October 19, 2021 — Barclay Friends is excited to announce that it has promoted Maria Kiwagama as its new Director of Nursing. Previously Assistant Director of Nursing, Maria joined Barclay Friends as Education Coordinator/Infection Control Practitioner in 2019.
Prior to Barclay Friends, Maria worked for six years at Waverly Heights, a Life Plan Community in Gladwyne. There, she served as a Nurse Manager, Clinical Coordinator, and Lead MDS coordinator. She is a certified RN-Assessment Coordinator with additional certifications in Wound Care and Infection Control and Prevention. Maria says “…after a wonderful experience with a Quaker founded school, I was curious about joining a non-profit organization whose values and practices are drawn from a Quaker origin. I wanted to be part of a healthcare organization that incorporated the “SPICE’s” into their mission statement.” SPICE is an acronym for the Quaker core values of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community and Equality.
My goal is to develop a collaborative and efficient work place with specific attention to the quality of the resident care provided. Most importantly I want to bring back JOY to the residents and the nursing team after the hard hit from the pandemic. Play in a work environment is known to boost morale and energy levels in the work space as well encourage creativity.
Maria Kiwagama, Director of Nursing
“Maria has brought incredible clinical expertise to our nursing leadership team”, says executive director Linda Sterthous. “But more importantly, she has brought enthusiasm and positive energy that will help us navigate through an increasingly complicated healthcare landscape.”
More About Maria
- Born and raised in Uganda, moved to the U.S at 18 years old.
- Graduated from nursing school in May 2012 so I am in my 10th year in the industry.
- Completed her Associates Degree at Harcum College in 2012. Completed my Masters in Nursing Leadership soon after
- Maria says “My line of work gives me a purposeful life because I am able to make a significant difference in the residents’ quality of life and also nurture growth in my team members by providing a supportive family-oriented work environment.”
