As a former Chief Financial Officer, I still love the numbers and the messages they convey. Just ask my wife who has to put up with my quarterly financial statements of our personal home budget. She might even tell you her favorite story about the time I gave her a written test to see how well she really understood our personal finances. I don't know if I was more amazed at how well she actually did, or that she actually agreed to take it.
Anyway, the Seniorsfirst auditors have completed our audit for 2008 and issued audited financial statements, so I thought I would share my CEO perspective on them and give you an insiders view.
I'll start with Valley Manor.
First, the bad news.............operating revenue decreased 6% from the previous year based on a drop in overall occupancy. Our independent living apartments fell from 86% to 85% (we were at 91% in 2006 & 2005) and our assisted living apartments fell from 90% to 80% (we were 97% and 92% in 2006 & 2005 respectively).
Now, some good news.............excluding a write off of development costs in 2007, our 2008 operating expenses decreased 3%, primarily as a result of reduced variable costs associated with less occupancy. This certainly mitigated the effect of lost revenue, but still resulted in a loss from operations of $600,000. We knew this was the case and had reported the drop in occupancy and anticipated loss from operations all year round.
More bad news..........our non-operating revenue (contributions and investment earnings) took a big hit in 2008 like everyone else. The failing economy not only impacts our occupancy, but it impacts the level of contributions received from donors and took a huge bite out of our investments. While it is normal for a not-for-profit organization to subsidize operating losses with non-operating revenue, in 2008 we experienced a $600,000 non-operating loss in addition to our $600,000 operating loss. That computes to a total hit to our cumulative net assets of 1.2 million dollars for the year 2008!
Some positive perspective...........accounting standards require certain recognition of activity that doesn't always require an actual outlay of cash. In fact, our Valley Manor operations actually spun positive cash from operations in the amount of $225,000. We spent $500,000 on capital improvement related purchases and mortgage principal payments, for a net negative cash flow of $250,000. The $600,000 non-operating loss is primarily unrealized loss on market rate investments, which in theory can be recovered if and when the economy recovers.
A final perspective...........the Valley Manor fiscal operation and structure works at 90% occupancy. There is a huge upside potential if we can attain increased occupancy. We have recently initiated an "Occupancy Enhancement" program and, although it is still early, we have seen remarkable improvement in the first quarter of 2008. Our objective is to reach 90-92% occupancy which should result in an operating surplus sufficient to cover our cash outlays plus a reserve for future capital improvement needs.
Okay, lets talk about Kirkhaven and see how the failing economy impacted the nursing home business.
First, the good news................operating income actually increased a whooping 8% over the previous year. How did that happen you're probably wondering? First, we initiated a Medicare Maximization program that increased both our Medicare utilization and Medicare rate that resulted in over $650,000 additional Medicare related revenue. Second, our State Medicaid rate actually increased significantly due to a proposed new rate methodology that resulted in just over $560,000 additional Medicaid revenue (which still doesn't cover our costs).
Now, the bad news.............operating expenses increased a whooping 10% over the previous year. How could that be when inflation is running near 3% you're probably wondering? Don't we have expense budget controls? Good questions, so lets break it down and evaluate more closely. We can categorize our cost increases in 4 distinct buckets:
Benefit Costs- unfortunately, we don't have as much control over certain mandated or third-party benefit costs like pension, workers compensation, health insurance and unemployment insurance. These and other employee benefit costs increased over $400,000 or 31% from 2007.
Medicare Costs- our Medicare Maximization revenue didn't just "fall in our lap", we had to earn it. That meant investing in training, consultant fees, increased therapy, pharmacy, lab costs and staff. We earned an additional $650,000 in revenue, but our program cost investment increased our costs $140,000.
Corporate Overhead Allocations- when Valley Manor and Kirkhaven joined together under the Seniorsfirst corporate umbrella in 1999, we consolidated several back office corporate functions (executive administration, finance office, human resources, marketing, purchasing, etc.). The shared corporate overhead costs are allocated between both organizations based on specific utilization statistics. The consolidation of these now shared services has saved both organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2008, we revised the allocation percentages to recognize the reduction in utilization by Valley Manor when we discontinued or restructured several lines of business. Although we also reduced our total corporate costs, the revised allocations shifted more costs to Kirkhaven resulting in a net increase in corporate overhead costs of $60,000.
