Alex Spanko, who served as editor of Skilled Nursing News and subsequently was director of communications and marketing for the Center for Innovation, died on March 29.

Alex was a valued colleague during his time with Skilled Nursing News and played a crucial role in leading SNN from its launch in 2017 through 2021. He was at the helm through the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, providing news, analysis and timely updates on evolving government policies and infection control protocols.

“I first met Alex in 2018 when I became a reporter for Home Health Care News, working alongside the SNN team,” Bob Holly, WTWH Healthcare executive editor, said. “I was quickly drawn to Alex due to his ability to cover skilled nursing facility care at such a tactical level. I aspired to match Alex’s reporting and expertise at HHCN. Over time, I not only valued Alex as a professional peer, but as a true friend. I and so many others will miss Alex profoundly.”

In his role with the Center for Innovation, which he began in 2021, Alex oversaw all external and internal communications for the non-profit home of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network.

“Alex was a visionary who believed in a world where all older adults are treated with dignity and respect,” Center for Innovation CEO Susan Ryan wrote on LinkedIn. “Through his remarkable journalistic talent and keen analytical mind, he championed policy changes that helped bring this vision closer to reality. His contributions were instrumental in advancing the movement to transform eldercare.”

Other leaders and stakeholders in the nursing home and long-term care sector have paid tribute to Alex on social media in recent days, describing the impact he had through his roles with SNN and the Center for Innovation. Posts described “his incredible work to make long-term care more just and humane” and his “heartfelt passion for our industry.”

“This sad news about Alex Spanko marks the loss of a bright, articulate and passionate voice for reforming eldercare and putting older adults at the center of whatever new models are developed,” wrote Bob Kramer, founder of Nexus Insights and co-founder and strategic advisor at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). “His passion was palpable and his skills as a writer and journalist will be sorely missed. One way to honor his legacy is to carry on with his commitment that we can and must do better with and for older adults.”

Alex is survived by his wife, Dayna, and seven-month-old son, Jonah. A GoFundMe page has been created to help support the family.