was credentialed to teach the DSPATHS curriculum to direct support
candidates to professionalize the position and help create a better
informed and trained workforce.
Her leadership philosophy stating “Do the right thing, always,
regardless of the consequences” sums up Nisi’s successful career and
life path.
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With Support from OHCA Champion Partners