Bad Debt Allowance- it is normal for a nursing home to experience bad debts of approximately 1% of operating revenue. Historically, Kirkhaven has conservatively booked allowances for far less than this amount in some years. However, as time passes, evidence has shown that our actual experience is right around the 1% level. Based on this evidence, we booked a significant expense in 2008 to bring our bad debt allowance to a level consistent with the 1% historical experience. This resulted in a bad debt expense increase of $100,000 in 2008.
When you factor out these 4 primary cost increase drivers, the rest of our operating costs (wages, supplies, purchased services, facility costs, etc.) increased at a more reasonable rate of 3.3%. The net of all of this resulted in a loss from operations of just under $500,000.
More bad news.............similar to Valley Manor and the rest of the country, Kirkhaven's non-operating revenue did not fare well either. We experienced a net loss of $70,000 from contributions and related investment losses and a 1.6 million dollar loss related to our pension plan assets. That totals a 1.67 million dollar non-operating loss plus a $500,000 operating loss that took a 2.17 million dollar bite out of our cumulative net assets.
A final perspective...........again, accounting standards require certain recognition of some activities that don't require an actual cash outlay. In fact, Kirkhaven spun positive cash of $560,000 from operations, of which $500,000 was used for capital improvement purchases and mortgage principal payments, resulting in a modest $60,000 cash surplus. Similar to Valley Manor and other organizations, the non-operating loss on investments and the Kirkhaven pension are primarily unrealized market-rate investments, which should recover over time.
Still, Kirkhaven and other nursing homes are in a precarious position. The State budget crisis looms heavy and the likelihood is that the Medicaid rate increases of 2008 will evaporate in 2009. That will seriously challenge our revenue stream and put even more pressure on our Medicare maximization and expense containment efforts.
If all of this seems over-whelming, welcome to my world. There are days when I wonder why I bother. The challenges are huge and sometimes the regulatory and political nonsense can get to you. But I love the mission of Seniorsfirst and I even love the numbers, even if they don't always love you back. Thanks for visiting my Blog. Be sure to visit again as I keep you posted on how we survive in the "jungle".
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
God Bless Certified Nursing Assistants
In yet another scathing "watchdog report", Friday's local newspaper carried a lead article with the headline: Nursing home Aides can put residents at risk.
The article went to great lengths to share examples of aides who have been charged with kicking, neglecting, tying up, stealing or sexually abusing residents. If that wasn't enough to strike the fear of God in people, the article went on to say that safeguards for hiring certified nursing assistants, to fully protect nursing home residents, are insufficient.
The remainder of the article went into great detail to outline a few of the worst examples to support this claim and to cast a very negative image on nursing homes and nursing assistants in general.
I don't deny that there are some "bad apples" out there, nor do I deny that the system for purging these bad apples is flawed. But please, can we stop the generalization that suggests all nursing homes are unsafe or that all nursing assistants are evil!
Here are 5 good reasons why we should:
First.... is there any field or industry that doesn't have its share of issues or problems. We live in an imperfect world where crime and criminals exist everywhere. Eventually, it will show up wherever you are: in your neighborhood, at work, in our political system, in business, at school and even at church.
Second..... can we spare some time and newsprint to talk about the many, many wonderful examples of loving care that nursing assistants provide every day. I am always so impressed and proud of the caring relationships that I witness between residents and their primary caregivers. Time and time again, we receive letters of appreciation that give accolades to the nursing assistant and how thankful family is for the love and care they give.
Third..... the work of a certified nursing assistant is one of the most difficult professions one can choose. It is strenuous work with lifting, bending and the need to be on your feet all day. Many of the residents they care for have extensive needs with activities of daily living like: dressing, toileting, bathing, grooming, ambulation, eating. Additionally, many residents have acute or chronic medical or behavior issues that complicate the care giving process.
Fourth.....society has a peculiar system for how it values individual worth and compensates ones contributions. In a world where professional athletes, entertainers, corporate VIPs can earn millions of dollars a year in salaries, bonuses and perks, the average nursing assistant earns between $20-25,000 per year where the only "perk" is earning extra income by working weekends, holidays and overtime.
Fifth.....what would we do if we didn't have the dedicated, caring individuals who have chosen to take on the challenge of being a certified nursing assistant. For these angels are the real faces of the nursing assistant. The ones who go above and beyond the call of duty. The skillful professionals who take on the challenges and work endless hours. The generous souls who give of their emotions and hard work, not for the pay but for the simple perk of knowing they are making a real difference in the lives of the residents they serve.
