Rappeport to Head Statewide Residents Organization
Jonas Rappeport, M.D.
Dr. Jonas Rappeport will be leading the Maryland Continuing Care Residents Association, succeeding William Root of Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, who is stepping down to concentrate on collecting data about the financial security of Maryland’s CCRCs.
Jonas, who has been serving as first vice president, will be acting president until the spring annual meeting. Also joining the MaCCRA executive board is Broadmead resident Alma Smith, who will take over as secretary. Jonas is now chair of the Broadmead Chapter. A volunteer is needed to fill the Broadmead post.
The late Robert Sparks, a Broadmead resident, was one of the founders of MaCCRA in 1993. Composed of 13 (out of 34) senior residential communities, it advocates for resident protections and rights before the state legislature and is a member of National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA) which keeps an eye on federal issues and lobbies the Congress. Sparks was also a founder of NaCCRA.
Last year MaCCRA attempted to negotiate some 55 issues with the organization that represents the providers, previously Lifespan and now Leading Edge. But despite months of joint meetings in 2010, no agreements were reached and no legislation passed in Annapolis. Broadmead CEO Richard Compton spoke at a recent Fireside Chat about problems Leading Edge is experiencing in trying to represent both profit and not-for-profit communities. Because of internal problems in the provider organization, and the desire of the legislative committees for compromise, progress toward reaching resident goals appears doubtful also in 2012. MaCCRA and other senior groups are, however, planning an Annapolis rally in late January.
MaCCRA’s concerns include transfers of CCRC assets out of state, entrance-fee return issues, resident protections and grievance procedures, representation on governing boards, actuarial studies and above all financial stability. Few, if any, of these issues involve Broadmead which has no entrance-fee return at present, has representation on governing boards, plus a high degree of financial stability. Jonas is currently conducting a survey of all the CCRCs in the state.
A “Googling” of Jonas reveals page on page of achievements and accolades, including that he is the founding father of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. A forensic psychiatrist with roots in Baltimore, he graduated from the University of Maryland Medical School, completed his residency at Maryland and Sheppard Pratt, had a private practice in clinical psychiatry, and served as chief medical officer for the Supreme Court Bench in Baltimore City. Currently he is president of the Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry.
In addition to chairing the Broadmead Chapter of MaCCRA, he is involved in the wood shop, Open Forum, Adventures in Learning and regularly runs the New Year’s Eve party.