Haley Holland had a good feeling about her test when she left the exam room on a Friday morning. She turned in her exam without reviewing it to prevent her from second-guessing herself. And her proctor indicated she likely passed her long-term care administrator’s licensure exam.
The weekend was more celebratory than stressed. The Virginia Board of Long-Term Care Administrators confirmed her license by Tuesday.
Haley started at Virginia Health Services as the recreation director at Coliseum Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She entered the Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program near the beginning of the year and completed her hours while on the job. She was promoted to Coliseum’s Assistant Administrator in the spring.
“Coliseum is so diverse, anything that’s going to happen in long-term care, it’s going to happen at Coliseum,” she says. “I know that I am where I need to be right now so I can get the best experience that I can.”
AIT
Haley shadowed employees in all departments to understand their roles during the AIT program. While day-to-day focuses on operations and environmental services, Haley said she also needed to focus on finance, management and leadership.
The exam sections covered finance, customer care support and services, human resources, environmental services and management.
Time with Coliseum Administrator Dudley Haas and several VHS vice presidents was valuable to the learning process. Those conversations and notes of encouragement also were valuable personally.
“I really felt encouraged, like people cared that I was taking this test and wanting to advance in VHS,” Haley says.
She observed Dudley’s leadership through interactions with team members, Residents and their families. Haley walked through financials and asked questions all while helping to manage the day-to-day operations at Coliseum.
“The last two weeks of preparation, I studied any time I had free time. Any time. I had my flashcards everywhere,” she says. “I was constantly taking practice tests; looking at my flashcards … I asked anybody who walked through Coliseum questions. I recruited a lot of people to help me study.
“Dudley said, ‘I want to see you do well.’ ”
A majority of the questions on the licensure exam focused on Resident care, or regulations regarding Resident care and environmental services.
“It gets you to think about what’s the best route for everyone involved. … A lot of the questions were things I do day-to-day,” Haley says. The study materials helped immensely.
Haley Holland is “where I need to be” at Coliseum Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as Assistant Administrator.
Drawn to senior care
Haley says her first job out of college was in an assisted living with focused memory care.
“I just knew it was going to be older adults the rest of my career,” she says after initially considering being a teacher.
She loves the Resident stories and learning from their life experiences. Eventually she says she may want to be an administrator for assisted living, where there are fewer regulations that control the Resident experience.
“At the facility, you see exactly what your efforts are doing. You have a direct line to the Residents,” she says.
Promoting from within
Haley said she was encouraged to enroll in the AIT program and used her time on the job to gain the hours needed to complete the program.
She says the administrator’s license provides her with multiple opportunities in long-term care. It was the best way forward in her career.
“It broadened my horizons with my future … doing the AIT and taking my exam, the possibilities are endless,” she says of what might be next. Right now, Coliseum is where she wants to be.
She plans to keep up her continued education credits for her license. Haley’s future paths could include assisted living, independent living or a specialization within long-term care, such as memory care or dialysis.
“It’s just exciting – opens up possibilities for a lot of things with my license,” she says.
VHS is committed to workforce development and promotes from within.
“The support that I get (from the team at VHS) is incredible,” she says. “Things like that, people really care; you feel supported and you can keep moving. I’m really thankful VHS helped financially with the test and the AIT. Overall, I’m grateful for the VHS community.”
Join our team
Be part of a team who wants you to succeed. Our career pathways include leadership, nursing, dietary, housekeeping, environmental services, social work and more. Visit vahs.com/careers and apply for a position that fits you.
What happens when the rigors of homeownership become too much? For three women residents of The Arbors Independent Living, the answer was moving in.
Without having to worry about home and lawn maintenance, cooking and cleaning, or keeping up with too much space after children had moved out, residents at The Arbors are able to enjoy themselves.
We’re celebrating Joy Week this week and taking advantage of the events the team has planned. Get to know our residents and why they decided to call The Arbors home below.
No more yardwork!
Nancy Sandford knew keeping up with the landscaping in their Hampton home had become too much for her husband. She was ready to find a place to call home that didn’t require so much work. Nancy convinced him after he retired that it was time to downsize to something with less maintenance.
She and her husband moved into The Arbors the end of June 2020.
Her husband still gets to work with his hands outside, but to a manageable degree. He does the landscaping at The Arbors, planting flowers and caring for the hanging baskets and beds.
Bridge is Nancy Sandford’s favorite game and she has found several outlets to play it as an Arbors resident.
