Dawn K. Joseph, RN, Director of Quality Improvement
Dawn Joseph, the director of Quality Improvement (QI) for AERI, has extensive experience in the health care industry, including mental health services with children and adolescents, cardiac care and elderly care. She started in the medical field right out of high school as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home for four years and then worked in the same capacity in a large hospital for several years. After working as a nurse’s aide in several different departments, she found that she loved working with patients and their families, and particularly loved working in the cardiac department. Perhaps working in this area of higher professional demand provided the impetus for her to enter nursing school, which she completed in 1994 from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh which was once voted the number one heart hospital around. Following her graduation from nursing school, Dawn worked in a mental health inpatient unit for children and adolescents for a year and gave a part of her heart to each child she cared for. Her previous cardiac care interest drew her back into that service for a few years, where she helped heal other people’s hearts. After years of cardiac nursing and her past experience with nursing home nursing, she was drawn back to help the elderly, and took a supervisor’s position with St. Anne Nursing Home where she enjoyed working with the older people and their families.
After her husband, Dr. Jerry Joseph, opened another organization, FBR, and the services had grown to the extent that a full-time Quality Improvement program was needed, Dawn was drawn back to mental health services and working with families and children. Her nurse’s heart shows through when she helps people directly in clinics or speaks with them over the phone. Dawn is FBR’s Quality Compliance Officer and Director of the QI Department. She started a “hotline” for consumers, families and employees to use when they wanted to call anonymous or not with a concern or a good comment to share. Dawn is proud to serve AERI as the leader of the Quality Improvement Department
Dawn says that her career could have gone in a number of different directions. She is happy that she chose to work beside her husband and other family members to build a successful company committed to giving clients the highest quality of care. She believes the same as her husband that helping persons with autism or with behavioral challenges live a better and more fulfilled life is a privilege, not a job.
Dawn and Dr. Joseph have four children (two sons and two daughters) and three grandsons. She enjoys being with her family both at work and her off time. Dawn and Dr. Joseph live in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania with their dog, Brinly.
WHY AERI?
“At AERI. I am proud to be a part of so many positive and exciting experiences. I enjoy heading a team of highly energetic people who are devoted to helping our programs maintain the highest level of quality. I enjoy audits with the insurance companies or managed care, counties and the state entities to showcase the high quality of care that permeates all services we offer. I have held many different roles over the years, and I believe that the teamwork across AERI is unparalleled. To be able to improve the lives of so many people and families, though, is a most rewarding experience.”
