Elaine Matsako has been a clinical nurse with McGregor PACE for five years, forming strong, compassionate connections with the participants she serves. In 2021, she joined the team at the Old Brooklyn PACE Center and quickly became a vital part of its foundation of care.
Her days are busy from the moment she arrives. Elaine greets participants as they come in for appointments, takes vital signs and sits and talks with each person before their provider visit. She confers with doctors and nurse practitioners, triages participant needs, listens to their concerns and follows through on whatever care is needed afterward, making sure every detail is handled before moving on to the next person. There’s rarely a quiet moment and Elaine is in constant motion and would not have it any other way.
“I really love our participants – great people come to us and I genuinely enjoy them,” says Matsako. “You really get attached and participants feel the same way, they tell me ‘Please don’t ever leave us’ – they are like my family. And it’s a gift to get up every morning and be happy to go to work – not a lot of people can say that.”
Part of what makes Matsako’s job so meaningful is the team around her. The doctors, nurse practitioners and social workers all work together closely. There’s a shared respect according to Matsako, a sense that everyone is pulling in the same direction. That kind of teamwork, she says, makes all the difference.
But it’s not just the professional camaraderie, it’s the people. For Matsako, conversation with the participants comes easily. They talk about the past, about family, about life. Some connections run especially deep, like the 93-year-old woman she hugs often, or Jim, who shares puzzles and long conversations with her. There are language differences sometimes, Italian, Spanish—but somehow, according to Matsako, they always understand each other. “It’s just… connection,” she says. “We build relationships, learn their stories, becomes part of their lives. And they become part of mine. It touches my heart.”
When asked if she has favorites, Matsako doesn’t hesitate: “Everyone.”
In June 2024, Elaine was named Employee of the Month. It meant a lot to her, not because of the recognition itself but because she was doing right by the people she cares about.
“Ever since I was young, maybe six or seven years old, I remember talking to my friend in the Girl Scouts and telling her I wanted to be a nurse and have a baby girl named Jennifer,” Matsako says with a smile. “And I did both.”
While raising four children and managing a household, at 40 years old, Matsako started to work toward her second career and went back to school to become a nurse and pursue her dream.
Going back to school wasn’t easy. She had kids still in school, responsibilities pulling her in every direction, and plenty of reasons to say, “maybe later.” But Elaine didn’t wait for later. She became a Licensed Practical Nurse and never looked back.
Outside of work, Elaine’s life is just as full. Her children are her pride and joy. She has three grandsons, one of which is now 21 years old who she helped raise like her own. “My life is my family and grandkids,” she says simply.
Weekends are for family. That’s where her world centers. One of her daughters has followed in her footsteps into the medical field and now practices as a nurse anesthetist and Doctor of Nursing Practice. “She was inspired by me,” Elaine says, her voice beaming with pride and joy. “We have so much to talk about when it comes to patient care.”
Matsako found her calling later than some, but exactly when she was meant to. And now, she can’t imagine doing anything else.
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