Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News are profiling the McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 6 through Aug. 9. To see the 2021 McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction awards ceremony, register for free here. For additional profiles of McKnight’s Women of Distinction, visit this page.

Lynn Hood

Many people find difficulty in handling crisis situations, but Lynn Hood is not one of them. 

Originally, from Kent, England, Hood traveled extensively as a child. She immigrated from England to Canada, then Australia, and eventually moved to Windsor, CT. During high school, Hood became an emergency medical technician and volunteered routinely on the local ambulance service — her entrance into the healthcare world.

After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in nursing, she quickly transitioned to an administrator role in a company that was later acquired by Genesis HealthCare. From there, she transitioned to what was HCR (ManorCare) and most recently became ProMedica Senior Care. As an administrator at HCR ManorCare, Hood was responsible for turning around and improving nursing homes. She then moved through the ranks to become general manager. After 27 years with HCR ManorCare, Hood took an opportunity to be the president and CEO of Principle LTC, located in Kinston, NC, serving nursing facilities in three states.

Hood’s crisis management began as an EMT, and that emergency experience came in handy while working in Fort Lauderdale, FL, during 1992’s Hurricane Andrew. She and her colleagues worked to transition 180 patients who lost their homes in Kendall, FL.

In 2010, she was responsible for a large Haitian employee population. The earthquake that struck Haiti killed more than 200,000 citizens, and many of her Haitian employees were devastated by personal loss. Hood, with support from her team, quickly moved to gather supplies and provide phone cards, and she eventually traveled to Haiti to provide tents to surviving families and also performed medical mission work.

As a social justice advocate, Hood has led many discussions on issues around diversity and inclusion. 

Her work has led her to be labeled as a changemaker for long-term care settings, and she has inspired staff members to follow her lead. Workers have reported that she leads with encouragement and efficiency and that the results have been tremendous. 

“Lynn’s leadership, focus, transparency, drive, dedication, and people skills help her employees believe in their ability to shape their future and keep them from feeling powerless,” noted Principle’s chief operating officer, Joylin Nation.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare, and the Roundtable Sponsor is Paycor.