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When Speaking Your Truth Changes Lives: Manda Ayoub's Leadership Philosophy | Nursing Home Series | Senior Care · The Inspired Stories Podcast

0:04
Welcome to another edition of the Inspired Stories podcast,
0:08
where leaders share their experiences so we can learn from
0:11
their successes and be inspired by how they've overcome
0:14
adversity. My name is Anthony Kotaspodi and
0:16
today's guest is Manda IU, chief operating officer at Pomeroy
0:21
Living. Founded over 30 years ago in
0:24
Michigan, they provide compassionate and innovative
0:27
senior services which includes assisted living, memory care,
0:31
skilled nursing, short term rehabilitation and more.
0:35
Their mission is to deliver adaptable, high quality care
0:39
that celebrates life at every stage.
0:41
Amanda has been part of the organization since 2011,
0:45
bringing over 30 years of experience in the healthcare
0:48
industry. She overseas the operations and
0:51
outcomes of the clinical team while ensuring regulatory
0:55
compliance. Among her many responsibilities,
0:57
Amanda is particularly passionate about team building,
1:01
system implementation and education.
1:04
Amanda has played a pivotal role in opening 2 state-of-the-art
1:08
assisted living communities and integrating newly acquired
1:12
properties into the Pomeroy portfolio and business model.
1:15
She also spearheaded numerous healthcare initiatives that have
1:19
significantly improved patient outcomes.
1:22
And in 2023, Amanda earned recognition for completing the
1:26
Reducing Implicit Bias in Healthcare workshop from
1:29
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1:32
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2:02
All right, back to our guest today, the COO of Pomeroy
2:05
Living. Amanda, I appreciate you making
2:07
the time to Share your story today.
2:09
Thank you, Andy. It's great to be here.
2:11
Honored. So, 30 years of experience in
2:15
the healthcare industry, what first drew you in?
2:19
Oh, that's a good question. So I got into healthcare because
2:23
of my grandfather. I was a very young child.
2:27
My grandfather was foreign speaking and he was sick and in
2:33
the end of his life hospitalized almost monthly.
2:37
So my siblings and I and my parents all took turns staying
2:41
in the hospital with him. And one night after sleeping in
2:46
a chair all night, there was some interactions, some amazing,
2:50
some not so amazing. And one of those interactions
2:55
kind of set a bit of a fire in me that people needed amazing
3:01
care. So at the young age of, I think
3:06
11 or 12, I decided I was going to be a nurse and then became a
3:09
candy striper, I think somewhere around 15.
3:14
And then in high school, we had a health occupations class in
3:20
which we became nurse assistants.
3:21
And I did that in my senior year and won first place actually in
3:26
a national competition for nurse aids on my bed making abilities
3:30
and the ability to take blood pressures, etcetera.
3:34
You know, so started really early for me.
3:37
There was a question for healthcare.
3:40
What was the negative experience?
3:42
Your grandfather just wasn't receiving the kind of attention
3:45
that he deserved. You know, I think there's
3:47
negative experience in everything, right?
3:49
But there's there was tons of positive, but the negative was
3:53
my grandfather was a tall man. He was about 6 foot and didn't
3:58
speak English and he had diabetes.
4:00
And, you know, his legs were affected.
4:03
And so he needed help getting up to the restroom.
4:05
And he was a very dignified person.
4:08
And this nurse instead of helping him, kind of pushed him
4:12
back in bed. And I'm sure it was a timing and
4:16
a moment, and I'm hoping it wasn't who she was all the time,
4:24
but it hurt my soul to a level I didn't think could be hurt.
4:28
So I just knew at that moment that wasn't going to happen
4:31
under my watch. So I needed to be that nurse and
4:34
show them how it was done. And so you became a nurse.
4:38
You. Became a nurse.
4:40
And you started early candy striper.
4:43
Candy striper Nurse. Aide nurse.
4:45
Tech nurse. Yeah, long time.
4:47
And then and then when did you get involved in more of the
4:50
administration side of things? You know, that was funny.
4:55
So as you work up every position you're in, right, you can't wait
4:59
to be in that next position 'cause you realize you can
5:02
impact more. So when I was a nurse aide, I
5:04
couldn't wait to be a nurse so that I could not just take care
5:08
of them, but like make sure their meds were right and answer
5:11
their questions and be by their bedside.
5:13
And, and then when I was a nurse, then I wanted to be a
5:15
unit manager because I wanted to make sure all the nurses that
5:18
worked on the unit were great. When I was the unit manager, I
5:20
wanted to be the director of nursing because then I could
5:23
ensure all the nurses were great.
5:25
And then when I was the director of nursing, I wanted to be the
5:28
administrator because at the end of the day, the decisions the
5:31
administrator make affect all the patients.
5:34
And it's that crazy drive to affect as many people as
5:37
possible. That kind of drove me.
5:41
I, I just, I wanted more. I wanted to make the decisions
5:46
that affected the patient outcomes.
5:50
So we hear about the inspiration for getting into healthcare in
5:53
the 1st place, the experience there with your grandfather.
5:56
Did you have role models that sort of gave you the confidence
6:00
growing up that you could aspire to these higher levels of
6:05
responsibility? Oh God, yeah.
6:07
Along the way everywhere. When it started as a candy
6:10
striper at by County Hospital, there was a nurse I worked for
6:14
who who showed me things, you know, that maybe candy stripers
6:17
weren't supposed to see, but she she incited passion, told me it
6:22
could be more. And then as a nurse aide at the
6:26
Holy Cross Hospital, I worked under amazing nurses who were
6:30
constantly teaching me and telling me how great I could be
6:33
in this industry. There was tons of amazing
6:36
clinicians who inspired me. One of my biggest inspirations
6:40
is a woman named Angie Shimlinski, who heads Health
6:43
Cap, which is an insurance program.
6:45
She was my administrator Once Upon a time in the nursing home,
6:49
and she did it with style and grace.
6:53
Like this woman would be at a patient's bedside in one minute.
6:57
She was also a nurse and a nursing home administrator.
7:00
And then the next minute I would find her in the kitchen with a
7:02
hair nut on the food line. And I was, I was inspired by so
7:08
many amazing, amazing nurses. So many mentors, couldn't even
7:16
name them all if I wanted to. I was very lucky.
7:18
I've been surrounded by amazing humans.
7:21
And then how did the opportunity at Pomeroy first open up for
7:25
you? That's a good one.
7:28
So I was working for a company that managed one of Pomeroy, Mr.
7:35
Pomeroy's first nursing homes. He owned multiple but didn't
7:40
manage them. Every one of them was managed by
7:43
a different organization. So he had a building.
