Our Promise - Sunrise at East 56th

This Promise Makes All the Difference

At Sunrise at East 56th, we promise that your happiness, your well-being, and your satisfaction are the sole focus of each and every one of our team members. You are the reason we offer the finer care in life, and we promise to deliver it for you every day at Sunrise at East 56th.

Principles of Service

To make sure we deliver on our promise at Sunrise at East 56th, we’ve developed a set of principles to guide us. These touch on every aspect of how we serve our residents, and embody the philosophy behind the standard of living we provide.

Preserving Dignity.

Every Sunrise at East 56th resident has their own unique dignity. As such, they receive the respect they deserve every day.

Celebrating Individuality.

There is an incredible, engaging life story behind each of our residents at Sunrise at East 56th. And we want to hear it and understand it and help add to it.

Nurturing the Spirit.

We take a holistic approach here, not focusing on just one need at a time, but always taking into consideration how each need affects the whole. The entire person is always cared for: mind, body, and spirit.

Enabling Freedom of Choice.

The residents at Sunrise at East 56th have a special connection to New York City. And it’s our mission to help them continue to do everything they love in the city they love.

Encouraging Independence.

We know the importance of being self-reliant, so we actively promote it for our residents in ways that take into consideration their unique needs.

Involving Family and Friends.

Fostering a welcoming atmosphere and keeping residents safely connected to family, friends, and community are top priorities here at Sunrise at East 56th.

Your Team

Virginia McKenna

General Manager

Virginia brings nearly 20 years of senior living experience to her role as the General Manager for Sunrise at East 56th. She has held operations leadership positions throughout the majority of her working career, including executive director roles at assisted living communities throughout Nassau County, NY, and more than seven years in the same role at Sunrise Senior Living. Most recently, Virginia served in a Senior Executive Director capacity with Sunrise. At Sunrise at East 56th, Virginia is excited to use her passion for seniors and leading community operations to deliver exceptional personalized care complemented by a best-in-class lifestyle.

Tom Cana

Executive Director

Beginning as a volunteer more than a decade ago, Tom has worked in many departments at Sunrise. Now, as Executive Director, he credits his experience with giving him the unique insight he brings to Sunrise at East 56th. What drives him is championing the quality of care for residents while creating a community authentic to Manhattan, a community that residents feel at home in. He considers everyone at Sunrise at East 56th a member of his extended family, and works to ensure every team member treasures the relationships they have with the residents. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, he loves discussing the highs and lows of New York sports.

Sloane Limoncelli

Director of Sales

In the long-term care planning industry for over 20 years, with both Merrill Lynch and Genworth Long Term Care Insurance, Sloane comes to Sunrise at East 56th after serving as Director of Sales at Sunrise of Crestwood. Sloane finds providing solutions for families who are planning for a change in health to be one of the most rewarding and motivating aspects of her position. And she especially appreciates the insights she gets through the conversations she has with clients, feeling privileged to be able to champion their quality of life. An avid reader, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Ellie Kirke

Director of Sales

Ellie comes to Sunrise at East 56™ after helping open one of our newest communities, Sunrise of Fairfield. Ellie has always had an interest in working with seniors and their families, spending much of her high school and college years volunteering with her local senior community. Now, she finds that providing exceptional living arrangements for seniors as their health needs change gives her the same sense of fulfillment. Each day she looks forward to hearing the amazing stories of life and love of the people around her and being able to share in these experiences is what she cherishes the most. When not at work, she can be found playing the piano and spending time with her husband.

Ellen Finney

Program Director

As Program Director, Ellen is responsible for providing overall leadership and management of Live With Purpose™ programming at Sunrise at East 56th. Ellen brings an extensive background in community outreach and education to her position, most recently serving as a social worker with DOROT here in New York City. Ellen loves that her work allows her to create deep, meaningful relationships with people, and is excited to provide holistic programming that resonates with residents and enriches every moment of their lives. Outside of work, she enjoys going on vintage vinyl record hunts with her family, and watching her young son Guthrie discover the world around him.

Jim Santana

Executive Chef

Jim brings more than 25 years of experience in the culinary industry to Sunrise at East 56th, and has spent the last 15 years specializing in creating healthful menus for seniors. Jim graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and his career highlights include serving as Pastry Chef at Café Luxembourg, catering movie premieres and prestigious functions at diverse locations (including FAO Schwarz), and being featured in The New York Times. Chef Santana’s menus will be driven by resident preferences, while taking into account the health-and-wellness needs of seniors—with his goal, ultimately, being to provide one of the most elevated dining experiences in the city, exclusively for our residents.

Eric Cana

Assisted Living Coordinator

Starting as a volunteer in 2012 Eric has worked in several managerial roles at Sunrise including Reminiscence Coordinator, Executive Director, and Senior Resident Care Coordinator. Now, as the Assisted Living Coordinator he works alongside our Wellness team assisting in the development and monitoring of Sunrise at East 56th’s quality care provided to residents. He engages our residents in purposeful conversations at every opportunity and counts it as the favorite part of his day when he gets them to laugh. As a lifelong New Jersey Devils fan, he always looks forward to the rivalry on the Hudson when they play the New York Rangers.

Caitlin Bardsley

Activities and Volunteer Coordinator

Caitlin joined Sunrise in 2018 as Activities and Volunteer Coordinator at Sunrise of Stamford. She brings a diverse background in Education, Public Health, and Gerontology to Sunrise at East 56th that she credits as providing unique multi-faceted insights for her job. She is passionate about creating an environment that provides residents with a rich New York City lifestyle while exploring new passions, interests, and building meaningful connections. A native of New England, she loves hiking, figure skating, and photography.

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