On this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Chris Wilson, Attorney and Healthcare Ethics Consultant, sits down with us to share her insight on the state of bioethics in the LTC industry.

Chris describes her journey of first becoming an RN, and then an attorney with a focus on bioethics. She shares that there’s often an overlap between bioethics issues and legal issues which need more attention from the LTC industry as a whole.

Chris highlights the fact that the LTC industry is lagging behind other healthcare sectors in regards to bioethics because LTC facilities are so busy with regulation issues and are spread thin for resources.

She talks about the importance of educating more health systems on bioethics, and says that all levels of staff should have some sort of bioethics training.

Chris also drives home the point that bioethicists and bioethics committees don’t make healthcare decisions, but rather, they assist others in making the decisions that support patient-centered care.

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What kind of valuable and actionable advice do you expect we’ll cover in today’s episode?

I think that we will be able to show how bioethics is a fabulous adjunct to person-centered care, which we're all trying to provide.

What is one lesser-known resource, book, or newsletter that you go to when you want to be up to date on LTC info?

Providermagazine.com and Dr. Karl Steinberg’s Article on Bioethics in LTC.

Who is one mentor who has influenced the way that you do care in our industry?

I have to mention Dr. Karl Steinberg. He's a geriatrician and a certified bioethicist who has led the charge for person-centered care. He's going to be, if he's not already taken the position, President of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care.

What advice would you give your younger self starting in LTC?

Don't be afraid to stick it out in LTC just because of a bad experience. It's gonna get better. It will get better, and you'll get to be proud of the fact that you work in long-term care.

In this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Joe Mason, Administrator of Prairie Manor, sits down with us to share his experience of being a young leader in the LTC Industry.

At only 28 years of age, Joe already has many years under his belt as a successful LTC administrator. He shares that building confidence as a young leader is a process, and that there’s always a little bit of imposter syndrome you have to work through. These insecurities, however, can help you stay on your toes and strive to improve everyday.

Joe discusses the cultural changes that he’s seen over his years as an administrator, including the push to make LTC facilities feel more like home for the residents. Part of accomplishing this, according to Joe, is to give residents as much autonomy as possible so that they feel like they are playing a bigger part in their plan of care.

He says that some unique traits he brings to the table as a young administrator is having a deep understanding of technology and systems, which allows him to support other staff with new technologies. He also notes that his ability to be decisive has played a big role in his success.

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What valuable or actionable advice will we chat about that might be helpful for someone else in our industry?

I think regulation is always a hot topic about long-term care. We get regulation from so many different areas, whether that is CMS, CDC, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and regulation is always a topic.

What is one lesser-known book, newsletter, or industry resource that you would send me to understand long-term care?

Leading Age, for our area especially, is a huge resource for me. On a not so long-term care-related topic, Ted Talks. I love TED Talks. I always listen to TED Talks and they help me become a better leader.

Name one mentor that has influenced the way that you deliver care in our industry?

Chad Stroschein, the President of Caring Professionals. He's the one who gave me my first job at 21 years old. He had that faith and confidence in me. And if you are in long-term care in South Dakota, you probably know the name Chad Stroschein or Caring Professionals. He’s a wonderful guy so big shout out to him.

He also helped me with confidence. He was a man of faith, and I am as well. He just taught me to embrace that faith in my professional life, as well as my personal life.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Putting out those fires, having those tough talks, and being more present is the most important thing for me personally, especially given my personality. And I would tell myself to have that confidence and not to be afraid to pick up that phone. Don't be afraid to ask questions. People are generally nice, and they don't want to upset you or to hold you back. So if you just talk to them and ask questions, they'll help you.

In this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Greg Byrge, Executive Director at Wesley, and Jamilyn Bloodworth, Director of Marketing Admissions at Wesley, sit down with us to share their deep knowledge of marketing in the LTC industry.

We discuss the challenges that smaller LTC facilities such as Wesley face in concerns with marketing admissions and highlight the importance of letting your marketing director have full autonomy so they can do their job effectively.

Jamilyn and Greg talk about their strategies for keeping beds full, including forming and nurturing relationships with niche hospitals, always delivering top-notch customer service, and going the extra mile to be helpful to hospital discharge planners.

