My Favorie Time of Year

With cooler nights and crisp sunny days, the calendar on the refrigerator is turned to a pretty autumn picture and you can smell it in the air. The anticipation is both chilling and exciting. The talking and the planning is over, its time to "take center stage". Everyone has an opinion, everyone has a favorite, but only one will make it to the very end. The journey is long, the stakes are high, but the reward is priceless. It's a lot of hard work, but I love the ride. It doesn't matter if you watch from the sidelines or bury yourself in the experience, nothing is better.

I love this time of year.................

By now you are probably wondering just what I'm all pumped up about. Those who know me best, have already figured it out. Others may have an idea, but will need to read on to be sure. Truth of the matter, there are several possibilities. So which do you think it could be?

Could it be the upcoming Seniorsfirst Gala............Things are beginning to come together at breakneck speed. Table sponsorships are coming in and we have several new participants joining us this year. The board "prize committee" is busy assembling an array of great packages to raffle off with your casino winnings. How would you like to win tickets to watch the Bills play Miami in Toronto, or take a helicopter ride over the City? Maybe you'd like a round of golf at Oak Hill or Locust Country Club. Perhaps a weekend get-a-way is more to your liking. One thing is for sure, the October 25th Gala will be a fun filled evening as we dine on fine cuisine, present the premier showing of our Seniorsfirst video, unveil our design vision for the future Kirkhaven and recognize our Community Visionary and Ancora Imparo award winners. All of this followed by casino games, fun and fellowship. You don't want to miss it!

Could it be the start of budget season...................As a former CFO, I still love the number crunching. Budget time is a time to re-organize, compile the facts and create a plan that will serve as the organization's fiscal road map for the year ahead. It is always a huge challenge to balance the numbers along with the objectives, but the "hunt" is as good as the "kill". Occupancy hurdles at Valley Manor, State budget issues at Kirkhaven, a weak economy and higher costs will give us plenty to grapple with, but you have to love this work. Staff is already taking it on and the months ahead should be filled with the aroma of "fiscal fever" in the air!

Could it be the start of Major League baseball playoffs and World Series........................Get real, baseball is lame, although I do enjoy those baseball pools that always show up when the World Series begins!

Could it be the start of the NFL....................................Well it's definitely better than baseball and the annual Seniorsfirst Football pool is under way. Did I mention I have won this pool twice over my long career. Football pools are a fun way for all our staff to have fun and enjoy a friendly competition among one and other. We poke fun at each other's picks and crow about our winnings. Where else can the kid in food service or the women in the nursing office ridicule the CEO because they're ahead of him in the pool standings. You gotta love that!

Could it be the recruiting of new board members to join our team........................We have as many as 5 board seats turning over this year and I have been working with the Governance Committee to identify and recruit new talent to join our dedicated team of board volunteers. I meet with each prospect and engage them in a comprehensive review of our organization and the role of the board. I enjoy the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and to help spread the good word about Seniorsfirst. It is very time consuming, but a critical role of the Governance Committee and CEO to ensure that our governing board is an effective mix of diverse talent and commitment to our mission and vision. I look forward to helping develop the Class of 20011!

Could it be our "Pathways to Culture Change" journey.................................As you know by now, this initiative is a journey not just a destination. We have been "on the road" for several years now and have come a long way. You don't change nursing home care overnight, but at Kirkhaven we have certainly changed it. The Pathways journey has brought many new philosophies and approaches to how things are done at Kirkhaven and the journey is now beginning to spread throughout the organization. It is an exciting journey and the benefits to our residents, families and staff are amazing. I am in awe of the passion and results that I witness every day from everyone involved. Keep up the great work, your rewards are the smiles and touches of every resident we serve!

Could it be the "Operation Occupancy" strategies underway at Valley Manor..................I just made that name up, but I like the passion it evokes. It parallels the passion and innovation I see in the creation of strategies to address both the challenges and opportunities related to increasing our occupancy at Valley Manor. From novel marketing/sales approaches to apartment modifications, the challenge is on and staff is taking it on. Our board and residents agree, we have a very unique and marketable product that we intend to continue to invest and believe in. I really look forward to initiating these strategies and watching our occupancy climb!

Could it be the political elections............................I do enjoy the debates and could Saturday Night Live be any funnier. I don't make a point of talking about or expressing my political views as I believe my conservative, republican slant on politics is no one's business but my own. Whoops, sorry that just slipped out. I will say, I have not totally made up my mind yet this year as there is a lot to consider on both sides of the ticket. Either way it should be an interesting race and new political era either way!

Okay, you have been very patient and it is time to reveal my "favorite" time of year. The truth is that all these things are near and dear to me. I am very fortunate to have so much to be encouraged and excited about. But when the work day is over and it's time to come home, what pumps me up this time of year is.................................

Hockey, HOCKEY, HOCKEY!

