Share the Love at The Laurels

The Laurel Spirit
V OLUM E 2 3 • W IN T ER 2016
A LAUREL HEALTH CARE COMPANY ASSOCIATE PUBLICATION
Share the Love at The Laurels!
Love is always in the air at The Laurels. Every day, our Associates go out of their way to demonstrate love
and caring to our Guests and families. On Valentine’s Day, a few of our facilities went above and beyond.
Guests, families, and visitors danced the night away at The
Laurels of Coldwater’s 18th Annual Valentine’s Day Gala.
"Great Gatsby" Valentine's Day Gala
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This February, The Laurels of Coldwater held their 18th Annual Valentine’s Day Gala.
The Gala is a themed dinner-dance that is open to the public, with all ticket sales and 50/50 raffle proceeds
donated to the H&C Burnside Senior Center. This year’s “Great Gatsby” theme was a smash! Gala-goers
relished a delicious 1920s-style catered dinner with appetizer buffet, chocolate, and a Shirley Temple Fountain. The $10 ticket also provided an evening of music and dancing
with the Roy Cole County Rock Band and a picture with a
professional photographer complete with feather boas and
pearls, flapper girl silhouettes, and a vintage car cutout prop
to help make this enjoyable evening memorable.
“Sweetheart Spaghetti Dinner” at
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Guests and family members were invited to a
“Sweetheart Spaghetti Dinner” for Valentine's Day at The
Laurels of University Park. Their meals were served by the
facility's department heads, and in addition to spaghetti,
salad, and garlic breadsticks, they also had their choice
of desserts from our fancy dessert cart. Hot cocoa with
whipped cream was served after the meal as a special
sweet chocolate treat.
A
W O R D F R O M O U R M A N A G E M E N T
Special Message
A Letter From Our New CEO and President, Mohammad Qazi
Dear Laurel employees:
I am excited to be able to write to you today announcing a new, and what I believe will be a great and prosperous
chapter for Laurel Health Care.
Today, I completed the purchase of 100% of the stock of Laurel from the previous shareholders of Laurel. This sale was
the culmination of months of confidential negotiations with Laurel shareholders that resulted in a purchase agreement
signed January 18th and the completion of the sale only 12 days after. I fully appreciate that the news of the sale may
have surprised you along with completion of the sale so soon after the announcement.
I want to first ease and hopefully eliminate any anxiety you may have about the new ownership of Laurel. Nothing
has changed today other than the departure of the former Board of Directors, and some of the senior executive team
who were also major shareholders in the company. Laurel will continue conducting business as Laurel. Your employer
and employment stays the same. Your wages and benefits remain the same. Laurel Health Care Company will continue
to manage Laurel facilities from the Westerville office.
The only changes today will be the reporting structure at the management company. We will provide you with
more information on this soon. Barb Lombardi will continue being responsible for nursing home operations. The new
Laurel Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be Anis Khan (pronounced “Aneese”). Anis is the current CFO of Ciena
Healthcare and will straddle both Ciena and Laurel as CFO. Anis has been with Ciena since its formation and I think
you will quickly learn that he is very knowledgeable about our industry, a fast learner and will be a great asset to the
Laurel team. He will be in the Westerville office several days each week as he splits his time between Laurel and Ciena.
The events of today bring two great companies, with similar values, together under common ownership making
both stronger and better able to succeed and remain leaders in our fast-changing industry. Both Laurel and Ciena are
nearly similar in size and share core beliefs that focus on providing the highest quality of care to our residents and
valuing our employees.
A brief background on myself and Ciena. I began my career in healthcare as a licensed physical therapist providing
therapy services to nursing facilities. I first started a therapy company to provide therapists to skilled facilities and I soon
saw tremendous opportunities to be a nursing home owner and operator. I acquired my first facility in Detroit in 1995
and several more facilities in Michigan back in the late 1990s as change was sweeping the industry. I formed Ciena
Healthcare in 1998 to focus on managing a growing and diverse portfolio.
I am blessed to say that Ciena has since experienced healthy and solid growth. Today, Ciena is comprised of
36 skilled nursing facilities in Michigan with 4,000 SNF beds and about 5,000 employees. About one-third of Ciena
facilities are newly constructed and were new, job-creating businesses when they opened. Ciena has been an industry
leader in new construction as well as upgrading and renovating facilities and we will continue to be a leader.
What I am most proud of is Ciena’s commitment to the quality of care provided to its residents and patients. Over
half of the Ciena portfolio is 4 and 5 CMD star-rated and Ciena facilities comprise 25% of all the 5-star-rated facilities in
Michigan! Quality is the mainstay of our industry and my philosophy is “first take care of our residents and patients and
everything else will fall into place.” The “Laurel Way” embodies my philosophy and my pledge to you is that Laurel will
continue to prosper, lead and grow.
