Our Purpose - The LTC Podcast

In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, hosts Kip Kruger, James Dieter, and Chris Light sit down with Marjorie Dorrow, President and COO of Cascade Health Services, to explore what it truly means to lead with heart in the long-term care industry.

From her beginnings in social work to running award-winning facilities, Marjorie shares how a simple philosophy — “Always Be Kind” (ABK) — transformed her team culture, improved retention, and strengthened resident care.

She opens up about:
 • How kindness and hospitality shape stronger teams
 • The balance between business, care, and compassion
 • Empowering administrators and DONs to lead with trust and transparency
 • Lessons from mistakes, growth, and the pursuit of purpose in LTC

Whether you’re a leader, clinician, or anyone passionate about people-centered care, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and real-world strategies to elevate your team and mission.

🎧 Listen now and discover how purpose and kindness can redefine leadership in long-term care.

Family-owned. Purpose-driven. Momentum Skilled Services VP of Finance Forrest Threadgill breaks down how a mission-first approach can still win on operations and the bottom line. From acquisition strategy to why building layout can save millions in staffing, we dig into the real levers of successful SNFs.

In this episode:

• Growing from 1 to 10 communities without “growth for growth’s sake”
• How facility design (K-plan vs. circular/two-story) drives staffing levels & cost
• Medicare Advantage realities: denials, delays, and factoring cash-flow solutions
• Managing Medicaid pending risk and AR processes
• Where expenses swing most (labor, transportation/ambulance), and KPIs that matter
• The state survey climate, fines, and staff morale
• THCA board insights: unity across operators to negotiate better terms
• Early AI use cases (risk lists) and back-office opportunities
• Forrest’s purpose: creating communities where residents, families, and staff feel loved

If this episode helps you, please like, subscribe, and share with your LTC network.

Inside the Heart of Long-Term Care: Ashlea Ondrusek on Purpose & Growth

Executive leader Ashlea Ondrusek (Avir Health Group) explains how her team scaled rapidly across Texas while protecting the essentials: patient dignity, staff culture, and measurable outcomes. We cover higher-acuity care in SNFs (in-house dialysis, vent units, NP coverage), PDPM adoption and documentation, survey/regulatory readiness with a former state surveyor on staff, and why THCA unity is accelerating positive change statewide. Ashlea also shares practical playbooks for recruiting during a nursing shortage, preventing leadership burnout, and celebrating wins so teams want to stay and grow. She closes with an inspiring personal purpose statement.

Topics: culture-first growth, PDPM, survey strategy, THCA unity, recruitment & retention, special focus turnarounds, staff appreciation, burnout prevention, patient outcomes.

Subscribe for more conversations elevating long-term care and skilled nursing.

Texas Long-Term Care at a Crossroads

THCA President & CEO Travis Clardy joins us at THCA’s 75th convention to break down the state of Texas long-term care: funding progress (PDPM, QIPP), a troubling rise in Immediate Jeopardy citations despite improving quality metrics, the day-to-day realities of HHSC/CMS oversight, and the urgent need to recruit and retain a bigger, better-prepared workforce. We also dig into due-process wins in ADR/appeals, why a single, unified industry voice matters, and how operators can prepare for the coming “silver tsunami.”

Highlights

• THCA’s renewed energy and what’s different in year 75
• IJ trends vs. quality data: reconciling the gap
• ADR/appeals reform and protecting fair outcomes
• Where Texas Medicaid rates now stand—and why it matters
• Practical workforce pipelines and training strategies
• Coordinating advocacy to speak with one voice across Texas

Guest: Travis Clardy, President & CEO, Texas Health Care Association (THCA)

Welcome to Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, where the people behind skilled nursing and long-term care share their stories. In this episode, hosts Kip Kruger, James Dieter, and Chris Light open up about the real challenges inside the industry—stress, staffing, patient outcomes, culture shifts, and the day-to-day details that make the difference.

From handwashing and wound care to navigating Medicaid cuts and staffing struggles, we explore how small actions, leadership, and collaboration can transform patient experiences. This is the start of a bigger conversation—a movement to shine light on the incredible people and solutions driving change in long-term care.

If you’re an administrator, caregiver, policy maker, or family member wanting to understand the heart of LTC, this episode is for you.

We’re excited to introduce Our Purpose! The LTC Podcast—a new space dedicated to conversations that matter in the long-term care industry.

In this short trailer, you’ll learn:

• What inspired this podcast
• Who should tune in (healthcare professionals, administrators, caregivers, and anyone passionate about improving patient outcomes)
• The kind of voices and stories you’ll hear in upcoming episodes
• How this show will bring collaboration, insight, and encouragement to the long-term healthcare community

Our mission is simple: to uplift and strengthen the future of care by sharing real-world experiences, innovative strategies, and purpose-driven perspectives.

👉 Subscribe now so you don’t miss our first full episode!