Jamilyn notes that a slow and steady marketing strategy is far more effective than aggressive tactics in this industry. She also describes the traits you need as a director of marketing admissions to find success.

Greg and Jamilyn close the show by discussing the importance of taking the right patients at the right time, instead of just taking patients for the sake of filling a bed. This strategy will do more for your reputation and quality of care in the long run.

Learn more and sign up to be notified about future episodes at LTCHeroes.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamilyn-bloodworth-089b5278/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-byrge-5b5840189/

https://wesleychoice.org/

On this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Lisa Leatherwood, Administrator of Silver Bluff Village, and Ally Leatherwood, CNA at Silver Bluff Village, join us to discuss their experience of managing and working at their family-run LTC facility.

Lisa is the third-generation operator at Silver Bluff Village and she describes how leadership qualities and skills get passed down through generations. She notes that it’s a process of taking the best qualities from past generations and revamping any qualities that could be improved.

This continuous improvement, passion for LTC, and humble confidence in how they do things have been a key driver of success for Silver Bluff Village.

Lisa discusses the importance of developing a good reputation as a family-run business in order to have ongoing support from your community, especially when the going gets tough as in the case of the pandemic.

As where other LTC facilities kept quiet about their response to the pandemic, Silver Bluff took an honest approach and was transparent with the public about what was happening and what they were doing in response.

Ally also makes an appearance and shares her journey of learning from her Mom, and why she ultimately decided to also join the family business.

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On this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Sky Bergman, Director of Lives Well Lived sits down with us to discuss her documentary and the fruitful insights that came from it.

Sky outlines her inspiration for the film and highlights the importance of having the right questions and framework to start from when capturing the stories of elders.

She notes that if your LTC facility wants to start a similar process of gaining insight from your residents, it’s best to take it slow—asking one question per week could be a great place to start.

She discusses mortality and says it’s important to converse with our elders about it to give them the chance to truly describe their last wishes and desires for the remainder of their lives.

Sky describes the positive benefits LTC facilities have gained by screening her film, including the fact that it serves as a concrete reminder for staff that all residents have a story. They wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to engage with their residents on a deeper level.

Sky closes the episode by highlighting the importance of intergenerational connection for breaking down ageism. She also provides nurses and other LTC staff with actionable advice on how to connect with residents about their stories.

Learn more and sign up to be notified about future episodes at LTCHeroes.com

What kind of valuable and actionable advice do you expect we’ll cover in today’s episode?

I think one of the things that is really important is to collect the stories of our older adults, you know, those will be lost if we don't collect them. And then of course we have to share them, and share them with the people who are working at the long-term care facilities. Because to remind everyone, that these are not just patients, they are people that have amazing lives. And it really helps to validate everyone's life if we collect the stories, and we really listen to our elders.

What is one lesser-known resource, book, or newsletter that you go to when you want to be up to date on LTC info?

I really love Dr. Roger Landry and Masterpiece Living, and I think that their ideas very much align with the things that I discovered in the film. I would definitely look at his work and his book.

Who is one mentor who has influenced the way that you do care in our industry?

Of course my grandmother has been my biggest role model because I want to be like her. And then I think secondly, I would say my dad, who is a geriatric physician, and has been since he got out of med school. He is still practicing even now, in the midst of all this craziness.

On this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Glenn Fox, Executive VP - Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, and General Counsel at ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, sits down with us to share his legal and financial expertise in the LTC industry.

Glenn outlines the differences between non-profit LTC acquisitions and affiliations, describing why organizations would choose one over the other, or a combination of both. He discusses the main reasons organizations would want to be acquired or become affiliated, which includes needing financial assistance and guidance when there’s a change in management.

Glenn shares the importance of mission compatibility when affiliating with an LTC organization, and why proper management is needed at all levels of the affiliation to ensure its success.

He also brings up the point that affiliations take time. Both sides need to be comfortable and working from a place of trust in order for the process to run smoothly.

If you’re an organization looking for the right legal counsel on affiliations, Glenn recommends finding counsel that has experience working with your type of organization, or someone that is willing to help you find the experts you need.

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What kind of valuable and actionable advice can LTC lovers and listeners expect to learn from you today?

An understanding that if there are issues that your organization is facing, there are people and organizations out there that have faced similar issues.