I look forward to meeting you or visiting your facility in the upcoming months. Please continue to serve our
residents and their families while embracing The Laurel Way.
Very Truly Yours,
Mohammad Qazi,
President and CEO, Laurel Health Care
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T H E L A U R E L W A Y O F C A R I N G C O M E S F R O M W I T H I N
A
W O R D F R O M O U R C U S T O M E R S
Words of Thanks
Often, Laurel Health Care Associates go above
and beyond the call of duty, reaching out in the
communities they serve and demonstrating The
Laurel Way of Caring. Here are a few of the letters
of appreciation we have received commending
these Associates for their extra efforts.
The Laurels of Defiance
My name is Camella Starrett and I was only 15 years old
when I came to The Laurels in 2012. I would like to share my
experience with the great facility of The Laurels. Although the
time I spent at The Laurels was short, it made a great impact in
my life. Going through a very traumatic experience in my life,
The Laurels is one of the few memories that made it bearable. I
would also like to share how much I really appreciated
everything that The Laurels staff did for me. I felt very
welcomed and the staff made it so I would fit in! It was an
experience that I was forced to go through but I am sure
happy that I experienced it at The Laurels. Thank you to
everyone who made my stay a positive one. I do have a few
special thanks to the awesome people of The Laurels! All
Physical Therapy staff...you rock! All Aids, especially Sue! All
Nurses, especially Sue! The awesome male Cook that made
eating fun! The Activities Director! Even the cleaning crew
(Environmental) were fun! A gentleman who immediately
welcomed me into The Laurels who I believe is an
administrator. He was very kind! (Please forgive me, I do not
remember his name). The very skilled beautician who cut my
hair! Thank you, everyone!
Camella Starrett
Hillsboro
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The Laurels of Mt. Pleasant
I was stopped today by a family member of one of our
Guests. His name was Roger Gardner, and he was the father of
our Guest Jill Rose. Rodger wanted to make sure I knew as a
corporate-level person that the Staff at Mt. Pleasant has provided
nothing but exceptional care and understanding. He said,
“Maybe you could let the right people know what I have to
say.” Roger stated that he has had his daughter at five other
facilities, and was so frustrated when he brought her to The
Laurels of Mt. Pleasant. He said the Staff at Mt. Pleasant treated
his daughter like a real person all day, every day, and not just
another task at hand. “They never gave up and always took time
to explain what they were doing and why it was important,” he
said. He went on to say, “The Laurels of Mt. Pleasant was the
only facility that was able to get my daughter to stand and not
only that, they got her to walk.” Then he smiled the biggest
smile! Rodger ended by saying “thank you” and that he could
not be any more satisfied and would recommend The Laurels of
Mt. Pleasant to everyone he knew. Thank you, Mt. Pleasant, for
“Exceeding the Needs and Expectations Of Those We Serve,
While Embracing The Laurel Way.”
Tom Durst, RN,
Coordinator of Electronic Health Records
T H E L A U R E L W A Y O F C A R I N G C O M E S F R O M W I T H I N 3
D E M O N S T R A T I N G T H E L A U R E L W A Y
That's the Spirit!
The Music Plays On at The Laurels of Summit Ridge
For many decades, Ms. Bertha Hyatt opened her house
to local bluegrass musicians and old-time pickers on
Thursday nights for a weekly music jam. It was a staple of
Asheville living. The cars would line Brevard Road as they
came from all over western North Carolina and surrounding
South Carolina and Tennessee.
On December 3, about 30 musicians from several states
came to The Laurels of Summit Ridge to have another
Thursday night jam with Ms. Hyatt, who is now a Guest.
They played, they sang, they laughed, and had such a good
time reminiscing on the days of “The Hyatt House of Blues.”
Bluegrass musicians from three states gathered for a
Ms. Hyatt was on cloud nine. The musicians said they just
jam session with a special Guest, Ms. Bertha Hyatt.
wanted to give her one more Thursday night of music. Ms.
Hyatt said, “Oh, I just love them to death, all of them. I want them to come back; you know I enjoy music.” The Hyatt
House of Blues was so popular in Asheville that the local TV news covered the reunion at The Laurels of Summit Ridge.
The Laurels and NCB Partner to Make
Wishes Come True
Guests Tom Lucas and Gail Ingalsbe
enjoyed a shopping spree at Hobby
Lobby thanks to NCB and The Senior
Housing Crime Prevention Foundation.
