News Article

2024 Leadership Award Winners

October 08, 2024

Congratulations to the 2024 Consumer Voice Leadership Award Winners! These individuals have demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of long-term care consumers. Awards were presented during our 48th Annual Conference, at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, California.

Established in 2002 as a lifetime achievement award to honor a person whose life work exemplifies leadership in the field of long-term care reform, the award is also a tribute to Elma Holder, Consumer Voice’s founder and friend. Elma’s personal commitment, integrity, and vision shaped the organization and quality of care and life in long-term care.

PATRICIA MCGINNIS, Co-Founder, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR)

Patricia McGinnis is the co-founder of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR,) a statewide long-term care advocacy organization formed in 1983 and was the Executive Director of CANHR for over 40 years. Pat received her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in 1977. Previous to her work with CANHR, she was an elementary and secondary teacher in Humboldt County and organized the first legal services program there. During law school, she performed curriculum development and training of legal services for seniors programs throughout the country with the National Paralegal Institute. Under contract with the California Department of Aging, she then performed curriculum development and training for California’s long-term care Ombudsmen.

Pat has been involved with long-term care reform issues for many years and has written and lectured extensively on issues such as Medicaid, nursing home reform, elder abuse, residents' rights, home and community-based alternatives and the use of restraints in long-term care facilities. Pat was also an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University’s Graduate Gerontology Program for the past 15 years.

The Consumer Voice Public Service Award recognizes and honors an individual or organization whose work has profoundly expanded coverage and public understanding of long-term care issues.

ERNEST TOSH, Trial Attorney, Tosh Law Firm, PLLC

Ernie Tosh has been practicing law for over 25 years and is a national preeminent authority on nursing home operations. He has testified about industry-wide financial and staffing practices to the U.S Congress and to juries throughout the country. Ernie has tried over 150 cases to jury verdict and has recovered millions of dollars from abusive nursing homes across the country. He absolutely loves to educate and support advocates to ensure that nursing home residents are provided the opportunity to have an exceptional quality of life. 

Ernie is incredibly proud of his three children, all of whom are astoundingly smart. In his spare time, he likes woodworking, long-distance swimming, and traveling. If you ask, he will tell you that his greatest achievement this year was breaking his leg while mowing the lawn.

 Congratulations to the award recipients, and thank you for your advocacy!