New administrator of Gracedale nursing home gets introduction from Norco officials

EASTON, Pa. – Northampton County officials have introduced the new administrator of Gracedale, the county-run nursing home.

Michelle Morton, hired in March, is responsible for managing the home’s day-to-day operations.

“I think it's the first time in a while that we’ve got everybody in place” in all of the home’s top administrative roles, county Human Services Director Susan Wandalowski said Thursday.

“I’m very excited about that.”

Morton previously oversaw the Phoenix Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, a for-profit home in Chester County.

She said she took the job at Gracedale because of its mission.

'We need to be on that list'

Now at the helm of one of the largest nursing homes in the state, Morton said she plans to focus on increasing Gracedale’s census and boosting the number of employees there.

To bring in more residents, Morton said, she intends to work with the region’s two major healthcare companies, Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s, to attract more referrals.

“Our short-term rehab residents are usually referred through hospital systems, so we need to be a preferred provider,” Morton said.

“When the social workers in the hospitals are recommending to potential residents the short-term rehab places in the area, we need to be on that list.”

Hiring and retaining staff at Gracedale will present a challenge, she said.

Staffing issues have vexed the healthcare field since the COVID-19 pandemic.

To comply with state-mandated minimums, Gracedale administrators fill gaps with high-cost temporary caregivers contracted through agencies.