Current Climate

The COVID-19 pandemic had an enormous impact on extended care organizations, including the German Centre. However, these pressures did not prevent the organization from strategically navigating a path forward. In September 2020, Deutsches Altenheim, Inc. (dba German Centre) affiliated with Legacy Lifecare, a Massachusetts network of charitable, nonprofit senior care organizations that came together to sponsor and share a common managerial infrastructure. In addition to enabling cost-savings through consolidation and streamlining of key functions (e.g., clinical operations, financial services and analysis, performance improvement, human resources, and information technology), the affiliation helps ensure excellence in care delivery. During 2020 and 2021, the German Centre also received both state and federal pandemic-related relief funding.

While the healthcare and eldercare landscapes continue to evolve, the German Centre continues to adapt. In March 2023, the Centre named a new CEO, Babacar Diop, an executive leader with deep experience in clinical science and senior living management. In short order, Diop worked with the Board of Trustees to refine strategic priorities and launch a rebranding initiative and a $2 million facility renovation to expand the Centre’s memory care services. Additionally, he and the Board are investing in strengthening the organization’s culture of philanthropy and its ability to raise needed funds.

Babacar Diop joined the German Centre as CEO in early 2023, bringing a depth of experience in clinical care and safety, regulatory compliance, fiscal management, and employee engagement. He began his career as a medical laboratory scientist before transitioning to eldercare administration. His roles include serving as System Director of Diagnostic Services and Senior Director of Operations during an eightyear tenure at Hebrew Senior Life, Boston’s largest provider of elder care; and as CEO of Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts, a multi-site provider of both critical-care and post-acute services. Diop earned a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science from Texas State University and a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Texas A&M University. In addition, he holds a Nursing Home Administrator license. Originally from Senegal, he resides in Raynham, Massachusetts, with his wife and their three sons.