What is one lesser-known book, newsletter, or industry resource you go to for up-to-date LTC info?

Anything by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, LeadingAge.org, and topic-specific searches on Google.

Name one mentor in the LTC industry that is active on social media or Linkedin that inspires you and that the rest of us should be following because of their contribution?

If you’re talking about individual areas I’d have to recommend the Leading Age again, and for other items like inspiration, people like Simon Sinek and his book, Leaders Eat Last.

If you were to start working tomorrow in the LTC industry, day 1, but with the same knowledge and wisdom you have today, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Be sure to use common sense and look at the big picture, it is so important. Also, I tell young attorneys that they will never know all the answers. Figure out whether you have good instincts or bad instincts. If you have good instincts, go with them; if not, figure out an alternative.

https://www.mcknights.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-fox-03621678/

https://leadingage.org/

Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek

https://www.actsretirement.org/

On this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Erica Knepper, Director of Business Development/RN Consultant at Holgate Center, sits down with us to talk about her many career transitions and the associated challenges of becoming a young female leader in the LTC industry.

Erica shares what it takes to be an effective leader in LTC, noting that being willing to do what you’re asking of others is a key aspect of leadership. In order to empower the people you’re managing or leading, you have to listen to them, find the root causes of problems, and follow through on your promises.

She describes the importance of having the courage to speak up for those who need it and going the extra mile to ensure there’s an unwavering focus on high-quality resident care. Instilling these qualities in your staff and organization starts with the example set by leadership.

Erica encourages other nurse leaders to leverage any leadership resources they have available to them. Even if you don’t think you have the time, by leveling up your leadership abilities through ongoing training, you’ll end up saving more time and energy for the things that matter most.

She closes the episode by encouraging leaders and nurses to stick to their internal morals and values, letting these guide their decision-making and journey in LTC.

Learn more and sign up to be notified about future episodes at LTCHeroes.com

What kind of valuable and actionable advice do you expect we’ll cover in today’s episode?

I think the biggest thing is to teach nurses how important it is to be allies in many senses of the word, and what they need to do to be successful nurses and leaders. I would also have to say that we’ll address ways to battle burnout.

What is one lesser-known resource, book, or newsletter that you go to when you want to be up to date on LTC info?

Today’s Geriatric Medicine is a great magazine to be able to learn a lot of what's going on. Another one specifically for long-term care would be Mcknights Long-Term Care News.

Who is one mentor who has influenced the way that you do care in our industry?

Patti Garibaldi. She functions day-to-day with such a sense of ease, smoothness, and clarity in what she does, and she goes about it in a way that most nurse consultants aren't ever able to successfully do, which is having compassion drive her decisions.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self starting in LTC?

I think the most important thing is that you really have to stick to your internal morals and values and let them guide you. Don't let others take you down a path that isn't really internally what you believe in.

Today’s Geriatric Medicine

Mcknights Long-Term Care News

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-knepper-73207867/

In this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Annette Greely, President and CEO at Jones-Harrison Residence, shares her experience of improving LTC facilities through effective change management.

She says that although some LTC facilities look good on paper, you need to enter those facilities with “eyes wide open,” taking an honest look at what needs to be improved. She shares how she addresses change with leaders that are stuck in their ways by finding a balance between pushing them in the right direction and respecting where they’re at.

Annette describes the importance of involving all parties affected by the change from the beginning and supporting them to stay accountable so that the changes can last.

She notes that cultural change happens when there’s buy-in from management, and even more importantly, when lower-level staff truly understand the “why” of making certain culture changes.

Annette also shares why change management leaders need to be transparent with their decisions so that all organization members understand why the changes are necessary. She closes the episode by discussing how having flexibility as a leader leads to more effective outcomes for those you are leading.

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What kind of valuable and actionable advice do you expect we’ll cover in today’s episode?

Annette: I think what we're going to talk about is change management. I don't think we ever really use the language in our industry, but that is an essence of what we are doing when we're always managing and looking at system changes.

What is one lesser-known resource, book, or newsletter that you go to when you want to be up to date on LTC info?

Annette: I really read everything. And I think that's the way to do it. I like reading things, even outside of our industry, that might be talking about our industry to give us a different perspective.

Who is one mentor who has influenced the way that you do care in our industry?

