Life Care Center of Farmington: A Home of Champions
Only a healthcare worker can understand what life was like inside a skilled nursing home experiencing the lethal impact of COVID-19 in the earliest months of 2020. As the pandemic started its sweep across America in late February, no one knew much about it. Providers like Life Care Center of Farmington that fought the virus just weeks after the first reported U.S. outbreak faced a much different battle than facilities that dealt with the virus in the summer and into the fall.
When the facility experienced its first positive case on April 1, 2020, medical professionals around the country were still uncertain about how the virus spread, only that it spread quickly. Testing was limited in those early days, and Life Care’s associates (staff members) were rightfully scared. It made staffing a challenge.
“When COVID-19 was first diagnosed here in this building, it was scary,” said Julie Hank-Sanderson, director of nursing. “I couldn’t believe we had a case in my building, in one of my residents who called Life Care home. It took the battle to a whole new level. One second, we were trying to keep the virus out, the next we were fighting an unseen enemy that struck fast and hard. It didn’t care your age, your ethnicity or where you came from in life – it struck all the same, and the results were devastating.”
As guidance on how to deal with an outbreak changed almost daily and PPE became an acronym everyone was familiar with, the loss of life in nursing homes like Life Care Center of Farmington was staggering. The facility lost 44 precious residents to COVID-19 between April and June. For associates, it was devastating. It was like losing 44 members of their own family.
“There really are no words to describe the pain,” said Kristin Shambro, Life Care’s regional vice president for the area that includes Life Center of Farmington.
The facility’s associates worked tirelessly to remain up to date on latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the local and state health departments. Despite their grief, they sacrificed their own health and dedicated themselves to their work, to serving their residents and encouraging and uplifting their co-workers. While they battled the virus inside the walls of the facility, they were also dealing with the affects of the pandemic on their personal lives – the same fears and challenges and changes that all of us have dealt with this year.
It was evident that the pandemic had taken a huge toll on Life Care Center of Farmington’s associates, and the facility’s leadership recognized a need to help associates recover and know that their heroic efforts had been seen and were validated. The result was the birth of the “Home of Champions” concept, an internal campaign that was created to intentionally admire the associate heroes that walk the halls of Life Care Center of Farmington every day. A program to recognize associates whose valiant efforts often go unnoticed but who wholly deserve recognition and praise.
The campaign seeks to encourage associates through everything from handwritten notes to team-inspired signage throughout the facility to an inspirational champion-themed devotional booklet written by a former president of Life Care.
Today, Life Care Center of Farmington continues to provide a high level of service to its residents in a safe environment that focuses on the health and peace of mind of residents and their families. These efforts were acknowledged by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently, when CMS named Life Care Center of Farmington a 5-star facility, the highest rating possible from the government agency that regulates the skilled nursing industry.
“To not get a single tag in the CMS survey is amazing,” said Matt Ham, vice president for Life Care’s Southwest Division. “It shows the teamwork that occurred in Farmington and how stringently they followed all policy and protocols.”
The fight against COVID-19 is far from over, and associates at the facility remain vigilant. Every day, they still show up on the front lines and do everything possible to prevent the virus from re-entering the facility and to protect their residents – their family.
“I must say, not once did our associates falter in this fight,” said Hank-Sanderson. “Every day, we rose together and fought as champions against an invisible enemy that tore through our hearts and souls. I am honored to fight alongside this team for our residents and each other.”
Life Care Center of Farmington is proud to be a proud Home of Champions – a place where true champions live and work.