Thank you and God bless you Nursing Assistants!
I hope we can all remember these 5 points the next time we hear about the bad apple and that we don't allow our nursing assistants to be defined by the few, but instead by the Great!
Monday, March 9, 2009
"Recharging my Battery"
I'm a firm believer in the benefit of taking time off from work periodically for rest and relaxation as well as to "recharge your battery". This past week, I had the good fortune to do just that and so my CEO Blog for this week is all about my R and R.
I started my vacation a tad early with a day ski trip to Holimont (just south of Buffalo). The weather was ideal and I managed to avoid any broken bones that would have ruined the rest of my vacation plans. After a full day of skiing, I stopped by the HSBC Arena in Buffalo to watch my beloved Sabres lose to the Anaheim Ducks.
The following day was my wife Jennifer's retirement party to celebrate her 20 years of dedicated service to the District Attorney's Office. It was a great event and the presentations and words by her peers made the evening very special for Jen and left me even more proud of her amazing accomplishments. Here she is with Mike Green (DA) and Ken Hyland (former First Assistant).
The following day, Jen and I hopped a plane to spend a week in Cancun, Mexico. We stayed at the Grand Oasis Caribbean, which is a lovely all-inclusive resort located along the hotel zone on the Caribbean Sea. We had fabulous weather and spent most of our time laying out in the sun by the pool or the sea. We both read 3 novels, worked out daily and took many long walks. The food was very good and the service was excellent. It was fairly crowded with a lot of Spring Breakers, but we usually were able to find our own little "quiet spot" somewhere among the crowd.
I was even able to watch the Sabres beat the Montreal Canadians at a sports bar in Cancun. I was the only Sabres fan among a sea of Canadians, but I had the last laugh as Buffalo won 5 to 1. We arrived home on Friday at 5 p.m. and immediately drove off to Buffalo to watch the Sabres win yet again It was a great game and a nice way to end our vacation.
I still had the weekend to rewind and get caught up before heading back to work on Monday. I admit it wasn't easy to get back into the work mode, but with a great week behind me and enough sun to hopefully carry me though March, my battery is recharged and I'm ready to conquer whatever challenges come my way.
The work we do is not easy and the challenges are never ending. I hope you all have the opportunity to take some time and do what you enjoy most. Take a trip, visit family, sleep in, read a book or two, finish a project, whatever floats your boat. But take the time for rest and relaxation and recharge your battery.
Thanks for visiting my Blog and stay tuned for updates on what's new at Seniorsfirst from the CEO perspective.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Happy 25th Anniversary Kirkhaven!
It's hard to believe, but this past Friday, February 20th, Kirkhaven celebrated 25 years of caring. Was it really 25 years ago on February 20, 1984 when we began admitting our very first residents.
We also brought our staff on one unit at a time over the first few months, although a good percentage of our staff needed to be on the job from day one. I remember well the "assembly line" interviewing and recruitment process we put in place to efficiently hire our initial staff of nurses, nursing assistants, therapists, food service workers, housekeepers, maintenance, office and other support personnel.
And so, last Friday we celebrated our past 25 years with a day of reflection, celebration and homage to our past. The day began with a wonderful President's Breakfast for the 17 staff members who were hired in our first year of operation and are still with us today. In addition we were joined by our first President of Kirkhaven, Phil Price and his wife Vi. What a great thrill and honor to have Mr. Price join us for this special day and breakfast.
10 of the 17 original staff pose for a group photo with President Emeritus Mr. Price
Here I am with Miss Demarco and her special recognition rose
I remember we had a very efficient system of admitting 5 residents a day, Monday thru Thursday and then caught our collective breaths on Friday and the weekend before starting it all over again the following week. We filled up one floor at a time and within 2 months had reached 90% occupancy.
We also brought our staff on one unit at a time over the first few months, although a good percentage of our staff needed to be on the job from day one. I remember well the "assembly line" interviewing and recruitment process we put in place to efficiently hire our initial staff of nurses, nursing assistants, therapists, food service workers, housekeepers, maintenance, office and other support personnel.
And who could forget the hours of preparation writing policies and procedures, ordering supplies, training staff and readying the facility. I'm not sure how, but somehow we managed it all ................and the rest as they say, is history.