Moving to The Arbors
“When we came here, we stopped looking,” Nancy said.
It was small, attractive and the staff was warm and sincere.
“We found a home,” she said. “We love it and wouldn’t change a thing.”
The Sanfords feel safe and enjoy taking walks around Port Warwick. The location is ideal, Nancy said.
The staff is patient and caring, particularly when it comes to helping the aging population, she said.
Living in an apartment “can be isolating,” she said. “You can make it be as homey as you want by never leaving your apartment, but if you did that, you miss the wonderful people and activities here.”
Nancy praised activity director Ora Williams and Chef Akira Johnston on adding life and fun to The Arbors. The food is tasty and the activities keep Nancy going.
She plays in several bridge groups – it’s her favorite game – and while she doesn’t care for Bingo, she does enjoy the company and camaraderie of the people.
“The people are the best part. I can have as much privacy as I want,” she said.
Out of the house
Nancy Sandford retired from being a nurse before moving into The Arbors. She loved being a middle school nurse.
Nancy and her husband were married after college and moved to Hampton in 1959. They met in high school. She attended nursing school in Richmond and he was a student at Randolph-Macon before they married.
Her husband was an aerospace engineer for NASA Langley. While his role involved testing airplane aerodynamics in the wind tunnel, when he went to the gym in those early days on Langley’s campus, he would run into the Mercury 7 astronauts.
Nancy retired from being an RN. She ended her career as a nurse at a middle school, though she said her favorite job as a nurse was the newborn nursery. She worked part-time while raising her children.
Nancy and her husband have three sons and six grandchildren.
Joyce Belote knew she wanted to call The Arbors home once her 10-room home in Newport News became too much.
Ready to make the move
Joyce Belote became an Arbors resident in May 2018, a short while after her husband of 64 years passed away.
Two years before her husband passed away, Joyce already had the notion she was ready to move into something smaller with less maintenance. The 10-room home on the cul-de-sac was too big for the two of them with her children moved out (but still living nearby).
Her husband’s dementia and reluctance to move from where he was comfortable prevented her from taking the next step, but she had on the original visit scoped out the apartment view she wanted to have.
The week of her husband’s passing, that view became available and the Arbors team worked with her to reserve it as she went through the steps of handling the estate.
“I couldn’t be happier here. I have no complaints at all,” she says.
Her sons are within “five minutes of me” and her sister recently purchased a condo across Styron Square where when the leaves fall, they’ll be able to wave at one another from their windows.
Her sister is 17 years younger, “so I’ll have a driver should I stop being able to do that,” she says with a chuckle.
And she is so happy with the location. She didn’t want to look anywhere else when she decided to move into an independent living community because the Arbors is close to everything she wants, including her doctors, shopping and restaurants, and her family.
“The location is fantastic,” she says.
Nesting
Joyce has a lot of interests and collectibles. She was a bridal consultant and keeps many dolls in wedding dresses, including one of Princess Diana, in a curio cabinet in her living room. Each of the dolls has a story and she has presented them to her peers at The Arbors during a “show and tell” in the past year.
Her kitchen is bright and cheery with a strong lemon theme.
“I didn’t start doing it until I moved here. My kitchen at my house was yellow. It had yellow cabinets,” she says. Now the color accents the space of her kitchen at The Arbors as a nod to her Maxwell Gardens home of 54 years.
Joyce has an entire bookshelf of scrapbooks. “I’m a picture freak,” she says. There are family photos and portraits all over the walls, and she loves the digital frame her family gave her where photos of the kids can be uploaded from any device.
She has four granddaughters and two great-grandchildren, including a two-month-old girl who Joyce knitted a blanket for. All of the grandchildren are in their 30s. The youngest she calls “a precious doll.”
Joyce is a big fan of Chef Akira’s food. “She is fabulous. We’re offered great meal options here. I eat very healthy here.”
She says she has a lot of dietary restrictions, but can always find something that satisfies them, and her, on the menu.
“Ora keeps us so busy we don’t know which way is up,” Joyce says of the activity director. “I go to everything that’s going on.”
She can be seen at happy hours, events and outings. Where you won’t find her is playing bridge or bingo. She loves the group she plays Mexican train dominoes with, however.
“Growing up strict Baptist, there weren’t any games. No cards unless it was Old Maid or something, so this was a change,” she says.