The Laurels of Hillsboro partnered with National Cooperative Bank (NCB) and
the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation to award two special Guests
at The Laurels of Hillsboro with the annual “Wishes Come True” award. Tom
Lucas and Gail Ingalsbe were chosen as the recipients of the $250 award, to
spend as they wish. They both chose to have a shopping spree at Hobby Lobby
to get supplies to do what they love: craft! “It was such a fun day,” Gail said. The
Guests, escorted by Laurel staff Kelley Condo, Activities Director, and Twana
Camp, RN, took a full day trip to Cincinnati, shopped at Hobby Lobby, and then
ate lunch at Steak ‘n Shake. Thank you to NCB and the Senior Housing Crime
Prevention Foundation for making the wishes of Tom and Gail come true!
A Family Full of Love at The Laurels of
University Park
Frances and Bennie Whitlock are a familiar pair at The Laurels of University Park.
Mother and son, both are Guests at the
facility. They live next door to each other,
eat all of their meals together, and share
activities like music, bingo, and trivia games.
The Whit
lo
Mother and son pose together
for the U ck family all join
Bennie enjoys attending the men’s group
n
ed
iversity P
for Valentine's Day.
ark Christ in the fun
activities and can always be seen around
mas pictu
res.
the facility wearing his trademark suspenders with a smile on his face. Even after all
of these years, Frances still loves mothering him. And both of them love posing for pictures together.
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T H E L A U R E L W A Y O F C A R I N G C O M E S F R O M W I T H I N
D E M O N S T R A T I N G T H E L A U R E L W A Y
That's the Spirit!
A Special Honor for Maplewood of Mt.
Pleasant Guest
Joyce Wogamon served her country as a keypunch operator during
World War II. Last October, her country thanked her with a trip to
Washington D.C. as part of the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight Program.
Now 94, Joyce joined the Navy in 1944 and completed her training
in New York. She spent the next two years working in barracks in Utah,
Pennsylvania, and Ohio. She later put her keypunch skills to work to secure
a job at IBM, where she worked for three years before starting her family.
“IBM wouldn’t let pregnant women work there,” she noted.
Joyce Wogamon in her Navy days, and now
as a Guest at Maplewood of Mt. Pleasant.
Joyce comes from a family with a history of distinguished military service. Her father fought in World War I, and her
son John is a Vietnam veteran. On October 13, she joined several other Michigan veterans on a flight to the nation’s
capital, where she had the opportunity to visit the World War II memorial and other Washington D.C. landmarks.
The Good Times Roll at The Laurels of
Coldwater
For nearly a decade, The Laurels of Coldwater has been sponsoring a
monthly pool tournament at the HC Burnside Senior Center in Coldwater, MI.
Pool is a very popular activity in the area, with people coming together to play
almost daily. In the past, The Laurels has funded the re-felting of the pool tables,
Social Services Director Jon Richardknowing how important they are to the community. As many as 20 Guests
son with participants at the monthly
attend
the tournaments on the last Thursday of each month to play pool and
pool tournament.
enjoy camaraderie, refreshments, and the
atmosphere of friendly competition. Jon Richardson, Social Service Director at The
Laurels of Coldwater, brings pizza and soda and enjoys socializing with Guests.
It’s a Trip at The Laurels of Sandy Creek!
Activity Director Cassy Hopkins is helping
Guests get away from it all at The Laurels
of Sandy Creek. Every other week, they
“travel” to a new locale in an activity
Cassy calls "Let's Take A Trip." Cassy finds
appropriate props to decorate the room
and the facility serves drinks and food
that represent their destination. Guests
enjoy looking at laminated pictures and
learning fun facts about the location. In
February, Guests traveled to Jamaica!
They were greeted with a beach-like scene
and tropical drinks with flowery straws.
Everyone loved getting their pictures taken at the "beach" and dreaming about
getting away from the cold Michigan winter!
T H E L A U R E L W A Y O F C A R I N G C O M E S F R O M W I T H I N The Laurels
Mission Statement
Creating a Legacy
By
Exceeding the
Needs and Expectations
Of Those We Serve,
While Embracing
The Laurel Way
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A
C L O S E - U P
L O O K
A T
A C T I V I T I E S
Reflections
The Laurels of Sandy Creek
Christmas wishes came true this
year at The Laurels of Sandy
Creek. Thanks to the wonderful
Associates at Sandy Creek and
many community donors, nearly
90 Guests received a special
present from their wish list. Some
simply wanted their favorite
snack, while others dreamed of
things like a new watch or winter
jacket. Activities Director Cassy
Hopkins says, “We were beyond
blessed by the generosity of
our staff and
community! It was
definitely a very
Merry Christmas!”
The Laurels of University Park
Guests from The Laurels of University Park enjoyed
a fun stop at the home of "Mr. Christmas" during
their tacky light tour in December. Mr. Christmas
is famous in the Richmond area, where he has
been decorating his home and yard with thousands
of lights for more than 40 years! Some family
members provided hot cocoa with marshmallows
and Christmas Little Debbie cakes for everyone, and
Guests even got a visit from Mr. Christmas himself!
