07/22/2025
NADONA Announces 2025 Lifetime Leadership Award
2025 NADONA 38th National Conference
June 11, 2025 – Jacksonville Florida
07/21/2025, Cincinnati, Ohio - Betty MacLaughlin Frandsen MHA, RN, LNHA, FACDONA, was awarded the 2025 Lifetime Leadership award by the Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) and NADONA, at our Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 11th, 2025, in Jacksonville Florida at their 38th Annual Conference. The theme of this year's conference was "Celebrating the Rock Stars of LTC.”
The CLC created this award in 2023 recognizing that there are immense leadership skills that are demonstrated every day in NADONA members. Without these skills and traits our post-acute care arena would suffer. Leadership extends beyond the bricks and mortar of buildings and into other areas, as well, that have an impact on our residents and the elderly. The areas include but are not all-inclusive, post-acute personnel, consultants, members within organizations with an emphasis on post-acute care, authors, government officials, activists, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and experts.
The CLC wanted to recognize these outstanding leaders for their work and influence in post-acute care and thus created this award.
Each year the CLC solicits applications for this prestigious award. The applications are available and processed through NADONA. This is an annual award and the winners will be identified in a special section of “The Director”, NADONA's quarterly journal. Potential candidates demonstrate the NADONA values within their work and everyday life.
The first recipient of the award in 2023 was the late Sherrie Dornberger, Executive Director of NADONA. There was no award in 2024.
Betty exemplifies the criteria that the CLC is looking for in this leader. Betty has devoted a generous portion of her working career to assuring nurses have the best education available. Betty's career has included serving as NADONA Director of Education/ Past Vice President of Education & Regulatory Affairs; Author, Editor, and Expert Reviewer of MNAC nurse leader products; develop articles for biweekly LTC Leader/Author for PharmScript, Director of Relationship Development and Government Affair with Institute for Caregiver Education, Inc. Author of an extensive library of educational materials based on compliance laws and CMS regulations for Med-Net nursing home and assisted living clients, including programs submitted for NAB CEs. Author of articles for The Director each quarter from 2021 through 2024. Betty consistently looks for an un-met need in education or clinical competence and then sets about addressing that need.
Betty's example brings the NADONA mission to life every day. She leads by example making sure that DONs everywhere not only feel supported but are supported. She shares her knowledge with others, working to assure that clients in post-acute facilities and long-term care facilities receive the absolute best care because the nurses providing that care have the best information available to them. Betty develops down-to-earth education that helps the nurse understand their role. From the new graduate to the highly experienced nurse, each person reviewing the education Betty develops will walk away with a nugget of knowledge they did not know before.
Betty has attended countless NADONA conferences to teach and share her extensive knowledge base. Betty has also presented education at such prestigious events as the:
The Ninth Binghamton, NY Symposium on HealthCare Management and Policy, held at Binghamton University,
Speaker at American Health Care Association, Driving for Quality Care, Mobile Petition Tour, Camp Hill, PA, September 2001.
Speaker at National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., October 2000.
Above all else Betty has dedicated herself to the pursuit of excellence, demonstrated by her consistent commitment to NADONA. She has served on committees at the local, state, and national level. She strives to ensure nursing is represented as a respected profession in all avenues with special attention to post-acute and long-term care.
Congratulations to Betty on winning this award. She is a “Rock Star” in LTC!
About NADONA
NADONA has been the leading advocate and educational organization for DONs, ADONs and Nurse Leaders in long-term and post-acute care since 1986. With thirty-two state chapters, it continues to be the largest organization representing nurses working in long-term and post-acute care settings. NADONA offers a wide array of services to its members, including educational materials, national and state conferences, scholarships, Infection Prevention Certificate of Mastery Program, Antibiotic Stewardship Certificate of Mastery Program, Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement (QAPI) Certificate of Mastery, Staff Development Certificate of Mastery, Director of Nursing, Licensed Practical Nurse, Long Term Care Nurse, Assisted Living, Geriatric Diabetes certification programs, a mentoring program and a quarterly journal, The Director. Through its publications and programs, NADONA reaches approximately 20,000 nurses who are employed in long-term care.
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