She also started the knitting group when she moved in. They meet on Wednesday afternoons and the dominoes group plays on Tuesday nights.
From the beginning
Joyce and her husband are from Newport News. She was a dental assistant before and after raising her children, and later worked as a bridal consultant and at the Village Stitchery in Hilton Village for 10 years until it closed. “I was still working there when I came here,” she says.
She still attends Temple Baptist, where she has been a member for 60 years, and participates in their groups. She hosts her Sunday school class occasionally at The Arbors, which caters the gathering.
Joyce grew up in the Wythe section of Hampton, graduating Hampton High School in 1953.
She met Donnie through a friend of a friend after a night out dancing at the Hampton Country Club. He was just out of the Air Force and attending William and Mary. They married in 1956 and “we were on a shoestring! I probably had as much space in that first apartment as I do now!” They were living on her salary while the GI Bill paid for Donnie’s schooling.
He became a mortgage banker and then a real estate appraiser. Despite adamantly not wanting to follow in their father’s footsteps, both sons are real estate appraisers as well.
“No one has moved from Virginia. I couldn’t keep them all in Newport News, but we’re all in the same state!”
They used to have a home in Nags Head, and now one of her sons purchased a home in Kitty Hawk, so they still are able to take advantage of going to the Outer Banks when the mood strikes.
Happy at home
“I wish more people would give the Arbors a chance,” she says. It really can have a community feel and it isn’t a place where people go to die, but to live, she says.
“This to me is just like being home,” she says. “I didn’t know anybody when I came here.”
When you move, “it’s a relief to your children.” Her sons were completely on board with her decision, and relieved to not have to worry about her living in a large house alone, concerned with its upkeep in and out.
Joyce has taken advantage of VHS Rehabilitation, which is right next door.
“They’ve got a fantastic crew there,” Joyce says. She was discharged after a knee replacement about two years ago and loved that rehab was “right here in the building.”
She says she will be 88 in January and is glad to still be driving. She knows when she no longer can, the transportation options at The Arbors are useful.
Carol Richardson’s passion for quilting is on display throughout her apartment.
Necessary move
Carol Richardson moved into The Arbors about 10 months ago because she says she knew she couldn’t live in her Newport News home from the 1970s.
“It wasn’t wheelchair accessible,” she says. No longer in a wheelchair, she still knew downsizing was the right move for her about four years after her husband’s passing.
Her children left her little choice. She moved into The Arbors after time in a rehabilitation facility where she got back on her feet following a broken leg.
Her son made the arrangements and moved in pieces of furniture, pictures and quilting supplies from her home of about 30 years.
She moved from a four-bedroom home to a studio.
“I made a move I needed to,” she says, adding that while it’s odd to be thankful for breaking her leg, the injury made her realize how necessary it was to downsize to something maintenance-free and accessible.
She was familiar with Port Warwick, but couldn’t place the location of The Arbors until she moved in. Now she takes advantage of the location and takes long walks, usually after dinner. She likes setting goals and has a goal of about 5,500 steps a day. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less, but she is happy to be moving.
“It’s a great place to walk,” she says.
“I can cook if I want, but I don’t have to. Noise hasn’t been an issue. Once I figured out the thermostat and adapted to my surroundings, I started to feel good,” she says. “I’m very easy going.”
Moving in
Carol says she has made some friends since moving into The Arbors. She says there is a good balance between maintaining privacy and socializing, being able to do as much or as little as she chooses.
“I like to stay busy,” she says.
She and friend Beverly, who recently moved in, eat together regularly. “She’s 92, and she just says things that make you laugh,” Carol says.
You can always find her enjoying events and outings. She participates in the crafting activities and enjoys starting the day with group exercise class.
“It starts my day off right,” she says.
She says The Arbors is starting to feel like home. She has even started to refer to it as such. She had to make some hard choices about what to bring and what to store or get rid of after selling her home.
Quilting
Carol has a stack of her favorite quilts in a corner, with her most prized piece on the top. She says quilting “always has been my therapy,” but while she was caring for her husband at home the last year of his life, she never even walked into her sewing room. “I don’t know why,” she says.
Following his passing, she and her quilting guild worked on a beautiful piece of bright pinks against a dark backing.
“I’m glad I got my mojo back,” she says. “I’m an artist. I can’t draw worth a lick, but I create art with fabric and thread.”
