By Lea Kahn
In the two decades that Darlene Hanley has worked at Morris Hall/St. Lawrence Inc., she is proud to say that she has overseen every department at the health care facility except the finance department.
Ms. Hanley has served as assistant administrator of operations, the licensed nursing home administrator and the chief nursing officer.
Now, she can add the titles of president and chief executive officer.
Ms. Hanley, who assumed her new duties earlier this month, was chosen to succeed Charles L. Brennan. He held the top administrative posts until his retirement Jan. 31.
The new president and CEO brings a strong background in health care to the job. She is a registered nurse who earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in public health administration-health care.
St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center is a 166-bed physical rehabilitation hospital that treats patients on an inpatient and outpatient basis. It is located on the corner of Route 206 and the Lawrenceville-Pennington Road.
Morris Hall, which is located adjacent to St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center, consists of the 120-bed St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center, and the 100-bed St. Mary’s Assisted and Residential Living.
”I really am wholeheartedly invested in the organization,” Ms. Hanley said. “I want to contribute to its future (through stability in the administrative offices). In this day and age of health care reform, stability can be very important. You can’t make progress when there is constant change.”
”There are a lot of unknowns. Right now, no one understands how health care reform will work. My goal is to be efficient, to deliver good outcomes and to deliver that care so doctors and hospitals will have confidence (in Morris Hall/St. Lawrence Inc.),” she said.
Ms. Hanley pointed to her long-standing relationships with area hospitals that refer their patients to the rehabilitation center and the nursing and assisted living facilities. She added that it is her goal to maintain those relationships.
Meanwhile, Ms. Hanley said the staff at St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center does a good job of creating a home-like atmosphere for its residents. It is geared toward helping patients who need more care than they may receive at home.
St. Mary’s Assisted and Residential Living is aimed at clients who feel they cannot remain at home, but who are not ready for a nursing home, she said. The staff helps the residents with their personal needs.
The aging population is presenting nursing homes and assisted living facilities with greater challenges, she said. People are living longer, but some of them are also sicker and have more ailments, she added.
They may have multiple physical ailments and may need to take numerous medications, Ms. Hanley said. The goal is to coordinate their plan of care so they can be involved in the Morris Hall/St. Lawrence community and avoid becoming depressed.
”We try to look at the whole picture of the person. The good thing is, we are keeping people alive longer,” she said. In fact, there are many centenarians residents who have reached 100 years old at St. Mary’s Assisted and Residential Living.
Looking ahead, Ms. Hanley said that despite baby boomers’ belief that they will live forever, some may eventually need nursing home care or move to an assisted living facility. The challenge for Morris Hall/St. Lawrence Inc. is to continue to deliver the good care that people seek, she said.
”We have a very strong nursing department that works well with the doctors and the therapy staff. It is nice to see that they are team-oriented. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the one-on-one patient/therapist relationship.”
”It is exciting and challenging (to lead Morris Hall/St. Lawrence Inc.),” Ms. Hanley said. “I have worked very hard and I have taken on many challenges, but it’s really all about moving the campus forward.”