7:46
It was in a little bit of trouble and they, the management
7:51
company that I worked for said we really need you to go into
7:54
this building it, it needs you. And I then met with Mr. Pomeroy
7:59
and his president at the time and, you know, talked about who
8:07
I was and what I could do. And then, you know, after some
8:10
conversations, they gave me an offer to come out and run their
8:14
building in Rochester. And it was in a little bit of
8:17
trouble at the time, right. The management company that was
8:21
managing it, that I worked for was having a hard time really
8:24
getting the right leader in that community.
8:26
And so that's where it started. I went in and just started
8:31
working. And So what was the biggest
8:34
problem you needed to clean up first?
8:39
I think most healthcare problems are tied back to validation and
8:46
the tough conversation. We have a lot of leaders who
8:51
want to be liked and want to be friendly, but that's not what a
8:57
leader really is. A leader is a person who's OK
9:00
with the tough conversations, who is fair and consistent, who
9:04
holds people accountable, who can love you even when they have
9:10
to let you go, right? So leadership is tough, and it's
9:15
not for everyone. And a lot of people strive to be
9:18
leaders and get into these roles, but aren't really ready
9:21
to do what it takes to make it work.
9:26
Where do you think your comfort with having these hard
9:30
conversations comes from? That's my parents.
9:34
So I am born of a woman who has no filter.
9:41
God love her. And she was a tough mom and I,
9:46
my dad was tough growing up as well, but very loving, right?
9:50
So there was a little bit of both.
9:52
But my dad also promoted debate in our house.
9:56
You know, like, if my siblings and I were arguing, he wouldn't
9:59
really stop us. He would make us debate it out,
10:03
which was nice. You know, we got comfortable
10:06
being uncomfortable. And that's a lot of people don't
10:11
get that same practice at home. They're silenced.
10:13
Their opinions don't matter. Our opinions mattered from an
10:16
early age. We had family dinners in which
10:18
we debated politics. I mean, what 10 year old has an
10:23
opinion about politics? Well, you know, most 10 year
10:26
olds have the opinions of their parents.
10:27
We had our own and we were promoted to have so.
10:33
That's really interesting. So you mentioned A10.
10:35
I've got a 10 year old son and an 8 year old son and man, they
10:39
go at it like cats and dogs. And my wife and I, our reflex is
10:45
guys just knock it off. It doesn't just please be quiet.
10:48
Stop arguing. And now I wonder if we're we're
10:51
taking the wrong approach right. Like, you know, I this this
10:55
conversation with you today and just yesterday I had a
10:58
conversation with another strong woman as CFO of 1000 person
11:02
company and she had similar comments about, you know how her
11:05
ability to have these difficult conversations is her superpower.
11:09
It's like a big reason for her success.
11:13
And I wonder if by sort of, you know, shushing the kids all the
11:17
time, if we're sort of robbing them of sort of developing that
11:20
skill themselves. I think sometimes there's a need
11:24
to be shushed, right? I think sometimes there's a need
11:26
for debate. So you got to decide, is this
11:29
the time in which you want their debating skills to come out?
11:32
You want them to be able to defend themselves and to defend
11:35
their theory on why they're arguing.
11:39
And so was your dad providing coaching during these?
11:42
Sometimes, sometimes it was just a hey, you know, speak kindly,
11:47
argue your point. And then there were times the
11:51
shushing came along because we weren't getting anywhere.
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But he really did promote our debating.
11:57
And yeah, I kind of have a passion for debate.
12:01
I love it. I tell my team's here.
12:03
If you just yes, me, I'm not going to appreciate it.
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I need because I think greatness comes from debate.
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I think we've come to great things in this organization
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because I do have a team who debates me and I love that.
12:20
OK, so you come into this one building people who had been
12:23
afraid to have the hard conversations.
12:26
Amanda is not. So you come in, you're having
12:30
the hard conversations, probably letting some folks go, probably
12:33
telling folks you're doing the wrong things.
12:36
How long before you kind of saw things start to shape up?
12:40
Less than 90 days. That's pretty fast.
12:44
When there's fairness and consistency and you teach your
12:47
teams to do the exact same thing you do, and you lead by example,
12:52
you can make change really quickly.
12:54
So we turned this building around from a one star to a five
13:00
star in under 6 months. And and explain that rating
13:04
system, what is 1 star? I mean, obviously it's an
13:07
improvement. Oh, absolutely.
13:09
So CMS rates are homes and the system has changed over the
13:13
years, right. So the CMS star rating system
13:16
has changed. They've added other triggers and
13:19
other indicators. At the time, you know, it was
13:21
basically about care survey outcomes, staffing, etcetera.
13:26
And this building had some survey issues.
13:29
Licensing was there constantly due to complaints and, and
13:32
listen, overall the care was really great.
13:34
It was the communication that was faltering and failing and it
13:38
was not consistency in the accountability.
13:42
So there was some staff that was performing on point every day
13:46
and then there was others who people weren't touching because
13:48
they felt like, you know, they wouldn't be supported.
13:52
And so they allowed the bad behaviors to continue.
13:55
And so we just, we started addressing it and I think when
13:59
the staff saw that managers were being held to the same standard
14:03
as staff, that changed everything very quickly there
14:07
'cause I think that was probably our biggest issue in that
14:10
community was there was almost like A2 tier system, you know,
14:15
frontline staff and the management staff and they were
14:18
not held to the same standard. Well, that changed pretty quick
14:21
and everyone kind of fell in line and we worked together.
14:25
You know, when you see your administrator up answering call
14:27
lights or passing food trays, you know, like I said, I learned
14:30
from Angie. I've been found in the kitchen
14:32
with a hair nut. You know, we had a cook who had
14:35
a family emergency and there was a group text and I said I'm on
14:38
my way. And two of my nurses from
14:41
another building met me there. And we ended up cooking and
14:43
serving dinner. I mean, might not have been the
14:45
best dinner in the world, but nobody missed a meal that day.
14:50
That's right. There wasn't actually.
14:51
There wasn't any complaints. I think we did OK.
14:55
So yeah. So, OK, so you come in, you help
14:59
to turn this one facility around and it kind of been in bad
15:03
shape. Obviously your work gets noticed
15:06
and they say, OK, Amanda, we'd like for you to take on some
15:10
more responsibility. What did that next step look
15:12
like? So the next step was Keith
15:17
deciding that maybe he didn't want a management company
15:20
managing his businesses anymore. So we started with just one and
15:28
it was the Rochester community and we brought it on and it was
15:32
really, it was functioning beautifully.
15:34
And we then started building our assisted living in Northville
15:37
and Keith said, I think it's time to let go of the management
15:43
company here. And I want you to come to the
15:45
corporate office and be my VP at the time and.
