Janet E. Larghi, MPA, CTRS

Associate Director, Therapeutic Recreation
NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney

Janet Ethel Larghi, MPA, CTRS is an Associate Director of Therapeutic Recreation for NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney. She was born with a severe to profound hearing loss, mainstreamed into the community with the encouragement and support of her parents. She studied Gerontology, Public Health Administration, and completed her Post-Master’s Sixth Year Certification Program in Therapeutic Recreation Administration Service.

Because of her hearing loss, Larghi had to study harder than the average student, hitting the books on weekends and during vacations to keep up. A process that gradually became her work ethic.

Larghi has been serving as a healthcare professional and has been working in the field for over 30 years in many capacities. Her work has included specializing in dementia care, establishing dementia units, special dementia activities programs, and training staff to work with dementia patients. One of her highlights working with this population was participating in the Department of Health’s research study on “Cultivating Culture Change Catalyst in Dementia Care”.

She travelled to the island of Tobago with a friend and immediately embraced the people because of her experience of working in predominantly West Indian Caribbean environments. Her humanitarianism surfaced and together with her friend, they adopted three nursing homes.

For the past 4 years, she has sponsored and co-sponsored numerous events during Easter time. She has also aligned herself with the Trinidad & Tobago Alliance, NA, Inc. where she has given a scholarship to a hearing-impaired college student of Trinidad and Tobago lineage. Larghi has also recently donated computers to a small church group, where students were presented with tools to assist with at home schooling due to the pandemic. Because of her immense contributions to the island, she has been made an Honorary Trinbagonian.

Educating others, empowering and encouraging them to do more through learning, is another passion. Because of this, it has led her to present at many conferences. Her experience as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Therapeutic Recreation and Healthcare allowed her to bring her frontline experience working in healthcare to the classroom, rather than the theory.