She also is planning ahead. She’s made a box of eight quilts, one for each grandchild, that resides with her daughter in New Jersey. They are intended for her great-grandchildren when they come along.
Family life
Carol married her high school sweetheart Jimmy in 1967. They were married while she was still in school, and she says her mother let her move out after graduation. They started their family soon after, with a daughter and two sons. Carol has eight grandchildren and shares with pride all they’ve accomplished in their 14 to 26 years.
She was still in a wheelchair when one of her grandsons was playing in his last high school football game. She arranged transportation to Todd Stadium in Newport News.
“Grandma wasn’t going to miss her grandson’s last game,” she says. She’s looking forward to watching him play at Christopher Newport University. “My son already has my ticket.”
Her husband worked for NASA Langley for 36 years.
“He crashed airplanes for a living,” she says, recalling bringing the children to visit the Gantry while their father worked. (You can still see the Gantry on Langley’s campus driving out of Poquoson on Wythe Creek Road. They still crash planes there, too.)
Carol’s passion and interest has been sewing, which she learned how to do at age 9. She spent a good majority of her career after child-rearing in the costume departments of Busch Gardens and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
“That was great fun. I got to make so many interesting costumes!” she says, sharing a few photos of costumes she worked on at Busch Gardens.
Call The Arbors home
With its ideal location and neighbors like Nancy, Joyce and Carol, why wouldn’t you want to call The Arbors home? Visit vahs.com/thearbors to explore our community, view floor plans and schedule a Taste & Tour, where lunch is on us. You also can call 757-933-2621 for information on services, rates and availability.
It was still Coliseum Park and just opening when Roslyn Shields started working as a laundry supervisor.
She has spent her career in Environmental Services. Over the years her position changed to include overseeing laundry, housekeeping and custodians as Plant Operations Director. She also serves as an administrator on call.
She retires Sept. 23, 2022, after 40 years at Coliseum, which was purchased by Virginia Health Services in 2013.
Coliseum roots run deep
Ros says she has a lot of personal memories in Coliseum. Friends she has made, learning how to be a manager, and it is where she met her husband. He was working in the maintenance department at Coliseum Park, “and one thing led to another,” she says with a laugh.
The Residents have kept her coming back to work for 40 years.
“I have a heart for the elderly population,” she says.
Ros recruited Luwanda Palmer 17 years ago to work in the laundry room of Coliseum. Luwanda handles the Residents’ clothing.
“This is my space,” Luwanda Palmer says of the room where Residents’ clothing and other laundered items are kept.
The washer never stops running, she says with a smile. Each person takes on a role, washing towels, clothes, linens.
“I like the Residents,” Luwanda says. “I like making sure everything is neat for them.”
She also loves to hear their stories. “I try to make sure they’re comfortable,” she says.
And you can never stop ordering supplies, Ros says. She tries to have two cases of toilet paper on hand at all times (that’s 96 rolls per case!) and plenty of detergent, cleaning solutions and disinfectant.
“I don’t like to run low,” she says. Her office is around the corner from the supply storage so she can keep an eye on things.
She is a cancer survivor, in remission for seven years. She says she worked through the treatments, only calling out once. She takes pride in having a stable department.
“I think they have shown appreciation for the way I manage,” she says of her team. “I only ask you respect me, your coworkers and do your job.”
Personal history
Ros moved to Hampton with her family when she was in the sixth grade. She is a graduate of Hampton High. Her son lives in Newport News. Her three grandchildren range in age from 16 to 28. The youngest plays varsity football for Woodside High School.
“I won’t go to the game – I don’t want to see him take a hit,” she says, but still pulls up a game highlight on her phone of him running in a touchdown. “That’s all I need to see.”
She was born in Philadelphia. Her father was in the Air Force, and before being stationed in and settling in Hampton, the family moved all over, including to New Hampshire, North Carolina, England and Florida. He commuted on the weekends from Hampton to Andrews AFB the last year before retiring.
“I traveled a lot,” she says. She has three younger brothers.
In retirement she would like to travel, and views post-Coliseum as “another journey.” She figures she will work somewhere part-time, though, not really ready to commit to sitting at home watching TV with her husband. That won’t happen until she takes some time for herself, she says.
“I don’t know where that time went,” she says. “I’m going to miss everybody. Walking out of here is going to be sentimental. I’ll visit occasionally.”
The industrial washing machines at Coliseum, and all VHS facilities, are always going to keep items clean and fresh.
