Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2024 Women of Distinction honorees daily from July 1 to Aug. 13. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.
When it comes to leading by example, Myra Punla is the best example a long-term care provider could ask for, according to colleagues.
She has been a director of nursing for more than 20 years, the past 10 spent at HumanGood Piedmont Gardens, a continuing care retirement / life plan community in Oakland, CA, where she transformed a stagnant and underperforming skilled nursing unit into a highly respected and awarded one.
At Piedmont Gardens, Punla leads by example. She spends most of her time out on the floor, checking in on residents rather than sitting behind a desk. Punla is generous with smiles, hugs and jokes, and although she brings an easygoing attitude, she holds her nursing staff to a high standard of care, colleagues said.\
Punla’s hard work has paid off, they added. Under her direction, the Piedmont Gardens skilled nursing unit has achieved a 5-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as countless words of appreciation from happy residents and their families. Piedmont Gardens also has earned a spot on the US News & World Report list of Best Short-Term Rehab and Long-Term Care facilities in Northern California ranking and a top rating in a Newsweek list of the best CCRCs.
Colleagues have described her as a “knowledgeable nursing professional,” a “strong leader” and an “extraordinary individual.”
Friends, staff members and peers all agreed that her work has helped make Piedmont Gardens a special place to live and work.
More about Punla:
- Punla earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the University of San Francisco State University.
- Colleagues noted that she ensures that every team member feels valued and even makes sure everybody wears matching T-shirts for staff appreciation events.
- Punla makes it a point to talk with every resident every day, according to her nominator.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care. Healthcare Services Group was the Platinum sponsor of this year’s McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum. PointClickCare was the Gold sponsor, and PharMerica was the Silver sponsor. Other sponsors included Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Easyshifts, Hireology, Reliant Rehabilitation, ShiftKey and Sentrics.
Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2024 and previous years.
