Independent Living at Village View
Karen Brown is a graduate of Penn State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Policy and Administration. Following college, Brown worked for a Pharmacy that served Long Term Care facilities. She went on to complete an Administrator-in-Training program and then obtained her Nursing Home Administrator license, which she has had for 11 years. While completing her hours needed for the Administrator-in-Training program, she worked as a Business Office Manager for a long-term care facility. Including her pharmacy work, Karen has close to 16 years of experience in Long Term Care.
Karen began her career with the Continuum in 2017, as the Assistant Administrator at DuBois Nursing Home, where she served in that position for 5 years. Then, in 2021, Karen was promoted to the position of Executive Director for the Continuum campus. Presently, Brown also serves as Interim Director of DuBois Home Care, an affiliated company of the DuBois Continuum of Care Community.
Karen and her husband Buddy reside in Falls Creek, PA, and have two children, Alexis and Cody. Both children like to play sports and are active in girl scouts and cub scouts. Her family enjoys being outside—swimming or gardening and they especially enjoy family time spent at the beach.
Penny Hoch graduated from Punxsutawney Area High School in 1983. In 1990, she took a nursing assistant class at a local nursing home. She worked in that capacity until 1993 when she realized nursing was the career path of her choice. Hoch entered L.P.N. school at Lenape School of Practical Nursing in Ford City, PA. After graduating in 1994 from the practical nursing program, she began her career at the DuBois Nursing Home as a graduate practical nurse.
While working part-time at DuBois Nursing Home, she decided to enroll in the nursing program at Mount Aloysius College in 1997.
Due to being an L.P.N., she was able to take advantage of and was accepted into the accelerated course giving her an Associate Degree in Nursing upon graduating in the summer of 1998. She then returned as a full-time employee at DuBois Nursing Home until 2012. Penny was offered the position of Assistant Director of Nursing at St. Andrews Village in Indiana, PA. She stayed in that position until she was asked to be the Director of Nursing at Mulberry Square in Punxsutawney, PA, in 2014.
After four years at Mulberry Square, Hoch decided it was time to return to DuBois Nursing Home, where she began her nursing career. She was the Assistant Director of Nursing and then transitioned to the Director of Nursing. Penny has been a Registered Nurse for 24 years. Looking back on her journey and experiences, her passion is to continue to guide and direct her staff each and every day to ensure consistent care is provided to the residents and to the Community.
Over 36 years ago, Debra Harris began her career journey with the Continuum. In 1986, Harris started fresh out of high school as a nurse aide for Dubois Nursing Home. She quickly realized that caring for people was her passion. She knew her calling in life was to be a nurse. So, in 1989, Deb graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) through training at Penn State DuBois in conjunction with the Department of Human Services. Harris continued to work at the Nursing Home, as a charge nurse upon graduation.
Then in 2001, she was offered an opportunity to build Village View Independent Living so she accepted the position of manager for Village View. Deb helped to build the PDA waiver services provided to her Village View clients. In 2015, DuBois Continuum of Care Community became licensed to start the affiliated company, DuBois Home Care. Deb was given the responsibility of growing this additional campus service as she became the Director, still remaining as manager of Village View. DuBois Home Care quickly became a trusted home care service to clients in Dubois and surrounding communities.
The year of 2017, DuBois Village Personal Care was in need of a new Director of Wellness, so Deb became the first choice to fill this position. With her years of experience with the Continuum and experience as a nurse, the fit was perfect. Deb recently accepted the position of DuBois Village Personal Care Administrator. She has worked her entire adult life in some capacity for DuBois Continuum of Care Community, gaining knowledge of operations for all care levels. Deb loves the experiences that she has had through the years at the Continuum and is looking forward to many more years ahead.