EVS Week
Environmental Services Week is celebrated Sept. 11-17 by the Association for the Health Care Environment. Virginia Health Services is showing its appreciation for our EVS team by treating them to lunch this week. The team is responsible for keeping our communities clean and safe spaces for the individuals in our care and their visitors.
Our EVS team members have direct contact with our Residents and work closely with the clinical staff. We appreciate their diligence in providing sanitized, clean and safe communities for VHS.
You can join our team! View our openings and apply at vahs.com/careers.
Princess Henderson became the Director of Education at Virginia Health Services in June. But she is well-acquainted with VHS and its education programs.
Princess has been with VHS since 2008, serving in a variety of roles. Most recently, she was an instructor with the education team, teaching the Care Assistant apprentices.
She says her journey with Virginia Health Services comes full circle with this move. When Princess started with VHS, she was in the class she now teaches and will oversee in her new role. She was valedictorian of her class.
Princess Henderson started working for Virginia Health Services in 2008 as a Care Assistant and now is the Director of Education.
Princess recently finished her bachelor’s degree in nursing and was figuring out the next step when she said this opportunity presented itself.
“Every time I feel antsy or think I might step away from VHS, an opportunity comes along,” she says.
“I’m invested in this company and invested in the (mostly) women in education. I get to have a hand in our next generation of nurses.”
She says she likes to make an impression on the students in the CNA classes. “We have to tell them it’ll be worth it. Just focus on your goal and remember you are here for your patients,” she says.
The education team is looking to hire a LPN to do skills with the students so they can run more than one class at a time.
Princess says she tried to break into education with VHS as early as 2016, when she was ADON at York. As a new RN, she didn’t quite have enough experience under her belt. Now, with ADON experience at York and Coliseum in addition to being an instructor, the time was right for the promotion to Director of Education.
“I knew the CNAs needed more nurturing, someone who had been in their shoes who had real-life advice for them,” she says.
“I want to continue to grow with VHS and help develop this program into something greater than it already is.”
Princess’s career has been with VHS. Before become ADON at York, she worked at James River after earning her Nurse Aide certification, then becoming a RN.
“I’m thankful for what VHS has given me to help me accelerate my career,” she says. “I appreciate all VHS has done to help me be successful.”
Apprenticeship program
The earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program graduates Care Assistants to Nurse Aides. It also covers the cost of the certification exam to become a CNA. New classes will sign a 12-month contract to stay on as employees of VHS.
To apply for the apprenticeship program, visit vahs.com/careers. Look for the “Care Assistant” job description and apply.
Other programs
The team at the Education Center coordinates in-services and trainings for the team. That includes updating CPR certifications for staff, offering review sessions before certification exams for CNAs and more. The team also works with Director of Team Engagement Kathryn Fisher who can connect team members to assistance, scholarship opportunities and nursing programs that offer discounts to VHS employees.
Outside opportunities to grow at Virginia Health Services include partnerships with ECPI and South University. Both offer discounted tuition to VHS employees and their dependents. The universities offer nursing programs, and also extend to team members in dietary, accounting, IT and management.
We are celebrating National Assisted Living Week! Our team at The Hamilton Assisted Living will provide plenty of “Joyful Moments” for our Residents. A few residents wanted to share their experiences about what is like to move into and live at The Hamilton, which is located in York County, Virginia.
The Hamilton offers 40 private apartments with kitchenettes. The dining room provides breakfast, lunch and dinner service, and the activity director makes sure the social calendar is always full. A nursing team is available 24/7 to provide peace of mind and assist our Residents.
The Cheerleader
Carolyn Carter just recently started to call The Hamilton home. She has been a Resident since late June.
“It’s super. Everything has been so what I needed. To be with all the nice people and always do something, it’s what I like,” she says.
The former high school cheerleading coach can be found at all of The Hamilton’s events and activities.
“I like to busy, and I like to be around people a lot. I’m a nonstop person,” she says with a chuckle. She keeps her fellow Residents laughing as well.
The socialization aspect of an assisted living center was important to her when she moved.
“The Hamilton is wonderful. This is just what I needed. … I don’t like to stay in my room watching TV. I can do that at night,” she says.
The Martinsville native has a son who lives in Williamsburg and a daughter in Alabama. She has four grandchildren.
“My son is super. He’s always been so good to me,” she says. She lived with her daughter before coming to The Hamilton, saying, “I’m a Virginia girl.”
