Greystone Taps Senior Living Vet Handelson to Run Chain of 28 SNFs

Skilled nursing operator Greystone Healthcare Management announced the appointment of Stephanie Handelson, a longtime leader in the senior living industry, as CEO.

Handelson formally assumed the top spot at the chain of 28 skilled nursing facilities on Monday, succeeding interim CEO Gerry Jenich.

The Tampa, Fla.-based firm operates as the Greystone Health Network, with home health and private duty home care agencies along with its brick-and-mortar rehab and assisted living properties. A subsidiary of the New York City-based health care financing giant Greystone, the operator has focused on both existing properties and new developments in the Sunshine State, including the opening of a $30 million resort-style property in Kendall, Fla. last year.

“With a strategic plan to continue expansion into new markets and broaden the reach of the Greystone Health Network, Stephanie’s specialized background in managing a large system of communities will be invaluable to the organization,” Greystone founder Steve Rosenberg said in a statement announcing Handelson’s hire.

Handelson brings an extensive pedigree in the private-pay senior living space, having spent five years as an executive at Sunrise Senior Living and eight more years as president and chief operating officer of Benchmark Senior Living. Before joining Greystone, she was the CEO of Harmony Senior Services, a role that she had recently accepted when she sat down with our sister site, Senior Housing News, to discuss her experience in the senior living industry back in May 2018.

At the time, she noted that senior housing had a choice to either enter the health care industry or stick to hospitality.

“I think people are making a choice either to provide it themselves or partner and the industry is going to have to pick,” Handelson said. “Do they want to play in the health care arena or not? If they want to stay on the hospitality side, that’s fine, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to play in the middle.”

She also touched on the pressures that leaders in the senior housing and care space face when attempting to balance margins with the mission of caring for vulnerable adults.

“I really believe that when you hang your shingle in this industry, you have to be committed to the people and to the product that you’re delivering — and executing on that belief that the family is really putting so much trust and faith in you regardless of how big the company is,” she said.