And so, last Friday we celebrated our past 25 years with a day of reflection, celebration and homage to our past. The day began with a wonderful President's Breakfast for the 17 staff members who were hired in our first year of operation and are still with us today. In addition we were joined by our first President of Kirkhaven, Phil Price and his wife Vi. What a great thrill and honor to have Mr. Price join us for this special day and breakfast.
10 of the 17 original staff pose for a group photo with President Emeritus Mr. Price After our President's Breakfast, Paula Henry (Director of Social Work) and I presented a special rose to the resident who has been with Kirkhaven the longest. Amazingly enough, we have one resident who was admitted in our very first year and is still with us today. I'm not sure what her secret to a long life is, but she starts every morning the same............with two cups of coffee with breakfast.
Here I am with Miss Demarco and her special recognition rose We continued our celebration with a special anniversary luncheon on all resident units followed by an anniversary cake for residents and staff. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. we held an anniversary Open House that featured tours, entertainment, refreshments and photo displays of both our past and future plans for the next generation Kirkhaven. Our special day ended with a dessert bar for residents, staff and visitors from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and all night long for our night shift staff.
Another very special occurrence that just happened to occur on our 25th anniversary, was the fact that for the first time in several years, we were at 100% occupancy. A great day and a busy week of planning.
There have been thousands of individuals (past and present staff, volunteers, board leadership and business partners) who have helped create and sustain the wonderful mission of Kirkhaven. On behalf of the organization and in my capacity as president/CEO, I thank you all and say, "HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY KIRKHAVEN!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
You Gotta Have Faith!
A couple of significant decisions were made this past week that certainly alter at least our near term future.
After meeting with the Town of Brighton and having good discussion on both our and their vision for the South Clinton Avenue property for which we have a contingent purchase offer on, the Executive Committee of the Seniorsfirst Board of Governors elected to execute our option to withdraw our purchase agreement within the 120 day Inspection Period. In short the Town of Brighton has recently rezoned the parcel away from allowing a nursing home operation to reside on the property and desires low density businesses to be built instead. We could initiate a rezoning application, but the process would be both time consuming and costly with a minimal chance for success.
Therefore, we will continue our site search and hope a more suitable opportunity will be found. While this development is discouraging, you gotta have faith!
The Executive Committee also discussed the Kirkhaven Replacement Project with respect to the timing of our funding and approval applications with the State, financial feasibility analysis and approaching the credit market. With such a challenging economic environment riddled with uncertainty and negativity, the Committee elected to put on hold several elements of our Project until the economic climate improved. We'll still continue with Project design and cost development, but will put the Project "on the shelf" where it will be ready to go as soon as the timing appears right.
Therefore, we won't abandon our Kirkhaven Replacement Project, but will proceed minimally and prudently until the economy strengthens. While this decision makes good business sense, it is also disheartening, but you gotta have faith!
The Development Committee met this past week and discussed its plans to engage a professional capital campaign consultant to help us initiate a major capital campaign to help raise funds for the Kirkhaven Replacement Project. In light of the poor economy, the Committee decided to postpone any immediate feasibility study and campaign on the basis that this is not a good time to be asking for additional charitable support.
Therefore, we will not immediately move forward with the planning and implementation of a major capital campaign, but will revisit the state of the economy and our campaign timing in another 6 months. While this action is an unfortunate by-product of a weakening economy, it is still an unwelcoming reality, but you gotta have faith!
The State legislature passed a 2008/2009 Budget Deficit Reduction legislation this week that initiates Medicaid rate reductions for nursing homes. Depending on which "spin" version you want to believe we either got "nicked" or "lambasted". I think it will take some more time to calculate the true damages, but my guess is that this was just the "first attack" and we survived with "superficial injuries". The real war will be waged with respect to the upcoming 2009/2010 budget reductions in the months ahead.
Therefore, the latest State budget Medicaid reductions will get absorbed into our operations on a retroactive perspective, but the prospective implications of these reductions and the budget reductions to follow will be the real challenge. The battle never ceases and the challenges never get easier, but you gotta have faith!
So while it wasn't the most encouraging week, it certainly helped to set the tenor of our immediate future and where our priorities need to be. Riding the wake of economic turmoil was not going to be easy and we knew there would be many hurdles along our journey. When faced with adversity, disappointment and challenges of this magnitude, there is only one piece of advice that I can offer. You gotta have faith!