15:49
That sounds like a pretty big transition.
15:52
Like for somebody who's on the outside of healthcare and senior
15:56
living looking in, what exactly is the management company doing?
16:00
Everything, everything. We did everything.
16:03
So the management company and I worked for the management
16:05
company, right? I came from that company to the
16:08
building that they were managing.
16:09
I've been with them for. This is an outside third party.
16:12
Yes, that both not only their own homes, but managed other
16:16
homes. So I was working with them
16:19
mainly in their own homes as a kind of a senior admin, training
16:23
new administrators for them, helping with calls and
16:25
questions. But when they put me here, I
16:29
don't know that their intention was ever for me to leave them
16:31
and work directly for Mr. Pomeroy.
16:33
And it wasn't my intention. But you know, when it came up
16:37
and I talked to them, they were like, man, this is a great
16:40
opportunity. They were such a great employer.
16:42
I learned so much from them and. The management company was
16:45
supportive of you making this transition.
16:47
Yeah, they were like this is your.
16:48
Being an employee to almost a competitor, right, OK.
16:53
And to this day, I still have a great relationship with them.
16:56
They've sold their businesses since and they're both retired,
16:58
but we still have the utmost respect for one another.
17:02
But they were like, you have something do this and, you know,
17:06
had a little bon voyage for me, sent me a beautiful plant that I
17:10
still have all these years later.
17:13
They they're great humans. And it was, it was fun, But a
17:18
management company does so much. They handled our IT, our HR, our
17:22
billing, our collections, you know, the day-to-day.
17:27
They oversaw our legal compliance.
17:31
They they. This is a lot.
17:33
You're right and. How do you begin to extract that
17:38
management company and put in all of your own people and
17:42
processes? So it started just by hiring the
17:46
administrator and then taking myself out of that role and then
17:51
starting to detangle us from each one of those management
17:55
level contracts. So I had to become and and
17:59
listen working for the management company for as long
18:01
as I did. I knew our operations.
18:03
I knew HRI knew ITI knew or billing did I, was I the expert
18:09
in them? No, but I knew who to contact
18:11
and I knew how to build the team to support the communities.
18:16
So, and in this industry, it's kind of interesting.
18:21
We do support each other, even if we're in separate
18:24
organizations. You know, there's some pretty
18:26
big nursing home organizations in Michigan, you know, two to
18:30
three really big ones. And I know the ownership and
18:32
management of each of them, and they know me and we call each
18:35
other, we support each other. Because at the end of the day,
18:38
if you really care about seniors in the industry that you serve,
18:41
you don't want them to have bad outcomes either because it
18:45
affects those seniors that live with them.
18:47
When we raise the bar, we want the bar raised for everybody,
18:50
not just us. And so when you call folks at
18:54
some of these, we'll call them competitors that you've got a
18:57
good relationship with, what? What kinds of things are you
18:59
talking about? We talk about everything.
19:02
For example, there's a new earned sick Leave Act that just,
19:05
you know, rolled out in Michigan in which employers have to give
19:09
so many hours of sick time for each employee.
19:13
That works, you know, 30 hours. And so that was new, and the
19:18
rule kept changing. And in the final hour, it
19:20
changed again. And so we're all, like,
19:21
panicking to get it done. Well, we'll call each other and
19:25
sometimes we'll even do group texts of, hey, you know, this
19:28
act, how are you guys handling it?
19:29
How are you handling it? What are you doing for your
19:31
contingent staff? Are you front loading it or back
19:34
loading it, or is it accrued? And so you share how you're
19:39
handling it. You debate with one another and
19:41
you realize at the end of the day we all have the same
19:44
regulation and if we can help each other, we should.
19:48
You're all trying to navigate the same complexity.
19:51
We are and we are high. And I remember hearing about
19:53
this law. What, where did it end up?
19:55
Like what? What are the new requirements?
19:57
Well, it changed the day before it was supposed to be
20:01
implemented, which is like that night at midnight.
20:05
It is crazy. So you have to notify each of
20:09
your staff in English and in Spanish about this new earned
20:13
sick time rule. But the flyer has changed.
20:15
So we had already started having our staff sign the flyer and
20:18
give them copies and now we have to start over.
20:20
Fine, fine, fine. And they have to start accruing.
20:23
And so we are working with our payroll companies.
20:25
The accruals started on the day of the event.
20:28
The time clocks are not yet ready, but we're in process.
20:32
So even though they can't see it yet, it's, it's working in the
20:36
background. And so we're going to get it so
20:38
that they can see that they're earning it.
20:40
But we're also revising because as a company we had combined
20:43
time off. So our CTO timer combined time
20:47
off was really generous. It actually overcompensates this
20:53
law. But the problem is our
20:56
contingent staff don't get that. But in this law, your contingent
21:00
staff who aren't really full time, they just pick up a shift
21:02
here and there, they need to earn it as well.
21:05
So now we have to adjust our policy, right?
21:08
And so we work with lawyers and spend way too much money.
21:13
But it is what it is. This is regulation and we have
21:17
to well. Hopefully you spent a little bit
21:18
less money by sharing notes with your.
21:21
Colleagues, it does help that, yes.
21:23
We had this idea. What do you guys think?
21:26
Oh, we were told this. And let.
21:27
Me go back to my. Attorney, which is interesting.
21:30
So yeah, the attorney kind of pushes out this one policy to
21:35
most of us, right with with specific, you know, changes
21:39
between us. Gotcha.
21:41
It's so great that you've got sort of that network of support
21:44
people that are doing the same thing that you're doing at a
21:46
higher level. They're seeing the same kinds of
21:48
things running into the same issues and you can pick up the
21:51
phone and say, hey, you know how, how are you guys dealing
21:54
with? This, yeah.
21:54
And you can tell the better the better.
21:57
Companies aren't afraid to share, right?
22:00
So we share. We work together, we compromise.
22:04
It really is for the benefit of the industry.
22:07
Yeah, like you said, if you really care about taking care of
22:09
seniors, you, you know, you, you want to take care of everybody.
22:13
That's right. With the aging population that
22:16
we have, you know, the boomers getting older there, there is no
22:19
shortage. No, the shortage for us is
22:22
really staff and we have to figure out how to overcome that
22:25
shortage. Yeah.
22:28
What do you do? Like what are some effective
22:31
strategies you found to recruit and retain folks?
22:35
That's $1,000,000 question there.
22:37
We are constantly changing things.
22:39
There's really no cookie cutter answer.
22:42
I have 7 buildings in different areas and different things work
22:47
in different areas. You know, it's about the culture
22:50
of the area, the community. Is there a community?
22:53
Are they coming in from other communities?
22:56
You know, I, I wish there was a one-size-fits-all answer to that
23:00
question. There isn't.
23:02
People's love languages are different.
23:05
How they feel inspired and driven is different.
23:10
Different by geography. This.
23:13
This part of Michigan versus that part of Michigan folks are
23:16
looking for something. Can you give me one example of a
23:18
difference? I have one building that is only
23:22
driven by cash. Only cash.
23:25
I have another building because our our wages are pretty set
23:29
across the board. Doesn't matter what location you
23:32
work at, if this is what you do and this is your yours
23:34
experience, this is what you get paid.
23:37
But one building, it's like this one building, it's never enough.
23:42
But my other buildings it is ample.
23:45
And they appreciate the employee appreciation and all the other
23:48
things that kind of feeds their love language because we're
23:51
always celebrating our staff. And then this one building
23:55
doesn't matter how much you celebrate, doesn't matter what
23:57
the wages, it's never enough. And it's it's a community thing,
24:01
right? So.
24:03
Speaking of community, how do you find yourself and Pomeroy
24:07
getting involved in each of the communities that you're located
24:11
in? Oh my God, I don't know.
24:13
We're so deeply involved. I don't know how not to be.
24:17
Sometimes I think we're too in the weeds, which stops our high
24:21
level thinking sometimes because we are so involved in the
24:24
day-to-day. What tell me about the the child
24:29
safe program? What is that?
24:31
Child Safe, that's a Keith Thummer and passion project.
24:34
So him and our president, Nick Perino are very active and both
24:40
active members of the board. Child Safe is a Michigan foster
24:44
care program that Keith drove or built up and it basically it's a
24:52
passion project. It's about taking care of
24:55
Michigan's children in the foster system.
24:59
And Keith worked really hard. We actually partnered with the
25:02
Judson Center, which is a national organization, and every
25:05
year we honor Michigan's foster kids.
25:11
We have a ceremony. We raise tons of money, at least
25:15
a half million at these events for Michigan foster care.
25:19
These, you know, it's backward. It's getting them supplies,
25:23
backpacks, school supplies, Christmas presents, you know,
25:27
things that you need for just day-to-day life that people take
25:30
for granted, right? But these kids really do need
25:35
love and support. If they have a mentor program,
25:37
they have they, they just do so much, so much for them.
25:42
And actually this year at our annual event, we're honoring
25:45
Keith Pomeroy. I don't know if he knows that
25:47
yet, but he's going to be our honoree because he is done.
25:51
And I, I keep saying it should be a lifetime achievement award
25:53
because he really, he has started the foundation.
25:56
He's amazing. And he's the I'm guessing by the
26:00
name, he's the founder of Pomeroy.
26:02
Yes, he is our boss and he. Is and you get to work closely
26:06
with him on a regular basis. You know, not so much.
26:08
I work closer right now with Nick Perino, who's our
26:11
president. Who who drives Keith's dream
26:15
right. So Keith and Nick are the the
26:17
gentleman that I am honored to work for and they both have a
26:22
true passion for seniors having scale living.
26:27
And so when Keith is in town, I love working with him.
26:30
But on the day-to-day, it's, you know, me and Nick and like, we
26:35
were here last night till 6:30 at night, just kind of catching
26:38
up and talking about what's next for Palmer Living.
26:41
And I love working for people who allow me to have my passion
26:46
and let me drive the healthcare side and support it.
26:49
And it couldn't be in a better spot.
26:54
So, so let's talk a little bit about the services at Pomeroy.
26:57
What kind of sets you guys apart from some of the other senior
27:00
living facilities? What do?
27:01
You do, you know, I don't I, we all do a lot.
27:05
Well, I, I never want to downplay what my peers do, but
27:11
we're, we're a little different. Like our homes are beautifully
27:14
stunning. We think about every approach
27:19
and I think because we are smaller than some of our
27:21
competitors, we can do things a little differently.
27:26
For example, we have an essential oil program, right?
27:29
So we're trying to treat patients without medication
27:32
first. Essential oils have been found
27:34
and we have years of case study of our own, right?
27:38
So behaviors, we use this essential oil and we give them
27:42
hand massages and how does that affect their behavior?
27:45
Using certain smells and essential oils prior to meals
27:48
helps increase appetites. How is it helping with weight
27:50
loss, right? Instead of giving maybe for
27:53
example, there's a medication make Ace that they use as an
27:56
appetite stimulant, which wasn't why it was intendedly made, but
28:01
we use that to help patients who aren't eating right as well.
28:04
Before we do that, let's try this.
28:06
And if it doesn't work, then we can go to the medication and
28:10
sometimes we avoid meds. So I think it's pretty cool that
28:13
we do these things right. We also we use science.
28:18
We have patients who are on anti psych meds and they have to go
28:22
through gradual dose reductions because it's a requirement.
28:26
But we have this gene site testing where we swab the inside
28:29
of a cheek and we can see this Med will work for them.
28:32
This Med won't, right? And then because we have the
28:35
proof of it, we don't have to do the gradual dose reduction.
28:38
So we're not messing, you know, 'cause with a gradual dose
28:41
reduction, you get them to a certain level, they're
28:43
functioning, they're great. But now you have to take them
28:45
off of it to see if they're going to be OK.
28:47
Well, with this testing, it really does take the guesswork
28:51
out and it helps you be better at at care, right?
28:57
So I mean it's it's. What's the name of that testing?
28:59
Gene site testing and so we do that with our site group and it
29:05
really. I can see how that means.
29:07
Super, right. Yeah, you get patients.
29:09
You know, what's a what's a good fit for that person?
29:11
What's? Not the blindfold is off.
29:13
You know exactly what to do. And there's more and more of
29:16
that. More and more science is coming
29:18
to the forefront. So, you know, we we use
29:21
technology and AI to scan our charts to look for trends that
29:26
we may have missed. You know, we're putting
29:29
technology in our patient rooms that lay over beds that will
29:34
count respirations and trigger to our staff.
29:36
Hey, breathing heavier, Hey, some temperatures changing.
29:41
Hey, something's not right. So I think, you know, just even
29:46
from our inception, when Keith started our communities, these
29:49
skilled buildings, even though they were managed by other
29:52
agencies, he built them different.
29:54
You know, we had antique cars in in the common spaces and just
30:00
the most beautiful communities and, you know, wood carved bars
30:05
where they had happy hour. This was 30 years ago.
30:07
Who was having happy hour in their nursing homes 30 years
30:10
ago? Keith Pomeroy was he's.
30:13
Ahead of He's ahead of his. Time he definitely was tell.
30:16
Me more about the AI tech that you guys are using.
30:19
I'm going to tell you the names because that's all secret.
30:21
But no, but tell, tell me what you're doing with it.
30:24
Like I want to hear how people are actually using it in their
30:28
industry. We're using it.
30:29
So you never want it to take over.
30:32
You want it to supplement, right?
30:34
Because it's technology and it's imperfect, right?
30:37
So, but if you can get it to help scan a chart to look for
30:42
change and just let it flag you, it sends you in the right
30:46
direction. So for example, your nurses go
30:48
in, they take vitals, temps, blood pressures, etcetera.
30:51
They're putting it in the Mar. Mar is the medication
30:54
administration record that is now in the chart.
30:56
The chart sees that this person normally runs let's just say 120
31:00
/ 80. All of a sudden today they're
31:03
168 / 90 and they pick that up automatically. 160 / 90 isn't an
31:10
alarming blood pressure. It's a little high, right?
31:13
But it's not alarming. But it is for that person
31:15
because they normally run completely different.
31:19
So when you're doing so many of them, are you always, as a nurse
31:24
thinking about, well, what's their norm?
31:27
No, sometimes you're doing the task and so AI will help you go,
31:32
hey alert, this is not the norm and.
31:35
It's looking and it's looking for it real time.
31:37
Exactly. It's not, it's not like a day, a
31:40
week later. It's looking as it's happening
31:42
and you're getting notifications and pings about, hey,
31:45
something's wrong here. So it it is helpful.
31:50
And listen, sometimes it sends you on a goose chase that's
31:52
wrong. But it's OK because all it's
31:55
doing is having you look at your patients a little bit more.
32:00
You'd rather have a few false positives than actually miss an
32:03
event. That's really important.
32:04
For you to. That's exactly it.
32:06
That's exactly it. So you were catching up with,
32:09
was it Nick? Was it Nick Perino, the
32:11
president the other day, just last night, and you were talking
32:14
about what's next for Pomeroy, What?
32:17
What's coming? I think we're starting to get to
32:21
a place in which we might be ready to grow a little bit, but
32:24
we're always looking for the right buildings.
32:28
You know, Nick is pretty dedicated to, to, to that part
32:33
of our business and, and looking because I, I can't.
32:36
But when he's ready, I'm there, right.
32:38
So we each have a different skill set and his is
32:41
impressively different than mine.
32:43
And maybe that's what makes us great together.
32:47
So yeah, he's, he's always on the lookout for the next
32:51
business opportunity. He gives me courage and autonomy
32:58
to drive the healthcare side and he thinks about all of my crazy
33:03
ideas and gives me feedback, right?
33:06
And never holds back, which is great.
33:08
He too has no issue being honest and upfront and say the tough
33:13
things, which is nice because I don't have to guess what he's
33:16
thinking, right? So if I come up with some crazy
33:19
idea and he says, Amanda, that's a crazy idea, I love it, right.
33:23
Tell me what you're thinking. I don't want to guess.
33:25
I don't want to spend time wondering, right.
33:27
So, yeah, it's just we're, we're looking to grow.
33:31
We're ready. I think, you know, our last
33:33
purchase set of purchases was in 19 and then our crazy pandemic
33:38
happened. And, you know, we've been
33:41
stabilizing post pandemic. And I think we're kind of in the
33:46
space now that if the right thing came along, we're ready.
33:51
So the the growth fee would be acquisitions, not kind of like a
33:54
ground up potential both. OK, open to both.
34:00
Let me shift gears on you. I'm I'm kind of curious to
34:02
understand more about implicit bias and why this is a potential
34:07
problem in healthcare. That's a good question it.
34:11
Was a deep sigh. Oh, there's, I think in the
34:15
political environment we're in right now, I think there's,
34:20
there's some people who go and plus biases crap.
34:23
But I, I, I don't think it is. I think there is something to be
34:26
said about it. I think how patients get
34:28
treated. I think we all have biases.
34:32
I think as a woman I have a very strong opinion about biases
34:37
about women and their strengths and some of the treatments we
34:41
get with no pain relief. Oh, that's interesting.
34:48
So this is a thing where women are receiving more treatments
34:53
without painkillers than men. Would absolutely, absolutely.
34:57
And I think it's real. I think, you know, we can all
35:02
say that, you know, we're not biased or we don't think that
35:05
way or we don't work that way, but there are studies to prove
35:08
otherwise. What do you think is sort of
35:12
going on under the surface, sort of subconsciously or consciously
35:16
to where that's actually playing out?
35:21
Like not being a good judge ever.
35:23
Pain. I think I, I would hate to say
35:29
that I think sometimes things are perceived right, Like women
35:34
go through childbirth and they're like, look, look how
35:36
strong they are. They can do this right?
35:38
They do it already. So why when putting in an IUD,
35:42
for example, should they have pain meds and then they don't
35:44
and they tell you, oh, you're going to be a little
35:46
uncomfortable? Well, women have said it's life
35:49
altering and they're scarred and damaged after them, right?
35:53
But a gentleman will go through a vasectomy, also a very serious
35:58
procedure, but they will be medicated, put to sleep, feel
36:04
nothing, right. So is that an implicit bias?
36:09
Why is that treatment plan different?
36:13
It's very much a bias, right So. And how do you combat?
36:18
It you teach, you teach, you educate, you get people to
36:22
understand what an implicit bias is, you go through the training,
36:25
you share it. I'm hoping this healthcare
36:32
administration doesn't change those trainings and those
36:34
educations that are required to renew licenses.
36:37
I think they're critical. I think as healthcare providers,
36:41
sometimes we say, oh, the course of action is to do this, But
36:45
just because it's to do this without pain meds doesn't mean
36:48
we should, right? We need to think about the
36:51
patient and what they're going through.
36:55
It's crazy. It's really interesting.
36:56
Things I've never thought of, yeah.
36:59
Because we probably don't live our lives thinking about the
37:02
biases, right? We, we do the right things,
37:05
hopefully. And I mean, being a patient will
37:09
teach you a lot about how you want to be treated.
37:12
So if you're healthy and you never have a hospital
37:16
experience, you'll never know what it feels like when someone
37:19
has to come in and bathe you, for example, and how undignified
37:25
that can feel if you do it wrong.
37:27
And so, you know, we have these thoughts in our heads while
37:33
they're here and they're sick and they need me.
37:34
So I'm just going to do this. But they're still human and they
37:38
still have feelings and they still have dignity and and
37:41
you're how you're doing. This person's more than a box to
37:44
check on your skin. Exactly.
37:46
And being a patient is the best thing you can do to be a good
37:49
caregiver that. Should be.
37:51
That should be part of the training, almost.
37:53
You would think. Let's shift gears again.
37:57
You recently partnered with Shirana Health.
38:00
I think it's pronounced to introduce an institutional
38:03
special needs plan. Tell me about this partnership.
38:08
So Quran is it's kind of its own version of a managed care
38:14
program, right? So managed care programs are
38:16
taking off, they're everywhere. And if you follow me on any
38:22
social media platform, you'll know that I am not a big fan of
38:24
managed care. I think it's goal is to save
38:30
money at the patient's expense at times.
38:33
And so my my family who I coach and care for, I always tell them
38:39
to stay in their traditional Medicare plan.
38:41
You might pay additional costs, you may have to pay more
38:44
co-pays, but at the end of the day, your care is about you.
38:49
Managed care comes up with criterias and protocols and you
38:54
know, if you've this diagnosis, you can go to this community for
38:57
this many days and then you're done.
39:01
But we're not cookie cutter. No one is the same.
39:04
And I might be admitted for, for example, a knee replacement.
39:08
But I also might be a cardiac patient with hypertensive
39:14
reactions, right? Especially the pain.
39:16
And so should I go home after a knee replacement or should I be
39:20
in the hospital because my blood pressure likely is going to go
39:23
through the roof and my pain control is critical and I live
39:28
in a house with stairs. How does your managed care take
39:33
into account all of those other things when making its
39:36
decisions? Right.
39:37
So then it was, you know, everyone's enrolling in these
39:43
can't stop them from enrolling. It's their right, right.
39:45
And they sell themselves beautifully.
39:47
Oh, we're going to save you money and you'll never pay for
39:49
out of pocket costs. Karina Health's a little bit
39:53
different to me. They, they give you the extra
39:57
perks and they don't cookie cutter you like a traditional
40:01
Medicare program. So my seniors can still have
40:04
grocery spend, right? They'll bring them specialty
40:08
foods to the nursing home if that's what they need and
40:11
they'll get their ears checked. And that's a covered expense.
40:15
We're under a lot of plans. It's not a covered expense.
40:17
So we chose them because they're just, they're different.
40:20
They do more for our clients and.
40:25
I want my clients to get everything they deserve because
40:28
it's the right. I know Amanda, let's let's talk
40:34
about a serious challenge that you've overcome, something
40:38
personal or professional, maybe a combination of the two.
40:41
What was that like going through it and what are some lessons
40:44
that you learned coming out the other side?
40:47
There's been so many, There have been so many challenges.
40:54
Being a woman in a leadership role is a challenge.
41:01
Say more about that. That's a whole subject for me.
41:06
Could I maybe connect some dots on my own here and say, not only
41:10
are you woman in a leadership role, but you're a very
41:12
outspoken woman? Yeah.
41:14
You know, you're very comfortable, you know, having
41:17
that hard conversation, saying the difficult things that need
41:20
to be said. Yes.
41:22
So you can imagine that some people don't love me.
41:25
And, you know, I think as a woman, we want to be loved.
41:30
And as a woman, we still want to be treated like a woman
41:33
sometimes. But then you take out a very
41:35
dominant role and there's some loss of identity sometimes,
41:39
right? So at work, I, I might be a
41:43
strong force, but then at home I still want to be a wife and, you
41:47
know, kind of coddled once in a while.
41:49
And it's hard. The division of women leadership
41:52
is really, really hard. And yeah, it's, it's tough.
41:57
I'm actually writing a book. I never thought it would do
42:01
that, but my life coach has talked me into it and I've
42:07
started it and it is a lot harder to do than I thought.
42:11
I'm not going to lie. You know, I did the research
42:14
part first. And that was easy, putting the
42:15
research on paper, but then sharing all the personal
42:18
stories, the the coming to terms with how people may feel about
42:23
you or hearing what people may say about you.
42:26
You know, if you cut us, we all bleed and we all have feelings
42:30
at the end of the day. And for some of us, coming to
42:33
terms with how you're perceived or spoken about, it's tough.
42:45
It's tough. And you can try and do all the
42:47
right things and you're still gonna be the villain in
42:49
someone's story. And you have to come in terms
42:51
with it. And, you know, you get a
42:54
therapist and you move on. You work through it.
42:58
It's tough. Is it your sense that it's
43:00
easier for a man to be in this role where the hard things need
43:05
to be said, the hard conversations have to be had
43:09
because, oh, well, he's a man and he's a strong personality.
43:13
Whereas when a woman sometimes steps into that role, there are
43:19
some terms that are not so nice that are kind of associated with
43:22
that. Yeah.
43:23
That authority, that leadership, that power.
43:25
Yeah, that. B Word that gets used about us.
43:27
Yeah. So there's actually stats in the
43:30
book that I'm writing that I've done my research on that, talk
43:35
very much about how women are perceived in those roles.
43:37
Were bossy. Were, you know, other things.
43:40
But itchy. Itchy.
43:42
Scratchy, yeah. Itchy Scratchy yes, we we become
43:45
those things and. And it's tough and you know, I
43:49
I've had such crazy things happen to me.
43:53
I had, I've had people on my team who I have thought were my
43:59
right hand then to find out they're not, they, they were
44:05
undermining me the entire time. And I was totally not aware, not
44:11
aware because I focus on the work relationship.
44:14
And I didn't realize, you know, some of my teams in the past
44:18
have wanted the personal side of me and, and I think they
44:22
perceived our work relationship as a personal friendship.
44:25
And then, you know, as I got busier or was growing the
44:29
business or working on projects and had less time for them then
44:32
it was, you know. They took that personally.
44:36
And then I became the villain in the story, and then that got
44:39
pushed out, right? And then not even aware that it
44:43
was happening, but then having to overcome it all because you
44:48
can't say anything, right? You still they talk bad about
44:52
you, you hear about it, you still can't defend yourself
44:56
because in defending yourself, you would then be talking bad
44:59
about the employer, the employee that said that, which then turns
45:03
you into them. So all you can say is I need you
45:06
to judge you, me on my actions and my actions alone with you,
45:10
not someone else's opinion and hope for the best.
45:14
So you would have other employees coming to you saying
45:17
I've got a problem with you because this other person has a
45:20
problem with you and you want to defend yourself, kind of give
45:24
your side of the story. But you can't because it takes
45:26
you down to their level. You, you need to be the leader.
45:29
You need to set a better example.
45:30
And so while it's hard, you just kind of have to say, listen,
45:34
judge me on what I'm doing in our interactions together, not
45:39
on what you've heard second hand.
45:41
And that's tough because again, at the end of the day, we're all
45:44
feeling, we're all we have feelings.
45:46
We're human. You cut as we bleed, you talk
45:49
about as we hurt. But again, in our defense, we
45:53
just, we have the struggle is real and we have to own it.
45:55
And with leadership comes great responsibility and how you
45:58
respond to finds you. Do you also find it difficult,
46:03
Amanda, to like on a nightly basis to sort of move from that,
46:09
that tough leadership role at work to I'm a wife and a mom at
46:16
home and I, I want to be a woman and I want to be cuddled
46:20
sometimes. And like, how do I like make
46:24
such an abrupt shift in my day? I struggle.
46:29
I struggle. I am bossy at home.
46:31
My poor husband. Every day I come home and he's
46:34
there. I am utterly surprised he puts
46:36
up with me. But I think that God gives you
46:41
exactly what you need. And my husband is exactly what I
46:45
need. He's the kindest human alive and
46:48
he has signed on to the rodeo and amazingly doesn't complain
46:52
and continues to show up for me and tries to anticipate my
46:56
needs. And I got to tell you, I can't
46:59
anticipate my own needs. So this guy is impressive.
47:03
It's tough. It's tough because you do want
47:05
that. You want to go home and, but
47:08
when you wear this job for as many hours as I do, sometimes
47:14
when you walk in the door, you're still wearing it, right?
47:16
You still wear the shield and the, the uniform of of sorts,
47:20
right? That imaginary uniform of being
47:22
a soldier and, and doing what you need to do for your patients
47:26
and your company and having the tough conversations.
47:28
And yeah, you don't need to do that with your spouse, but you
47:32
get into a mode. And I sometimes even do it with
47:34
my parents. I like I've caught my my
47:36
siblings, like my sister at times is like, hello, can I get
47:40
Amanda, not the COO? And I'm like, yeah, a good call.
47:44
It's almost like what you need to do is kind of like a reverse
47:47
Superman thing at the end of the day, where you strip away the
47:51
alter ego and you put the Clark Kent outfit back on as you're
47:54
walking in the house. And you know, that would kind of
47:58
help with that transition. Yeah, I've learned that.
48:01
The one thing I do now is I go for my business attire into my
48:06
home attire, which is very comfortable.
48:08
And that, that immediate change kind of puts me in that relaxed
48:14
set. And I, I didn't do that for many
48:17
years. I would come home, stay in my
48:18
work clothes, start preparing dinner with my husband, you
48:21
know, kind of now I go right into I'm changing.
48:23
I'm getting into comfy Manda because I have to, like you
48:27
said, do that reverse superhero thing where I'm reminding myself
48:31
I'm home now and it's my space. A friend of mine, Todd Herman,
48:35
wrote a book a while back called The Alter Ego, and it talks
48:39
about kind of that transition the other way.
48:41
Sort of like you get up in the morning, you put on your blazer
48:45
or, you know, the glass or like whatever it is that kind of like
48:48
puts you into sort of, you know, warrior workforce mode so that
48:53
you can make that transition into the superhero that you need
48:56
to be for the day. But it's interesting that what
49:00
we're highlighting here is you also need to make that
49:02
transition back. Exactly.
49:04
For me, it's putting on my face every morning, right.
49:07
For women, it's our makeup. And so, you know, you put on
49:11
your business attire, but your makeup.
49:13
And then the second I get home, it's the first thing I take off.
49:16
It's my makeup and I get comfy and.
49:18
Off comes the mask outcomes, Yeah.
49:21
The real deal version. Of Manda, yeah.
49:24
And again, my husband continually shows up, so I'm
49:26
grateful. Yeah, I've, I've got a wife
49:29
who's who deserves a similar amount of credit to your husband
49:32
in in the same kind of way. That's great.
49:35
We're very lucky then. Very much so, thank you, Kayla.
49:40
What's your husband's name? My husband's name is Majid.
49:44
Nice, Majid, So do you have a working name for the book yet?
49:50
I do, actually. It's hold on.
49:53
I got to tell you. It's, I want to look it up real
49:55
quick. Hold on, I have changed it a
49:59
couple times. And you might change it again
50:01
before it gets published. Yeah, I'm looking it up right
50:04
now. I think what I ended up with,
50:07
and I wrote it in the notes where like I put some other
50:12
options in the notes. I think it was leadership,
50:16
Wonder Woman style. Hold on, because that was
50:19
probably one of the first things that I did once leading
50:22
fiercely, Wonder Woman style. Leading fiercely, Wonder Woman
50:26
style. Yeah, Wonder Woman's my favorite
50:28
action hero. That's a good one.
50:31
Yeah, I wanted to be here growing up.
50:33
Yeah, that's a good role model, too.
50:35
Yeah. How about some daily habits or
50:39
practices, Things that help keep you centered on track, keep you
50:44
rooted in who you are? Lots.
50:47
So start my day pretty early. I for the last two years have
50:52
been working out with a trainer. Monday, Wednesday, Friday my
50:56
sessions start at six. AMI think that's probably the
51:03
most critical thing that I do because it's the one hour that I
51:07
am not thinking about work wholeheartedly.
51:11
I don't have a chance. They don't give you an
51:12
opportunity. Saturday I go to arms class with
51:16
them and again, you don't get the opportunity to even think
51:22
you are moving and you are working and you are focusing on
51:26
your health and they are driving you.
51:28
And I have to tell you those these last two years of doing
51:33
this has been, I wish I would have started this young.
51:36
I wish I would have invested in my health before I turned 50.
51:40
I mean, I started it at 49 so I guess I did.
51:42
But I wish I, you know, when I was growing in my career, I
51:47
spent a lot of hours at a computer sitting and I didn't
51:54
take care of my mental health as much as I should have.
51:56
And working out, I will wholeheartedly tell you, is
52:00
important for your mental health, not just your physical
52:03
health. You, it's great.
52:06
You decompress, you take out your stresses.
52:08
It's critical. I tried a sauna and then my gym
52:15
coach Andre got me doing ice baths.
52:21
Those are intense. Those are something.
52:25
And I actually did a team building with a couple of my
52:27
leaders and Nick went as well and we did a ice bath challenge.
52:32
So when I first started it, my teams asked.
52:35
I was just telling my teams were like no way, you're not going to
52:37
do it. I'm like yeah, yeah, I am.
52:40
And they said, I said, well, how long do you think I can do it
52:44
for? So they started this in house
52:46
bat and the highest amount of time they said was 3 minutes.
52:51
She had to. Beat that.
52:53
I did and I recorded it and I did it for 6 minutes.
52:57
Wow. And then I started doing it for
52:59
10 and 11 and 12 minutes. And yeah, it's a great thing.
53:04
It, it shocks your body, it is tough, but it proves to you what
53:09
you're able to do when you set your mind to something and the
53:13
studies tell you it's really good for you.
53:14
So. How do you feel when you come
53:16
out? Cold, cold.
53:19
Relaxed, energized. Just cold.
53:21
Cold. Just cold, it takes you a couple
53:23
minutes after you get out to, you know, get your, your body
53:28
will take care of itself, right? Your, your body is amazing and
53:31
what you're doing is you're shocking it and it'll help with
53:35
getting rid of those stubborn fats.
53:37
They call them the brown fats and it you know, your body will
53:41
work harder and it'll metabolize faster and it'll heal
53:45
inflammations and they believe it helps your cardiovascular
53:48
health. And so I think I started it as a
53:54
challenge, but now I do it because I know it's good for me.
53:57
I don't do the plunges as much as at the end of my showers, I
54:01
turn on the ice cold water and I sit there as long as I can
54:05
because the place I used to go to for my ice plunges is closed
54:08
and I haven't found a local place.
54:10
It was right next door to my gym, which was convenient.
54:13
And then they sold and went to Rochester Hills.
54:16
And that not so convenient, right?
54:18
So I can't do my workout and then do an ice plunge.
54:20
I have to. So yeah.
54:23
You can always acquire one for in home you.
54:27
Can I know? My trainer has one in his yard
54:30
and it turns into a block of ice every day and he has to go out
54:33
there with a weighted kettlebell and break it up and then he gets
54:38
in it. God bless him.
54:41
I have this thing about dirty water, so yeah, that's not going
54:44
to work for me. OK, well, you said so you got a
54:46
physical coach, you're also working with a life coach who's
54:49
encouraged you to to work on this book.
54:51
Yeah. So I invest in, in bettering
54:54
myself. I, I, I think we're so
54:59
imperfect, right? We should always be striving to
55:02
be better. We should always be striving to
55:04
learn. We don't know everything.
55:07
There are people who are afraid to say, hey, I don't I don't
55:09
know what that means. Can you define it?
55:11
I, I in the middle of this interview, if you ask me
55:13
something I'm not aware of, I'll ask you to explain it to me.
55:16
I, I don't have any issues showing my weaknesses.
55:21
I don't have any issues saying I don't know that answer.
55:24
Let me get back to you. I, I know I'm imperfect and I
55:29
just tried be better everyday. My I got rid of my therapist
55:34
about three years ago. I've been working with my life
55:37
coach Matt now for three years and I'm honored because he got
55:41
rid of all of his other clients because of his current job, but
55:44
has kept me because we have made such great strides together.
55:47
And he, he pushes me and some days I'm so mad at him, but in
55:55
the same breath, I have the utmost love and respect for what
55:59
he's done with me. He's been amazing for me.
56:02
And do you feel like he's helped in the personal side of your
56:05
life, the professional side of your life?
56:07
Absolutely. Both.
56:09
Absolutely he has. He has made me a better wife to
56:14
my husband, a better sibling to my my siblings, a better
56:20
daughter to my parents, a better Co worker to my team.
56:23
Wow. You're a better version of
56:25
Amanda today. Every day, every time I meet
56:28
with him, it's a better version of me, yeah.
56:31
Amanda, I've just got one more question for you.
56:32
But before I ask it, I want to do 2 things.
56:35
Everyone listening today, I invite you to hit the follow or
56:37
subscribe button on your favorite podcast app so you can
56:40
continue to get more great episodes like this.
56:42
And I also want to let people know the best way either to get
56:45
in touch with you personally to continue following your story or
56:49
that of Pomeroy Living. What would that be?
56:53
Probably the most I share as it relates to my growth is LinkedIn
57:02
and I think it's Amanda AU on LinkedIn and you can follow me
57:07
there. I put my struggles, I think last
57:09
Sunday I did something about pushing through the tough times
57:12
because I, I was in a tough time and I was frustrated and I put
57:17
my thoughts together and then I posted it on LinkedIn.
57:19
It's like my small little stories instead of going to the
57:23
book, right? So I love LinkedIn.
57:26
I love sharing my growth on LinkedIn and sharing my
57:30
struggles. And I do this thing where I'm
57:32
like just another venting session or, you know, I just
57:36
have to rant and they I have people come up to me going, I
57:39
need to hear a new rant. And I'm like, well, I don't have
57:41
one. I don't create them.
57:42
It's like when they happen, I put that right.
57:44
So when they. Happen.
57:45
You talk about them. Yeah, that's great.
57:47
Well, we'll include a link to your LinkedIn profile on the
57:50
show notes, but for those folks listening, Amanda MANDAIUAYOUB,
57:59
so we'll include that link there.
58:00
But last question for you, Amanda.
58:03
As you look to the future, what is the single thing that you're
58:06
most excited about at Pomeroy kind of unfolding?
58:12
One most excited. I think there's a lot.
58:22
So I'm excited because the team I have currently is the best
58:28
we've ever been. So I'm excited to see where the
58:32
growth happens next, right? So we've gotten here.
58:35
And if you would have asked me two years ago, if I had the same
58:38
confidence in my team, I would have definitely said no, we
58:43
weren't where we needed to be for growth.
58:45
We are definitely there now. I'm excited because I I trusted
58:53
Nick and Keith to grow us and I'm excited and whatever the
58:57
next adventure is, and, you know, until it's there, I can't
59:01
even fathom. But I love that we embrace
59:04
technology. We believe in doing it better.
59:07
We believe in graceful senior living.
59:09
I mean, I've told them I I know where I want to live when I
59:12
retire. And it's one of our communities
59:14
and I already have my room picked out and I expect a
59:17
discounted rate. And yeah, I listen, I think no
59:22
healthcare community is perfect and you're never going to always
59:25
have a perfect experience, right?
59:27
Dropping off your loved one and hoping that everything goes OK
59:30
is not OK. You have to be an active
59:32
participant in their care and you have to help.
59:35
Just dropping them off is not like, oh, it's done.
59:38
No, it's not how it works. That's not how good a care
59:41
happens. Not in any hospital setting, not
59:43
in any private pay setting, nowhere.
59:45
You have to be an active participant in your own life and
59:47
in the lives of your family. And I think, you know, yes,
59:52
we're imperfect, but I think we're better than most.
59:56
And I love that. I love that we are pushing the
59:59
envelope and always trying to raise the bar.
1:00:02
Amanda, I want to be the first one to thank you for sharing
1:00:04
both your time and your story with us today.
1:00:06
Thank you very much. Thank you for being interested
1:00:08
enough to ask. Folks, that's a wrap on another
1:00:12
episode of the Inspired Stories podcast.
1:00:14
Thanks for learning with us today.