Management Team
Mark J. Finkelstein
Mark J. Finkelstein, M.P.S., FACHCA, CNHA, is the administrator of Hughes Health and Rehabilitation, Inc., and serves as the vice president of the organization’s Board of Directors. He has been a licensed nursing home administrator since 1972, and has served in various management capacities in his career.
Mr. Finkelstein founded Subacute Management Corporation of America, a company that owned and operated thirteen nursing homes throughout New England, and completed a successful public offering of a health care real estate investment trust in 1987.
Mr. Finkelstein is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Administrators and is a Certified Master Nursing Home Administrator. He is a director of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities and is a Lifetime Honorary Member of the National Association of Directors of Nursing.
Mr. Finkelstein is a past president of the American College of Health Care Administrators and currently serves on their Board of Directors. Mr. Finkelstein has served as an adjunct faculty member of Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, where he taught Organization and Management of Long Term Care Facilities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has guest lectured at the Harvard Business School and the Yale Law School, presented at numerous conferences and seminars, and has appeared on several radio and television programs.
Mr. Finkelstein has been the recipient of numerous awards in his professional career. He has received the Ross Laboratories Distinguished Service Award for distinguished service and leadership to the members of the American College of Health Care Administrators and the Distinguished Administrator Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators. He has received the Honorary Commission as a Kentucky Colonel from the Governor of the State of Kentucky for “contributions on the national level in the health care arena on behalf of his fellow man.”
Mr. Finkelstein has also received four awards from the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut for contributions to professionalizing the administration and improving the quality of patient care, for the provision of reliable and unbiased assessments of health care issues, and for his years of meritorious and distinguished service.
Lina A. Dureza
Lina A. Dureza, RN, BSN, LNHA, MSM, is the Director of Nursing at Hughes Health and Rehabilitation, Inc. Lina joined Hughes in May 2007, and has extensive experience in nursing, management, and administration. Equally important, Lina’s years of dedication to residents and their families reflects Hughes’ mission of providing healthcare service in an environment where caring makes the difference.
Lina received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Filamer Christian College in the Philippines in 1977. Additionally, she received a certificate in Long Term Health Care Management from the University of Connecticut School of Business in 2004, and a Master of Science in Management in the Executive Master’s Program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2006. She is a member of the American College of Health Care Administrators.
Prior to joining Hughes, Lina’s most recent positions were Administrator and, prior to that, Director of Nursing at the Subacute Center of Bristol, CT.
Laurie Ann Spruill
Laurie Ann Spruill is the controller of Hughes Health & Rehabilitation, Inc., and is responsible for developing and implementing systems to operate the facility in a financially sound manner. She supervises the accounting and financial reporting within the organization and oversees the implementation and monitoring of internal controls. An industry veteran with 20 years of experience in nursing home accounting, Laurie has worked at Hughes for 10 years.
Laurie is a 1988 graduate of the University of Connecticut where she received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Presently, she serves as a member of the Association for Long-Term Care Financial Managers and the Manchester Area Alumnae Pi Beta Phi. In addition, Laurie leads many of Hughes’ community outreach and philanthropic programs.
Prior to joining Hughes, Laurie served as the accounting supervisor of Apple Health Care in Avon, CT.
Brenda Abrams
Brenda Abrams is Director of Therapeutic Recreation at Hughes. A graduate of Manchester (CT) Community College and a certified Therapeutic Recreation Director, Brenda has eight years of experience working in both long-term and home care. An employee at Hughes for five years, Brenda appreciates working in a professional yet family-like atmosphere which allows her to be an active part of an interdisciplinary team. Brenda enjoys the freedom to be creative and innovative with meaningful programming at Hughes, which provides optimal quality of life for the residents she serves. Her fondest memory of working at Hughes concerns a resident who remained inactive and refused to leave her room. After Brenda spent one-on-one time with the resident, they were able to build and develop a rapport with each other. Now that resident is an active participant in weekly group programs.
Cristina Keddy
Cristina Keddy is Director of Social Services at Hughes. Her experience with Hughes started many years ago when her grandmother was a resident. Cristina found Hughes’ staff to be helpful and professional and the residents to be happy and active in the programs. Today, as an employee, she feels the same atmosphere holds true.
According to Cristina, the best part of her job is meeting residents of many walks of life. “On any given day I am able to hear first hand from Holocaust survivors and learn of the struggles and losses they endured. I also work with World War II veterans who recount their stories of tragedy and triumph and celebrate our country’s freedom. Every day I am fortunate enough to be exposed to various cultures, allowing me to grow both professionally and personally,” says Cristina.
Cristina received her Bachelor of Social Work from Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, CT.
Jim Hilliard
Jim is Hughes’ Director of Food Services. A 26-year veteran in the food service industry, Jim also has 20 years experience in food service management. With two associate degrees from Manchester (CT) Community College, Jim has spent the last 15 years working in long term healthcare facilities. “It takes the hard work of many, many hands to celebrate the success we have achieved at Hughes and will achieve in the future,” says Jim. “Feeling like being a part of a team that has been entrusted with caring for our residents is the best part of my job here,” says Jim.
Nelson Jorge
Nelson Jorge is the Purchasing Agent and Housekeeping Supervisor at Hughes. Nelson received his Bachelor of Science degree in European History and World Geography from the University of Lisbon in Portugal. He emigrated from Portugal to the United States in 1985 and shortly thereafter started his 24-year career at Hughes. In 1986 he became Housekeeping Supervisor, and in 1988 was also appointed Purchasing Agent at Hughes. Nelson attributes his longevity at Hughes to the interconnectivity between employees, management and ownership. “This creates the feeling of a big family and, more important, reflects the quality of care for our residents,” says Nelson. “The satisfaction of knowing our residents are comfortable and living in a friendly and clean environment is the most important and rewarding part of my job.”
Sue Chiu
For three years Sue Chiu, R.D., has served as the Consultant Dietician at Hughes. Her focus is to solve the residents’ nutrition issues and enhance quality management in providing nutritional care. Proud of her department’s “zero deficiency” in a state survey, Sue credits the hard work of her health care team for the excellent rating. A good working environment supported by a big family atmosphere among residents and staff are the key elements, Sue believes, to Hughes’ exceptional care. Sue’s career as a dietician spans 35 years and includes positions at Brooklyn (New York) State Hospital, Mount Sinai (Hartford) Hospital and other skilled nursing facilities. Sue received her Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition from Fujen Catholic University in Taipei, Taiwan, and her Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition from Kansas State University.
