Debbie Afasano

Deborah Afasano, BSN, is a certified Director of Nursing, Interact Trainer, ELNEC end of life trainer, and health care risk manager. She has taught for the USF Health Care Risk Management Program since 2006. Her diverse nursing background spans over 35 years in acute and LTC settings. Debbie has served as a VP of Clinical Services for over 9 years, for two multi state companies. For the past five years, while at Avante, she has served alongside the staff in 21 SNF and four ALF’s in three states. Her passion for nursing is visible in her focus on Resident-centered care, Leadership, QAPI, Culture Change, Customer service, and Regulatory Readiness. She is also an advocate for staff and proudly shares that she began as an LPN, has taught C.N.A. classes and values the opportunity to connect to the staff that “make a difference at the bedside”. She believes in mentoring staff to be empowered, embrace their gifts, and know how important they are. Her prior expertise includes six years as Director of Clinical Services for Florida Health Care Association. She continues to represent long term care through participation on the FHCA Quality Cabinet, Regulatory Committee, and the Senior Clinicians Council she founded in 2009. Debbie is a state and national educator on diverse Long Term Care topics and a published author. While she was Director of Nursing for eight years at Bon Scours Maria Manor, the facility was awarded the JCAHO Ernest Codman award for process improvement in Wound Care and a Gold Seal recipient.