Feeling safe also was a priority. She says she feels that way at The Hamilton. The attentive staff also make her feel comfortable in her new home.
Comfortable in her home
Eva Roithmeyer starting residing at The Hamilton in May.
“I wanted an assisted living near my children (after my husband died),” she said.
She lives closest to her oldest son, who is an engineer at NASA Langley in Hampton. He and his family live in York County after moving to the area from Houston.
Eva enjoys playing Mexican train dominoes and visits from the therapy dogs!
Eva is originally from Mexico. She was working as bilingual secretary for an American company there when she met her husband, who traveled frequently to the country, through a friend of a friend.
He was a marine biologist for NOAA, and they moved from Morehead City, N.C., to Mississippi and Colorado. She has four children and seven grandchildren, who range in age from 7 to 33.
“I’m very happy with the place and people. … I like my apartment,” she says. “I like most of the activities.”
Eva often can be found in the second-floor activity room playing Mexican train dominoes with friends.
“I had a good life and I’m happy to be here: here in the world and here in this room,” she says with a smile.
The Army veteran
Alfred Richeson is still adjusting to living at The Hamilton.
Richeson served in the Army in Vietnam and then worked for IBM.
“I’d prefer to not be sick, like everyone in this room,” he says.
A man of the world, the Army veteran served in Vietnam as a member of the 82nd Airborne. After retiring from the Army in 1980, he spent 20 years working for IBM.
He was first assigned to Germany, and has lived all over the world thanks to his careers, including in Hong Kong, Toyoko, New York and Washington, D.C.
The West Point graduate is originally from Colorado and moved “to get as far away from Colorado as I could.”
He has two sons, one of whom lives in North Carolina, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren with another “on the way.”
Call our home your home
Learn more about our community and schedule a tour by visiting vahs.com/thehamilton or call 757-933-2621 for information on services, rates and availability. Our website has floor plans and details about our community.
We are celebrating National Assisted Living Week! Our team at The Huntington Assisted Living will provide plenty of “Joyful Moments” for our Residents. A few residents wanted to share their experiences about what is like to move into and live at The Huntington, which is located in Newport News, Virginia. Its “yard” is the Mariners’ Museum Park.
The Huntington offers 32 private apartments with kitchenettes. The dining room provides breakfast, lunch and dinner service, and the activity director makes sure the social calendar is always full. A nursing team is available 24/7 to provide peace of mind and assist our Residents.
Loving life
Karen Waldfogel moved into The Huntington about two years ago. She recovered from an injury at The Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which is next door, and it became clear she needed more care than her support team at home could provide.
Karen enjoys our outings!
“I wanted to go home, but I can’t. I like it here,” she says.
She says the Huntington team is excellent, caring and considerate. The food “is coming along” and is usually tasty. She really likes the lasagna and pizza.
“(Activity Director) April is good to us, she always finds something fun for us to do,” she says. “If we didn’t have April, we wouldn’t know what to do.”
Karen enjoys the arts and crafts sessions with volunteers Martha and Jerry Dodson once a month.
She also has had a great experience with the VHS Rehabilitation therapists onsite.
“They’re just super,” she says. “I can get around pretty good now.”
The camaraderie with the fellow Huntington residents is genuine.
“I’ve made a lot of friends here,” she says, including her best friend who resides at The Newport.
Family life
Karen moved here with her family in 1965 when her father was transferred to NASA Langley in Hampton from Houston. He worked on the Galileo program, which explored Jupiter and its moons. He previously worked for Boeing and the family bounced from their native home of Lansing, Michigan, to various places including Seattle, California and Alabama.
“He was an amazing man,” she says. He passed away last year. She has a brother who lives with their 91-year-old mother nearby. Her mother was a nurse and she has two brothers and two sisters.
“My mom picks me up to go to church on Saturdays,” she says, when community rates of COVID-19 are lower. They attend Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Karen has a daughter and three grandsons. She had a son who has passed away.
A room of one’s own
Marjorie Barnes was admitted after an injury for skilled rehabilitation at The Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in 2018. She moved into the attached Huntington to continue her rehab.
Marjorie loves having her own space.
While she has been debating moving back to her home with her daughter, she loves her privacy and living space at The Huntington.
“Gotta hang on to something that’s mine,” she says of not being ready to sell her house to her daughter yet. She adds, “I just want my kids to live their lives.”