On the lighter side of life, many of you have asked me about my skating rink challenge and goal. Back in December I decided I wanted to try and build a rink in my front yard. It took me a couple of attempts and many long, cold hours of preparation and effort. Some days Mother Nature was on my side and other days she wasn't. But you gotta have faith!
Thanks for visiting my Blog.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
"The Rest of the Story"
One of my all-time favorite news reporters is Paul Harvey. I loved to listen to him as he slowly built his stories from the ground up until he revealed his surprise ending with his patented closing statement, "and now you know, the rest of the story". His stories told the side of the news that the other's did not.
I was reminded of Paul Harvey this past week, when on Friday morning (January 30) the local Rochester newspaper and TV news stations ran a headline story on "2 nursing home aides charged with resident abuse"
The news story would lead you to believe that the State Attorney Generals Office, “in a series of investigation in home health care fraud and mistreatment at nursing homes”, saved the day by swooping in and arresting yet another criminal health care worker in the nick of time and thus protecting thousands of our elderly.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that the State Attorney General’s Office is willing to investigate and prosecute resident abuse and fraud to the fullest. Nursing homes don’t want these people working in their facilities either and always cooperate fully with the reporting and investigations of any issue they become aware of.
In the most recent case cited in this article, one of the charged nursing assistants was a result of an incident that occurred at Kirkhaven on May 5, 2007 (more than 1 ½ years ago).
Monique Jones applied for a Certified Nursing Assistant position at Kirkhaven on November 8, 2006. Kirkhaven adheres to a standard pre-employment procedure that includes: an applicant interview, work and personal reference checks, county and state criminal background checks, drug testing and status verification on the New York State Nurse Aide Registry.
She was hired on November 27, 2006 and worked as a per-diem nursing assistant. Consistent with all new hires, she attended the standard 2-day Kirkhaven orientation and a 2-week department training, which begins a 3-month “trial period”. Over the next four months, Monique received numerous in-service training offered to all staff, including “Managing Health Care Stress” and “Resident Altercation Policy & Procedures”. The latter course includes Kirkhaven’s zero-tolerance resident abuse policy.
On May 2, 2007, Monique and another nursing assistant were helping a male resident transfer from his wheelchair to his bed at 2 p.m. The file statement from the other nursing assistant reads, “the resident started kicking as we moved him into his bed and Monique said don’t you kick me and she kicked him in the left side”. This was reported to nursing administration immediately. After interviewing the individuals involved and conducting an internal investigation, Monique’s employment was terminated that day and the incident was reported to the NYS Health Department.
In short, it appears that Kirkhaven followed its standard and prudent policies and procedures designed to minimize the potential for this type of incident and to help ensure the safety and care of our residents. We take these matters very seriously and while we can never guarantee that an incident won’t happen, we do take every possible step to avoid them.
I find it frustrating that it took the Attorney General’s Office over 1½ years to make an arrest of this individual after Kirkhaven took immediate action. We did a NYS Nurse Aide Registry check on Monique today and noted that the State has her listed as “certified” and “active”. The Registry also shows that she was employed by another area nursing home just 5 weeks after her termination at Kirkhaven. The State’s system is failing!
So please excuse my frustration as I read the Democrat and Chronicle article:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200901300300/NEWS01/90129026.
I don’t see the State’s system working as well as they would like you to believe. I don’t see this solely as a nursing home problem. We will continue to follow our procedures and take immediate action to protect our residents and provide quality care. But all our efforts won’t eliminate the risk that bad people do exist and unethical behavior will still occur in our political system, the business world and even in mission-based care facilities for the elderly.
All I ask is that we don’t let the actions of a few speak for the majority. I witness every day the dedication and love that goes into caring for our residents by the many hard working caregivers. The many wonderful stories and words of thanks from residents and family is the real news of the day. I invite anyone to come visit us at Kirkhaven (or any nursing home) and see for yourself the wonderful care and relationships that exist.
………….And now you know, the rest of the story!
I was reminded of Paul Harvey this past week, when on Friday morning (January 30) the local Rochester newspaper and TV news stations ran a headline story on "2 nursing home aides charged with resident abuse"
The news story would lead you to believe that the State Attorney Generals Office, “in a series of investigation in home health care fraud and mistreatment at nursing homes”, saved the day by swooping in and arresting yet another criminal health care worker in the nick of time and thus protecting thousands of our elderly.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that the State Attorney General’s Office is willing to investigate and prosecute resident abuse and fraud to the fullest. Nursing homes don’t want these people working in their facilities either and always cooperate fully with the reporting and investigations of any issue they become aware of.
