Dorie Sugay – Executive Director

Prior to running Visiting Angels, Dorie was the Principal Consultant and Owner of S2S Solutions which provided consulting services to the high-tech and medical industries in the areas of management and human resources. Her many years working with top companies in the Bay Area sharpened her skills and well-prepared her for her role as the Executive Director of Visiting Angels.

Passionate about successful aging, Dorie champions her mission through her writing. She had a column called “Growing Wiser” in the Out and About Magazine before she exclusively wrote for GMH Today magazine (“Aging with an Attitude”). Her writings have been published in the Gilroy Dispatch and she continues to write for Morgan Hill Life and Gilroy Life. A humanitarian, Dorie was an active member of the Rotary of Gilroy and the Elks Lodge, a lay minister at St. Mary Parish, and continues to actively help those in need in the community as a volunteer and as a financial supporter.

Because of her leadership and the great team she has formed, Visiting Angels Gilroy, truly lives up to the vision she has focused on – to provide exemplary, compassionate senior home care that surpasses the expected, to do what it takes to help elevate the quality of life of her clients and to be there to also support the family that can’t keep up with the demands of caring for an aging loved one. To do this, she even returned to school to get a Master’s degree because she recognized that the support older adults need go beyond providing physical care – they need mental health support. Visiting Angels Gilroy continues to grow despite the economy because it has been true to its mission – its team truly goes beyond the call of duty.

The many awards (all of which were unsolicited) – from being “Best in Home Care” to receiving the Golden Gate Recognition Award which OSHA rarely extends to a company, to a surprise accolade from a congresswoman for its territory; the grateful reviews in social media and most of all, the loyalty of its caregivers says it all. (The turnover rate of in-home providers is 65%, Visiting Angels’ turnover rate is at 18%).

Whereas many companies place a high priority on marketing to the community, on vying for titles, awards, ribbons – Visiting Angels in Gilroy has focused its efforts on achieving excellence, on continuing to improve the quality of care, the impact they make on the lives of clients and their families. The company takes more pride in seeing the shine from the smile of someone whose life was minimized by high anxiety and now functioning rather well and thriving (thanks to the care and emotional support they receive from Visiting Angels) rather than a plaque to add to the many plaques already on its wall.

The success stories, the grateful families – these are the motivators of this Visiting Angels team, passionately focused on a mission.