She enjoys her friends at The Huntington and the food. “I love the soup,” she says.
“I’ve been in Newport News for quite a while now,” she says. She and her husband moved to the area when he was transferred by the Army to Fort Eustis. He spent most of his career there, save for about two years the family moved to the base in the Azores.
“It was really nice,” she says. Most of her children – there were five kids – were school age while in the Azores. “The children really enjoyed it.”
She has several grandchildren – “too many to remember.”
“All of my children are so nice to me,” she says.
Call our home your home
Learn more about our community and schedule a tour by visiting vahs.com/thehuntington or call 757-933-2621 for information on services, rates and availability. Our website has floor plans and details about our community.
Seven apprentices graduated from Care Assistants to Nurse Aides on Friday in Styron Square in Port Warwick. They were surrounded by enthusiastic family members and friends who treated the group like rockstars, taking photos, holding up handmade signs and cheering.
The graduates were instructed by Nora Gillespie for classwork at the Education Center and in clinical skills with Director of Education Princess Henderson at James River Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program includes coursework, daily tests and learning 22 clinical skills.
VHS Vice President of Nursing Rebecca Boyd addresses the graduating class during a ceremony Friday in Port Warwick.
“I’m proud of this professional group of women,” Nora said at Friday’s ceremony. Princess added, “These women really built a sisterhood. They had each other’s’ backs.”
The group was welcomed by VHS Vice President of Nursing Rebecca Boyd.
“We’re proud they chose us as part of their career and they are starting it here,” she said.
The group will work in four of Virginia Health Services’ nursing and rehabilitation centers at Coliseum, James River, Northampton and York.
The graduates
Nora and Princess sang the praises of the graduates during the ceremony.
The class was relieved Tahmiyia Allison held off on giving birth until after graduation. “She gave 100% and never used being pregnant as an excuse,” Nora said.
Zoe Briggs, the salutatorian, is familiar with VHS. Her mother works in billing with VHS Pharmacy. “She has compassion and heart in what she does,” Nora said of Zoe.
Cyerra Hunter “loves her patients,” Princess said. “She wants them to feel good about themselves.”
Cierra Jackson, who earned a superlative award for hard work, was “always ready early,” Princess said. “She was focus, attentive and got it done.”
“Her warmth flows out of her,” Nora said of Jazmine Martin. “When she told me why she was here, it was, ‘I want to make someone’s life better.’ ”
Andrianna Phillips “brought a wealth of knowledge to these girls. She will be a great CNA for VHS and a great nurse,” Princess said.
Valedictorian Anjil Hicks just graduated from high school. Her perfect attendance edged out Zoe for the top honor. “She cares about those patients,” Princess said.
During her remarks, Anjil said, “as Nora said, our goal was for all of us to get across the finish line – and we did!”
There were a lot of hugs and tears during the ceremony as new name badges and certificates were awarded.
“Princess steered you all right,” Nora told the class.
Andrianna PhillipsAnjil Hicks, valedictorianCierra HunterCyerra HunterJazmine Martin Tahmiyia AllisonZoe Briggs and Director of Education Princess Henderson
Join the program
Virginia Health Services’ earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program also covers the cost of the certification exam for the graduates to be Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs). The next class is scheduled to start Sept. 19.
Students are employed by Virginia Health Services from Day 1. There is a 12-month commitment to remain employed by VHS when joining the program.
Classes begin about every six weeks. To apply visit vahs.com/careers and look for the “Care Assistant” listing.
Virginia Health Services President & CEO Mark Klyczek published an editorial in the Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, edition of the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot. The op-ed outlined the need for encouraging individuals to take on careers in healthcare and the opportunities in which to pursue it.
The column is available here (Daily Press) and here (Pilot).
Jennifer Dick, the VHS Vice President of Quality and Clinical Revenue Integrity, celebrates her 25th service anniversary this month. She started working with Virginia Health Services shortly after graduating from Mary Baldwin College with a degree in healthcare administration in 1996.
She was hired as an assistant administrator at James River Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Since, Jennifer has been the administrator at York, associate administrator at James River and has overseen quality and clinical revenue integrity for a majority of her VHS career, adding the Vice President title in the past couple of years.
She and her team work closely with the clinical staffs at all VHS nursing centers.
Team development
The crux of Jennifer’s job is evaluating and training team members on programs and tools to effectively measure quality assurance and maximize revenue.