Annette: I don't really pick just one person. I feel like people come and go through our careers and I pick the best parts of multiple people.

If you were going to start over in LTC with the knowledge you have today, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Annette: Don't be afraid to make decisions that people might not like. Because if you're going to be a leader, you're going to be in that position, you're going to make decisions people don't like and families don't like and as long as you're doing it for the right reason, hold your ground.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetteg7/

Good to Great - Jim Collins

7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

Checklist Manifesto - Atul Gawande

In this episode of the LTC Heroes Podcast, Barbara Klick, CEO at Sholom Community Alliance, shares her expertise around care coordination and effective leadership in acute care and LTC.

Barbara discusses how her business knowledge paired with her clinical experience allows her to balance high-quality clinical care with meeting financial objectives. She explores the importance of aligning with an organization’s values as a CEO and highlights the emphasis that Sholom puts on honoring elders and the impact of forgiveness.

She dives into what it takes to improve care coordination in LTC and points out that leveraging community resources can play a big role in supporting this cause.

Barbara also talks about how we can add meaning to our elders’ lives by allowing them to share their knowledge and skills with younger community members.

Barbara discusses why adaptive leaders are needed now more than ever, and also shares the importance of embracing culture and forming strong relationships within your organization as a leader.

She closes the episode by encouraging leaders and staff members to be transparent about what they know and don’t know, and to be willing to ask for help when needed.

Learn more and sign up to be notified about future episodes at LTCHeroes.com

What actionable or valuable advice do you think we will cover today about the long-term care industry?

Barbara: I'm going to provide a window into post-acute care, or perhaps even a bridge for some of you.

What is one lesser-known book, resource, or newsletter that you would recommend I look into to better understand long-term care?

Barbara: LeadingAge’s national website.

Name one mentor or somebody in your life who's inspired you or has had an impact on the way that you approach care?

Barbara: Gayle Kvenvold. She is the president of the LeadingAge Minnesota chapter.

What advice would you give your younger self going into acute care now, knowing what you know after working in both sides of care?

Barbara: My younger self was more oblivious to the fragmentation of care in acute care. So knowing what I know now, I would have paid more attention to handoffs, relationships, partnerships, and other collaborative opportunities.

https://www.leadingage.org/

https://www.sholom.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-klick-rn-mba-a6497a7/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gayle-kvenvold-8432a932/

In this episode of the LTC Heroes Podcast, Scott Stuewe, President and CEO of DirectTrust, shares his insight on improving interoperability for the healthcare industry and LTC facilities.

He describes the current approaches to interoperability, what needs to change, and the ongoing challenges the healthcare system faces in this regard.

Scott points out that the LTC industry is behind in their interoperability efforts due to facilities not being obligated to integrate these kinds of solutions. It’s also because EHR vendors previously haven’t been building interoperability capabilities for these facilities.

He outlines the steps LTC facilities can take to enhance interoperability, from implementing simple inbox solutions to more complex integrations.

Scott talks about the work at DirectTrust and how they’re able to create a trusted information exchange ecosystem. He explains that an ideal interoperability channel contains efficient and curated referrals, organized notifications, streamlined workflows, and enhanced usability.

He closes with how DirectTrust plans to create differentiation in the messages their network handles to help information receivers behave differently for the purpose of more LTC interoperability success.

Learn more and sign up to be notified about future episodes at LTCHeroes.com

What valuable or actionable advice do you expect we'll cover in today's chat?

Scott: I'm really hoping people understand that there are really inexpensive, quick, and easy ways to achieve interoperability for long-term care organizations.

What is one lesser-known book, newsletter, or industry resource that you recommend I go to for a better understanding of the long-term care industry?

Scott: Jerry Seelig’s Newsletter called ‘Revitalize.’

Name one mentor or influencer in your life that has inspired you for the work that you do in the long-term care industry?

Scott: I had the pleasure of working for the founder of Cerner Corporation, Neil Patterson. I found him very remarkable in terms of visibility to see where the industry was going, and actually to influence where the industry would go.

If you were to start all over again in interoperability today, knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?

Scott: I would just have to tell myself to relax and be patient.

DirectTrust.org

2021 DirectTrust Summit

[email protected]

Revitalize Newsletter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottstuewe/