For more, visit the website for Advance for Physical Therapy & Rehab Medicine.

A crowd of about 300 gathered on Thursday, May 2, at Signature’s Louisville headquarters for the company’s second annual interfaith National Day of Prayer celebration.

Among attendees were residents and staff from four of Signature’s Louisville-area homes, along with local and national civic leaders, employees from Signature’s home office, and other special guests. Representatives from several different religions and faiths joined on stage to offer unique prayers of healing and unity.

The event was broadcast via LiveStream to Signature’s 78 nursing homes, each of which held their own National Day of Prayer services. This year’s National Day of Prayer at Signature was organized under a mantra of universal benevolence and goodwill: “Tradition makes us beautifully different; love makes us the same. Souls praying. One voice.” (Joe Steier/Dianne Timmering)

“It’s about the merging of public works, business innovation and spiritual pursuits,” Dianne Timmering, Signature’s Vice President of Spirituality, said during her speech. “Not just in service and works, but as three points of integration to establish thriving communities, prolific job opportunities, domestic tranquility and justice for all.”

For more on the event, see the story and video from The Courier-Journal.

For photos, visit Signature’s Google Plus page.

Under CMS’ five-star rating system, nursing homes are assessed in three main categories: health inspections, quality measures and staffing. The overall rating combines scores received in each of the three categories. A five-star ranking, the highest score a nursing home can achieve, is considered ‘much above average,’ while a four-star ranking is considered ‘above average.’

Signature now operates 75 nursing and rehab centers, of which 23 have a five-star ranking and 18 have four stars. Signature’s number of four- and five-star buildings has nearly tripled since January 2009. The increase reflects an ongoing effort to raise the quality of care delivered at Signature homes through a combination of programs and initiatives.

“This is a big win for everyone to celebrate – our leaders, our stakeholders, our families, and our communities,” says Signature President and CEO Joe Steier. “From the day Signature was founded, we knew it would take long hours, great diligence, the best leaders, and serving our customers at the highest level possible. I cannot thank every stakeholder (employee) in the company, including nursing and therapy teams, and every hardworking CNA, enough for the loyalty and dedication it requires to continue to serve our people and deliver the quality care they deserve!”

Oakview is one of a few Kentucky facilities Signature recently acquired, as of April 1. The 100-bed nursing and rehab center is located in Calvert City, Ky., near Paducah.

During the cookout, residents visited, listened to ‘oldies,’ played cornhole, and flew kites.

“But mainly, they just enjoyed the beautiful day ate some yummy food!” said Sarah Stewart, Admissions and Marketing Director for the facility.

Stewart said Signature’s Pat Curran manned the grill and residents picked the menu, which included chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, but also a very specific request for sauce from Starne’s, a local BBQ restaurant.

“We had to go track that down for them,” she said. “It is pretty good stuff, I don’t blame ‘em.”

Stewart said the event was an opportunity to welcome residents to Signature, especially since their living environment is undergoing some changes. A facility renovation is underway to give the facility aesthetic upgrades – new floors and paint – along with new dining room furniture and a new occupational therapy ‘apartment’ area to practice cooking and other such activities.

The building’s lobby area is also slated for renovations, including a new fireplace, a bistro and a country store that will likely sell snacks, books and playing cards, and various other items.

“They weren’t joking around when they said they were going to come in and start working,” she said. “It’s nice – we’re excited. I don’t think the residents quite understand what all they’re getting yet, but they will be very pleased.”

Led by Signature President and CEO Joe Steier and Vice President of Spirituality Dianne Timmering, the group touched on a variety of topics such as freedom, grace, perspective, the importance of being grateful and new beginnings – that God makes all things new. Discussion ranged from work related (the impact of sequestration on long-term care and the importance of doing excellent work) to that of a much more personal nature.

For Kathy Bitar, Collections Manager in Billing Services at the home office, said the survey was “just awesome.”

“It was a very humbling and emotional experience for me,” she said. “You could feel the love in the room. I think a lot of people felt that.”

During the service, Kathy shared with the group some of her recent personal experiences, including the diagnosis she received last September of a tumor on her adrenal gland. She found out earlier this month that the tumor is benign.

The diagnosis was also a catalyst for her to get healthier overall. To date, she has lost 27.5 pounds.

Kathy and husband Eddie attend Heart of Fire City Church, a non-denominational church in Louisville. Holy Week, for her, was a time of reflection, forgiveness and new beginnings.

She said she is grateful for Signature’s prayer chain, and for the company’s support of her and other stakeholders’ weight loss goals. (Kathy and co-worker Jennifer Welch, partners in a home office weight loss challenge, have lost nearly 70 pounds, combined.)

“There’s nowhere else I would rather be than right here where I am,” she said. “God called me here like I’m sure he called a lot of other people here. This is my home.”

To watch the service, click HERE.

On Tuesday, March 12, teams from our Maryland facilities had the opportunity to travel to Annapolis to participate in a ‘Lobby Day’ meeting with legislators to discuss numerous issues relating to our LTC initiatives and state government planning, including the Maryland State budget, reimbursement rates for long term care providers, legislative issues and changing healthcare policy.