The Laurels of Norworth
Each year, The Laurels of Norworth invites all of their Guests and family
members to an elegant sit-down meal. Special linens and china are used,
as well as handmade centerpieces made by Recreation Director Meredith
Carter’s mother,
to make sure the
event is top notch.
The Dietary Staff,
led by Tracy Aitken,
prepared a feast
of roast beef, ham,
stuffing, mashed
potatoes, green
bean casserole,
and an array of
delicious desserts
for more than 150
people. The evening ended with the entire crowd singing Christmas carols
led by Administrator Kristine Provan and Guest Richard Burkhardt.
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The Laurels of Massillon
Associate Jeff Kuhlin (Floor Care) at
The Laurels of Massillon volunteered
to play Santa Clause on Christmas
Eve. He is pictured here with Guest
Mary Brubach.
T H E L A U R E L W A Y O F C A R I N G C O M E S F R O M W I T H I N
The Laurels of Charlottesville
Geraldine Curtis (left) and her best friend
Virginia Paist (right) were a daily part of life at
The Laurels of Charlottesville while Geraldine
was going through therapy. Virginia moved
her friend to North Carolina, where she now
resides, so she could help with her
recovery. They are pictured here on
Geraldine’s discharge day. DOM
Pam Kimmell says “they will forever
remain in our hearts!”
The Laurels of Hillsboro
Veterans from The Laurels of Hillsboro were honored
by the local Honor Guard this past November. The
Honor Guard provided special gifts for the veterans and
conducted a ceremony.
The Laurels of GreenTree Ridge
This youngster and a longterm Guest at The Laurels of
GreenTree Ridge look like they
are having quite a ball!
The Laurels of Hendersonville
At The Laurels of
Hendersonville, the Staff and
Guests are all champions!
In November, Bob Pompeo,
Director of Marketing (left)
and Sandy Anderson, Director
of Social Services (right)
celebrated Kyle Busch’s
2015 Sprint Cup Series
Championship with a little
NASCAR spirit. Meet them in
the Winner’s Circle!
The Laurels of Massillon
Guests at The Laurels of
Massillon enjoyed a day of
gambling at the Hard Rock
Rocksino in Northfield,
Ohio. The activities
committee surprised
Guests with a bus trip to
the casino. They topped off the
day with lunch at the Hard Rock Café.
T H E L A U R E L W A Y O F C A R I N G C O M E S F R O M W I T H I N
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W H O ,
W H A T ,
W H E R E ,
W H E N A N D H O W
Spirit News
The Laurel Way
We are a team of
professionals dedicated to
promoting the highest level of
independence and quality of
life for our Guests by creating
a comfortable living
environment and providing
comprehensive
health care services.
Congratulations to our Deficiency-Free
Facilities!
The Laurels of Blanchester and The Laurels of DeKalb have received
deficiency-free surveys.
The Laurels of Blanchester has good reason to celebrate, as this is
their second deficiency-free survey since Laurel Health Care acquired
the facility in 2009. Administrator Lori Byrom says, “I am so fortunate to
work with the team that we have here in Blanchester. They truly do work
hard every day to exceed the needs of our guests and their families.”
Congratulations and thank you to all of our hardworking Associates at
these facilities!
To accomplish this, we have
a responsibility to:
Associates at
The Laurels of
Blanchester
celebrate their
deficiency-free
survey.
Treat everyone with dignity
and respect
Conduct ourselves with the
highest level of integrity and
ethical behavior
Be uncompromising in our
standards of quality of care
and service
Attract, train and retain
knowledgeable, caring and
compassionate individuals
Challenge ourselves to grow
as people, as professionals
and as a company
W
Congratulations
to The Laurels
of DeKalb on
their second
consecutive
deficiency-free
survey.
V
Earn a fair and reasonable
profit for our stakeholders
We embrace these
responsibilities, with
commitment and enthusiasm, in
our pursuit of The Laurel Way.
The Laurels of DeKalb recently received a 2016 deficiency-free survey.
The team at The Laurels of DeKalb is extremely excited to celebrate
as they had a deficiency-free survey in 2015 as well. The Director of
Nursing, Marleen Miller says, “I am so proud to work with such an
outstanding group of people. This is all possible because of their hard
work and dedication. All of the employees strive for excellence and this
Perfect Survey is a reflection of their commitment and enthusiasm”.
If you have ideas for stories, features or photos for an issue of The Laurel Spirit, let us hear from you!
Please submit your ideas to your Administrator who will pass them on to the editor. Thank you!
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