In the most recent case cited in this article, one of the charged nursing assistants was a result of an incident that occurred at Kirkhaven on May 5, 2007 (more than 1 ½ years ago).
Monique Jones applied for a Certified Nursing Assistant position at Kirkhaven on November 8, 2006. Kirkhaven adheres to a standard pre-employment procedure that includes: an applicant interview, work and personal reference checks, county and state criminal background checks, drug testing and status verification on the New York State Nurse Aide Registry.
She was hired on November 27, 2006 and worked as a per-diem nursing assistant. Consistent with all new hires, she attended the standard 2-day Kirkhaven orientation and a 2-week department training, which begins a 3-month “trial period”. Over the next four months, Monique received numerous in-service training offered to all staff, including “Managing Health Care Stress” and “Resident Altercation Policy & Procedures”. The latter course includes Kirkhaven’s zero-tolerance resident abuse policy.
On May 2, 2007, Monique and another nursing assistant were helping a male resident transfer from his wheelchair to his bed at 2 p.m. The file statement from the other nursing assistant reads, “the resident started kicking as we moved him into his bed and Monique said don’t you kick me and she kicked him in the left side”. This was reported to nursing administration immediately. After interviewing the individuals involved and conducting an internal investigation, Monique’s employment was terminated that day and the incident was reported to the NYS Health Department.
In short, it appears that Kirkhaven followed its standard and prudent policies and procedures designed to minimize the potential for this type of incident and to help ensure the safety and care of our residents. We take these matters very seriously and while we can never guarantee that an incident won’t happen, we do take every possible step to avoid them.
I find it frustrating that it took the Attorney General’s Office over 1½ years to make an arrest of this individual after Kirkhaven took immediate action. We did a NYS Nurse Aide Registry check on Monique today and noted that the State has her listed as “certified” and “active”. The Registry also shows that she was employed by another area nursing home just 5 weeks after her termination at Kirkhaven. The State’s system is failing!
So please excuse my frustration as I read the Democrat and Chronicle article:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200901300300/NEWS01/90129026.
I don’t see the State’s system working as well as they would like you to believe. I don’t see this solely as a nursing home problem. We will continue to follow our procedures and take immediate action to protect our residents and provide quality care. But all our efforts won’t eliminate the risk that bad people do exist and unethical behavior will still occur in our political system, the business world and even in mission-based care facilities for the elderly.
All I ask is that we don’t let the actions of a few speak for the majority. I witness every day the dedication and love that goes into caring for our residents by the many hard working caregivers. The many wonderful stories and words of thanks from residents and family is the real news of the day. I invite anyone to come visit us at Kirkhaven (or any nursing home) and see for yourself the wonderful care and relationships that exist.
………….And now you know, the rest of the story!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
25 years of Caring at Kirkhaven (1984-2009)
I'm feeling a little nostalgic (or old) this week as I convened an ad-hoc committee of staff to develop and coordinate a 25th anniversary celebration for Kirkhaven. Has it really been 25 years already?
So all week, I've been "revisiting" in my head all of the wonderful memories, people and events that have been a special part of Kirkhaven's first 25 years. There are so many memories to recall and stories to tell that I can't do justice in just one short Blog.
In the beginning, I was the young student taking it all in and learning all I could. Today, I am the elder statesman, the story teller to pass on the Kirkhaven heritage so that future generations can understand where it all began.
I remember the day back in 1983 when I was first hired and visited the renovation in process at what was once the Pavillion Nursing Home, but soon to be Kirkhaven. My boss, Phil Price, took me through what looked like a holocaust event. He explained that the former owners had literally ceased operations in a matter of days in a dispute with the State over reimbursement rates. Residents were transferred to other facilities and the staff just left everything and closed up for good. The building sat idle for many years until the Presbyterian group led organization came along with the vision to start a new nursing home named Kirkhaven. There were books left open on counters, reading glasses on desks and rumor has it food left in the oven.
We cleaned it up, completed a comprehensive interior renovation and on February 20,1984 began admitting our first residents. We thought we had planned for everything, which was no easy task starting from scratch. We spent months working out of temporary off-site office locations writing policies and procedures, recruiting staff, ordering supplies, setting up systems. It was a blessed day when the first resident arrived via chair-mobile and was taken to her new room upstairs. Our very first admission, we were very proud and excited. Then our new admission asked for some water at her bedside. Whoops..........seems like we forgot to order water pitchers or cups!
