St. Mary’s Nursing Center Honored Patricia Belanger For Fifty Years Of Service

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center honored Patricia Belanger on Friday for 50 years of continuous service, marking one of the longest careers in the history of the nonprofit facility.

Belanger began her career at St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in 1975 as a nursing assistant and went on to serve as a supervisor, floor nurse and infection prevention and control nurse. She has cared for many residents recovering from life events like strokes and car accidents and cared for residents with long-term illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease, and she said the relationships she built over the years reinforced her commitment to health care.

“I’ve been here 50 years next week, and it has been a great place to work,” Belanger said. “I see all the residents, it’s a privilege to see them get better and go home, and because there’s so many different residents that we’ve seen, I’ve gotten attached to quite a few.”

Belanger’s work in infection control, which became a full-time position in 1991, has shaped St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center’s facilities operations, nursing care and staff training. Her career spanned decades of national medical and regulatory changes, which included working during a time when syringes were sharpened and reused, contact precautions were not industry standards and smoking was allowed in full-service hospitals.

Currently, St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center implements all industry-standard medical precautions, but looking back only a few decades, the facility was managed quite differently.

Human Resources Director Sharon Nicholson noted that Belanger’s personnel record showed how early dedication shaped her career. Nicholson said Belanger’s original nursing school reference described her with “highest marks in integrity, neatness, conscientiousness, cooperation and attendance.”

Nicholson said Belanger also worked through the COVID-19 pandemic and “worked countless hours on testing, tracking and contact tracing to keep our residents and staff safe.”

Annette Hodges, administrator of St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, said that Belanger doesn’t just work there for the paycheck — she gets involved with the residents, treats them as family and shows the staff how to make those personal connections, keep the center healthy and care for their community.

“I think what happens is she actually sets the standard for us,” Hodges said. “She makes us want to do things the right way; she sets the standard for us to do a better job.”

Hodges said that working in nursing care can be a rewarding career, and that it’s people like Belanger who stay positive each day, keep staff abreast of industry trends and improve the daily lives of residents.

“There’s no other job that I want to do but come here to St. Mary’s Nursing Center,” Hodges said. “I work with a team of people here, with Patty, and we come here because this is what we want to do. We want to make sure our residents are taken care of and happy.”

Experienced Caregivers Provide Stability For County’s Expanding Senior Community

St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit 160-bed facility in Leonardtown that provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation and respite services for residents across St. Mary’s County. The center coordinates care through personal physicians and onsite medical staff and offers physical, occupational and speech therapy along with daily activities planned by a full-time activities team.

Nutrition services are overseen by a licensed dietitian, and families are encouraged to visit at any time. The center participates in Medicare and Medicaid, works with multiple health plans and is a member of regional and national organizations that support professional standards in elder care.

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Mike Alderson said facilities like St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center play a critical role in a county with one of the fastest-growing senior populations, especially as dual-income families rely on professional caregivers to ensure their loved ones receive consistent medication, nutrition and health care.

“To me, it’s the commitment, it’s sharing the love you have for the county,” Alderson said. “We have the largest rapidly aging county, and having someone like Patty who has been here for 50 years — it breeds that familiarity.”

Alderson said long-serving employees help create a sense of family for residents and that Belanger’s time and dedication offer an example younger and college-age residents should look to as they consider careers in nursing and community care.

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