That's right, it's hockey time again. Growing up in Massena, New York along the Canadian border it was all about hockey. In the words of Sarah Palin, "I could see Canada from my house", so of course I grew up on hockey. Back then I was a Montreal Canadian fan, but now I'm a Buffalo Sabres fan. I love everything about hockey and look forward to this season and a return to the playoffs for the Sabres. I analyze the stats, I second guess strategy, I listen to the hype, I talk people's ears off about my opinions. In short, I'm a hockey fanatic and love this time of year!

Thanks for visiting my Blog this week. In closing here is a picture of me performing last week for the residents at Kirkhaven with fun, spooky songs. Don't I look scary!

Have a great week and visit my Blog again next week for more inside news on Seniorsfirst.

Farewell Doctor Jurik

On Tuesday, September 30th, we said goodbye to Doctor John Jurik who has led our medical services team since Kirkhaven's inception back in 1984.

John, along with his partners Doctor Kurnath and Doctor Algase, have given nearly 25 years of dedicated, professional and caring services to our residents. Staff has enjoyed the working relationship with John and his team. They have been an integral part of our Kirkhaven family and we will miss them on both a professional and personal level.

Doctor Jurik is semi-retiring from the hectic and demanding pace required of his current Medical Director role and physician practice. After dedicating his life to this field and pace, he is moving to a part-time "9 to 5" physician position with another medical group where he can begin to enjoy more free time while continuing, in a limited fashion, his passion for physician services. His partners will dedicate their limited time to maintaining their physician practice outside of Kirkhaven.

A farewell party was held in John's honor and he was presented with a plaque commemorating his years of service. We wish Doctor Jurik well in his new endeavor and his transition into semi-retirement. We thank him and his partners for all they have provided us.

Farewell John.......... stay out of the Casinos, keep drinking those caffeinated cokes and enjoy life to the fullest!

As we end one leg in our Kirkhaven journey, we embark on yet another. After several discussions and preparation meetings, we are pleased to have teamed up with the Rochester General Hospital Geriatrics Group, who will provide our Medical Director and physician service needs under a short-term transition plan until a more permanent long-term plan is developed. This partnership is a natural extension of Kirkhaven's long-standing relationship with RGH, that was first established via the Genessee Hospital, prior to its closing nearly 10 years ago.

Thanks to an invitation from Board member Tom Lockwood, I attended a Rochester Economic Development luncheon this past week at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. The attendees read like a "Who's Who of Rochester" as all the big names were there to hear the current state and future plans for our grand City. Sitting right beside me at the table next to ours was Mr. Big himself, Tom Golisano (and no I didn't have the nerve to strike up a conversation with him about his Buffalo Sabres team).

Continuing my week with the "rich and famous", I also attended a reception for Assembly Woman Susan John held Wednesday evening at Tastings in Pittsford. I was somewhat out of my element among the many hospital and corporate CEO's who were also present to share "face time" with Ms. John and work their agenda into the conversation. I'm not a very political person, but I do understand the importance of "friends in high places" if you need something done in Albany. In addition to my role as Seniorsfirst CEO, I am also Chairman of the Rochester Area Association of Homes & Services for the Aging, which gives me heightened status and leverage when needed.

On Tuesday evening, Scott Maar (CFO) and I spent the afternoon and evening with our auditors reviewing our fiscal progress and planning the future audit engagement. The fiscal operations of a senior care community is actually quite complex with the nuances of government and other third-party reimbursement programs and the ever increasing complications of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Our meeting was very productive and was capped off with a working dinner at Virtu's in Cobbs Hill.

The Governance Committee met this week to continue their work on developing a slate of board members and officers to present to the Board in November. We expect to have as many as 5 new seats open up for next year and are busy soliciting potential new talent and passion to join our board. The Committee is also evaluating our board structure and time commitments in an effort to create both effectiveness and efficiency that is mindful of our members valuable and limited time.

Lastly, I continue to work with Jean Boyle (Development Director) and the rest of our team on preparations for our annual Community Gala on Friday evening, October 25th. There are many, many details and coordination needs to ensure a successful event. With the help of many, the Gala is coming together very nicely. Invitations went out a few weeks ago, so don't delay in returning your reservation form. The Gala is a wonderful evening of fellowship, networking and fun. This year we are again featuring our casino games for fabulous prizes (Buffalo Bills tickets to Miami game in Toronto, Helicopter tour-ride over Rochester, Golf packages, Weekend Get-aways and more). We will also be presenting our new Seniorsfirst Video and preliminary drawings of the Kirkhaven Replacement Project design. Special Gala ticket prices in effect for staff, so see Jean Boyle for more details.

I guess that gets you caught up for now. Check back with my Blog next week for more of the latest news at Seniorsfirst, directly from the perspective of the CEO. Thanks for visiting and have a great week..........................Jim.