Needless to say, we survived that first day and first week and the rest as they say is history. But it has been a memorable history.
Like just a few short months later when we were running out of money waiting for the "red-tape" to release our first Medicaid reimbursement payment. My boss and I had to present our hard-luck case and need to the Session of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in a request for them to co-sign a bank loan to enable us to meet our payroll that same week. They peppered us with questions that we couldn't really answer very well based on our short operational history. When we left the meeting, my boss said to me, "it's in the hands of the lord now". I remember thinking to myself, " Oh great, they never taught me faith accounting in college to prepare me for nights like this". It was late that evening when I got the call that the Session had approved our request and we were still in business for another day.
Eventually our Medicaid checks starting coming and the cash flows improved to enable us to become self sustaining. We had an awesome staff who just loved being a part of something so new and special. We created a unique "Kirkhaven Way" that quickly brought us an elite reputation for quality care. There are still 17 employees working at Kirkhaven today from that initial pioneer group back in 1984. I have been blessed to have worked with so many dedicated and caring individuals over the past 25 years. Each have left their own special mark on Kirkhaven, but none so remarkable as the first president/administrator- Phil Price.
In addition to the staff, Kirkhaven's history has been shaped by the many unique and wonderful residents who have lived here over the 25 years. And amazingly enough, we still have one resident with us today who was admitted in our very first year back in 1984. We have had our share of characters and each one has touched our lives in a special way.
One of my personal favorites was a lady named Helen, who drove the staff "crazy". She was very demanding and increasingly anxious and paranoid about everything, but she loved me like a son. Whenever she had an incident, I would visit with her and calm her down. She called me "Jimmy" and is one of only a few people that I accepted that from. I remember the day staff called me to report she had her coat and hat on and was headed out into the cold to leave for good. We sat forever in the lobby just talking, until finally she said she was tired and wanted to go back to her room for a nap. I don't recall her ever threatening to walk out again.
Another of my favorites was a lady named Elsie who I "adopted" as my grandmother. We had a weekly routine where I would visit with her and help her select her menu for the upcoming week. She had an opinion about everything and always would tell me about what was right and wrong with Kirkhaven. Funny thing was, she was usually right on and became my eyes and ears of the organization from an "inside" perspective. I was so grateful that staff contacted me the evening she was dying and we enjoyed a comforting hug just hours before she passed away peacefully in her sleep.
Death is something you get used to working in a nursing home, but you soon learn to not dwell on the loss of friendships, but on the joy of having had the opportunity for the friendships. You quickly learn the value of wisdom in elders and come to appreciate what great gifts they have to share. 25 years of access to this wisdom has made me, and others at Kirkhaven, a very fortunate person.
There have been many relationships developed over the past 25 years. Board members, business partners, volunteers, donors, families, in addition to staff and residents. I guess it is obvious to say that it is these relationships that define what Kirkhaven has become and means to all of us.
As I travel back in my memory, I am reminded of the annual summer resident picnics, the resident Olympics, our first pet therapy dog Mandy, the trials and tribulations of securing our first HUD financing guarantee, the South Wing addition, the Alzheimer Unit addition, our first transport van purchase, our 10 year anniversary, Phil Price's retirement party, the creation of Seniorsfirst Communities & Services and the list could go on and on and on............
I look forward to sharing more history and plans for our 25th anniversary celebration in the weeks to come. We are planning an Open House on Friday, February 20th and several fun events to mark our 25 years of Caring!
Thanks for visiting my Blog. Be sure to visit again next week for more updates on what's happening at Seniorsfirst.
So all week, I've been "revisiting" in my head all of the wonderful memories, people and events that have been a special part of Kirkhaven's first 25 years. There are so many memories to recall and stories to tell that I can't do justice in just one short Blog.
In the beginning, I was the young student taking it all in and learning all I could. Today, I am the elder statesman, the story teller to pass on the Kirkhaven heritage so that future generations can understand where it all began.
