Meet the Medical Director of Sage Living

Posted: January 20, 2023

Sage Living Medical Director Dr. Kathleen Vanier has been working with seniors for over 20 years, as an internal medicine hospitalist and outpatient provider. “I have never before been privileged to spend time with and observe patients in their homes as I do at Sage Living,” she remarked. “It is a joy to work in this setting with these residents and their families.” Dr. Vanier attended medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She serves as associate director of the St. John’s Health Connections Geriatric Assessment program, a consultative program with various experts that help individuals and families assess an elder person’s physical, cognitive, and emotional health as it pertains to functional independence and quality of life.

Dr. Kathleen Vanier is a seasoned provider for seniors. “I love visiting with the residents both unofficially, chatting with them in the dining room or sitting with them in the common areas, and officially, performing medical exams when necessary at their bedsides. I have been working with this population for over 20 years, as an internal medicine hospitalist and outpatient provider and have never before been privileged to spend time with and observe patients in their homes as I do at Sage Living. It is a joy to work in this setting with these residents and their families.”

Sage Living embodies culture change in long-term care, embracing the practice that the resident directs their own life and collaborates with the team on the care that they want and don’t want. Dr. Vanier continues this respectful philosophy in her practice at Sage Living as its medical director, working closely with nursing, therapy, care coordinators, other physicians, pharmacists, and the hospital with the goal of constantly improving quality of care through evidenced-based practices. “Sage Living is the one of the most wonderful places I have worked. Often long-term care facilities can be sterile, unwelcoming, dim places. Sage Living is completely the opposite; it is a place where the residents can shine and thrive. The staff are amazingly caring and dedicated to the residents. They want the residents to have the best quality of life. This means making Sage Living a home for the residents; somewhere they feel comfortable, respected, loved, and well-cared for.”