The Signature team consisted of Kelly Friedman, Administrator at Chesapeake Shores; Lisa Bowie, Admissions at Chesapeake Shores; Kelley Mills, HR at Mallard; Les Simmering, Plant-ops at Mallard; and Kathy Gallin, Director of Legislative Affairs. The group met with delegates Hershey, Bohanan, Jacobs and Eckardt, along with Senator Astle and several staff members to discuss and educate the officials on the challenges we face as providers, seeking to maintain a high standard of quality care for our residents, and being a strong voice for all of our residents and stakeholders.

“Lobby day in Annapolis is always an interesting experience,” said Kelly Friedman, Administrator at Chesapeake Shores in Lexington Park, Md. “It is nice to promote Signature and long term care to our state legislators. The excitement and energy in Annapolis at this time of year is neat to watch and feel.”

The Maryland budget recommendation provides a 1.5% increase for us after having been flat with no increase for the past three years, so this was really great news and definitely worth a ‘thank you’ to all of our legislators who are supporting this. This increase will help long-term care facilities maintain quality of care, while allowing the continuation of special projects we offer our residents.

Delegate Eckardt, who is also a nurse and has been to our Mallard Bay facility on many occasions, was extremely informed and up to date regarding the needs of our facilities, and how the policies legislators create are directly related to the care of our residents.

Additionally, many of the legislators were not aware that beginning last October, the federal government was discontinuing its dually-eligible bad debt reimbursement program, the ultimate repercussions this could have and how important funding is for us now more than ever.

Our ‘lobby days’ are a great way to connect with our legislators and carry our message through communication and grassroots advocacy, building our relationships with those elected officials who play a crucial role in molding the future of long term care.

A full-length article about Joe was featured in the local business paper’s annual Partners in Health Care publication. To read the article, click the link below.

Joseph Steier embraces new concepts, promotes ‘intrapreneurship’ in aging-care industry – Louisville – Business First

QOL representatives from all 72 Signature buildings were in attendance and were split into two separate groups for the first two days of the three-day meeting. The Rural and Serenity segments gathered in one room, with the Urban and Post Acute segments in another.

The meetings also served as an opportunity for Kimberly Beach, Signature’s new Vice President of Quality of Life, to get acquainted with QOL leaders in the field.

“This is a very caring and compassionate group who considers the elders, or residents, as their family,” Beach said. “It’s clear they are emotionally connected to the residents.”

The third day of the meeting found all segments together, learning about companywide initiatives launched with the goal of making making the jobs of QOL easier and more efficient while improving conditions for residents.

Among the speakers was Chief Information Officer Mike Easley, who presented new software and technologies, including a bedside monitor that will enable residents to enjoy various forms of entertainment and communication with a single device.

Lisa Fain, from Golfcrest Healthcare Center in Hollywood, Fla., was particularly excited about the new technology.

“I’m looking for Mike to have a cooking channel so me and my residents can have a show – ‘Cooking with Mike!’ ”

Meanwhile, Suzy Rupp, from Mayfair Manor in Lexington, Ky., appreciated the session on documentation, which covered assessment forms, and progress and care-planning notes. Rupp is a former middle school principal who left her job to help tend to her father, a one-time Mayfair Manor resident. She continued as a volunteer at the facility and later was hired as an activity assistant before becoming QOL director.

“The Activity Pro (software), I think, is going to make that job much more efficient.”

Several QOL leaders said they found value in getting to interact with their peers, including Luis Rodriguez, from Kenilworth Care & Rehab in Sebring, Fla.

“I think it’s great networking,” he said. “The experience of bringing all QOL directors together – it was like a dream come true for all. We need to all be on the same page, making it happen for our elders.”

And Rhonda Jones, from SHC of Pikeville, plans to implement a new idea she picked up from her peers: ‘community committee’ meetings that give new stakeholders and residents the chance to get acquainted.

“It’s awesome,” she said.

Signature Vice President of Spirituality Dianne Timmering asked the group to acknowledge fears and barriers to doing their jobs, reminding them that quality of life is about healing as much as it is activities.

“You all are so powerful. You really have the power to turn sorrow into joy and regret into grace,” she said. “Isn’t that beautiful?”

Following the meeting, Beach applauded the group’s creativity and abilities. She said the goal is to continue to provide education, and to help QOL leaders remain focused on their core duties and mission.

“What we’re trying to impress upon them and the rest of the company is that they are a key leader within that building,” Beach said. “And they really are the center of what happens with the residents each day.”

Signature affiliate InnovateLTC recently hosted its first InnovAGE Show, featuring an all-star panel of aging care experts for a discussion about consumerism and innovation as they relate to aging care. The panel included Dr. Christian Furman, Vice Chair for Geriatrics at the University of Louisville and an adviser to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation; Mary Haynes, CEO of Nazareth Home in Louisville; and Jody Holtzman and Jeff Makowka, with the AARP Thought Leadership Group.