I remember the day back in 1983 when I was first hired and visited the renovation in process at what was once the Pavillion Nursing Home, but soon to be Kirkhaven. My boss, Phil Price, took me through what looked like a holocaust event. He explained that the former owners had literally ceased operations in a matter of days in a dispute with the State over reimbursement rates. Residents were transferred to other facilities and the staff just left everything and closed up for good. The building sat idle for many years until the Presbyterian group led organization came along with the vision to start a new nursing home named Kirkhaven. There were books left open on counters, reading glasses on desks and rumor has it food left in the oven.
We cleaned it up, completed a comprehensive interior renovation and on February 20,1984 began admitting our first residents. We thought we had planned for everything, which was no easy task starting from scratch. We spent months working out of temporary off-site office locations writing policies and procedures, recruiting staff, ordering supplies, setting up systems. It was a blessed day when the first resident arrived via chair-mobile and was taken to her new room upstairs. Our very first admission, we were very proud and excited. Then our new admission asked for some water at her bedside. Whoops..........seems like we forgot to order water pitchers or cups!
Needless to say, we survived that first day and first week and the rest as they say is history. But it has been a memorable history.
Like just a few short months later when we were running out of money waiting for the "red-tape" to release our first Medicaid reimbursement payment. My boss and I had to present our hard-luck case and need to the Session of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in a request for them to co-sign a bank loan to enable us to meet our payroll that same week. They peppered us with questions that we couldn't really answer very well based on our short operational history. When we left the meeting, my boss said to me, "it's in the hands of the lord now". I remember thinking to myself, " Oh great, they never taught me faith accounting in college to prepare me for nights like this". It was late that evening when I got the call that the Session had approved our request and we were still in business for another day.
Eventually our Medicaid checks starting coming and the cash flows improved to enable us to become self sustaining. We had an awesome staff who just loved being a part of something so new and special. We created a unique "Kirkhaven Way" that quickly brought us an elite reputation for quality care. There are still 17 employees working at Kirkhaven today from that initial pioneer group back in 1984. I have been blessed to have worked with so many dedicated and caring individuals over the past 25 years. Each have left their own special mark on Kirkhaven, but none so remarkable as the first president/administrator- Phil Price.
In addition to the staff, Kirkhaven's history has been shaped by the many unique and wonderful residents who have lived here over the 25 years. And amazingly enough, we still have one resident with us today who was admitted in our very first year back in 1984. We have had our share of characters and each one has touched our lives in a special way.
One of my personal favorites was a lady named Helen, who drove the staff "crazy". She was very demanding and increasingly anxious and paranoid about everything, but she loved me like a son. Whenever she had an incident, I would visit with her and calm her down. She called me "Jimmy" and is one of only a few people that I accepted that from. I remember the day staff called me to report she had her coat and hat on and was headed out into the cold to leave for good. We sat forever in the lobby just talking, until finally she said she was tired and wanted to go back to her room for a nap. I don't recall her ever threatening to walk out again.
Another of my favorites was a lady named Elsie who I "adopted" as my grandmother. We had a weekly routine where I would visit with her and help her select her menu for the upcoming week. She had an opinion about everything and always would tell me about what was right and wrong with Kirkhaven. Funny thing was, she was usually right on and became my eyes and ears of the organization from an "inside" perspective. I was so grateful that staff contacted me the evening she was dying and we enjoyed a comforting hug just hours before she passed away peacefully in her sleep.
Death is something you get used to working in a nursing home, but you soon learn to not dwell on the loss of friendships, but on the joy of having had the opportunity for the friendships. You quickly learn the value of wisdom in elders and come to appreciate what great gifts they have to share. 25 years of access to this wisdom has made me, and others at Kirkhaven, a very fortunate person.
There have been many relationships developed over the past 25 years. Board members, business partners, volunteers, donors, families, in addition to staff and residents. I guess it is obvious to say that it is these relationships that define what Kirkhaven has become and means to all of us.
As I travel back in my memory, I am reminded of the annual summer resident picnics, the resident Olympics, our first pet therapy dog Mandy, the trials and tribulations of securing our first HUD financing guarantee, the South Wing addition, the Alzheimer Unit addition, our first transport van purchase, our 10 year anniversary, Phil Price's retirement party, the creation of Seniorsfirst Communities & Services and the list could go on and on and on............
I look forward to sharing more history and plans for our 25th anniversary celebration in the weeks to come. We are planning an Open House on Friday, February 20th and several fun events to mark our 25 years of Caring!
Thanks for visiting my Blog. Be sure to visit again next week for more updates on what's happening at Seniorsfirst.
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