Whatever It Takes Champions – June 2022 edition

Life Care Centers of America's Whatever It Takes Champions program honors associates who go beyond their job descriptions in caring for residents, their families and fellow associates. Here are four of the inspiring stories from our recent winners. These associates are certainly Champions of Care.

Brenda Transon, unit nurse at Life Care Center of Lawrenceville, Georgia, went into search and recovery mode when the wife of a resident lost her phone. The wife had taken an Uber to the facility to visit her husband and accidentally left her phone in the driver’s car. When Brenda learned of the problem, she immediately took matters into her own hands. She made calls and sent emails for over 30 minutes, trying to get in touch with the Uber driver. She did not stop until the driver had been alerted and rerouted back to the facility to return the phone. Thanks, Brenda, for looking out for our residents and their families!

Mahalany Vargas, receptionist at Life Care Center of Yuma, Arizona, wanted a resident to look and feel her best for a wedding she was planning to attend. Mahalany decided to go to the facility on her off day and do this resident’s hair and makeup. For the rest of that day, the resident carried a big smile on her face, and she had a great time at the wedding!

Christopher Haley, central supply manager at Valley West Health Care Center in Eugene, Oregon, used his auto-mechanic skills to spare one of our residents a great deal of worry. This resident’s car had broken down at the facility, and the resident faced towing and repair expenses. When Christopher heard about their predicament, he immediately went out to the stalled car and got to work. The next day, the car was as good as new, and the resident was relieved and overjoyed. It’s clear that Christopher knows the importance of doing Whatever It Takes to help others in need.

Velma Jackson, housekeeper at Life Care Center of Sarasota, Florida, went to great lengths to help a hospice patient find peace during his final hours. This patient had a very special blanket, one that had comforted his wife when she was on hospice, and he wanted to keep it near him –– but the blanket was missing. Velma knew she had to act. After a lengthy search, Velma found the blanket and returned it to the patient. Finding the item that previously had given his wife so much peace brought great comfort to the patient and his family.