“Jennifer’s always tried to get the best tools in front of clinical staff, and leverage the tools that we have,” said Rebecca Boyd, VHS Vice President of Nursing. “She’s done the research … to make sure we’ve had the best product in front of staff.”
Jennifer has been integral to training VHS team members throughout her career. Several long-time employees have worked with her, including Administrators Nikki Clements (Northampton), Sharon Robins and Bryant Hudgins (Walter Reed), who was Jennifer’s managed care coordinator while a nurse at James River.
“She trains the staff on the use of technology and gets them to embrace and maximize its functionality,” Boyd said.
Jennifer said she has had a hand in developing staff and advancing technology for the team.
“I train a lot on technology,” she said. “You have to empower people to make their own decisions, and you have to have the right facts. … Part of it is really giving people clear directions.”
Measuring success
Jennifer’s focus on training clinical staff on technology has been at the crux of her role with VHS.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rates facilities with weighted star rankings in areas including staffing, health inspection and quality measures. Jennifer and her team have worked diligently with the staff at the long-term care centers to learn those measures.
She says she is a cheerleader for the team and holds them accountable.
“Ratings are up across the board,” she said. “We’re improving, for the most part. … We’re very proud of that accomplishment for our team.”
To do the job well, she said you have to be able to prioritize and be high energy.
“COVID was a definite challenge for us. Long-term care was never technology-focused before the pandemic. … We’ve come leaps and bounds since then trying to leverage technology to help us make better decisions,” she said.
Growing with VHS
Jennifer said in her 25 years she also has been “surrounded with a lot of good people with good intentions, good hearts and who want to work hard.
“You kind of become family,” she said. “VHS has always offered support from anyone in the company. You’re never on your own. …That’s why you’re here. In a pinch, there’s a lot of people who have your back. That’s reassuring.”
Originally from North Carolina, she also has lived in Texas and Richmond.
When she’s not working, she is supporting and encouraging her daughters, ages 7 and 9, in their various activities, which includes sailing with Hampton Yacht Club and club field hockey.
Jennifer also is a member of the Junior League of Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Garden Club.
The Arbors Independent Living building was about two months into construction when Jesse Young got the call: “Would you be interested in developing this project?”
It included overseeing the construction and operations of the new apartment complex that would cater to retired seniors.
“I didn’t know what Virginia Health Services was about then,” he said. But he said yes to the offer.
Jesse celebrates his 20th service anniversary this year. He is the Vice President of Facilities and Development for VHS.
Pictured (from left): VHS CFO Nikki Boldy, Kathy Wickline (IT), Jesse Young (VP) and CEO and President Mark Klyczek. Wickline and Young celebrate 20 years with Virginia Health Services.
He currently oversees the maintenance and environmental services, construction and dining departments for Virginia Health Services.
“It’s been a lot of years since I’ve had a boring day,” he says with a grin.
And surprisingly, it’s said without a phone pressed against his ear. He fields dozens of calls a day from team members spread across multiple facilities.
VHS construction zone
The appeal of building and operating The Arbors Independent Living was a driving force for Jesse’s tenure with Virginia Health Services. It opened to residents in 2003.
He hired the team. He fielded residents’ concerns and managed the building. And he became more mindful of how building design impacts day-to-day operations.
“The Arbors was a chance to truly build something that I was going to be responsible for operating. … It was a challenge,” he says.
Jesse has a degree in architecture from N.C. State, though “it’s been a while since I’ve practiced architecture.”
He says overseeing The Arbors from construction through operations “forced me to think about construction in a different way. Every decision is really impactful on the operation.”
The entrance to The Arbors Independent Living, which opened in 2003. Young oversaw construction and early operations of the community.
Those lessons carried over to a gradual evolution to do some things other than The Arbors after about 2008. It started small with construction projects like the rehab areas of York and The Newport. In 2014, it grew in earnest with the addition of The Huntington Assisted Living.
“It was really stepping out of The Arbors, at least on a part-time basis and really get involved in these projects. Then there was the Coliseum purchase, renovations to the nurses’ station, they kept coming,” he says.
“The Hamilton was the first time I was truly responsible for the construction of an assisted living, moving away from responsibilities at The Arbors.”
‘Flexibility is the name of the game’
The gradual evolution of Jesse’s role means there’s “a lot of moving parts.”
“Flexibility is the name of the game,” he says.
He works on capital planning and directing his team to address immediate concerns across VHS facilities. His aim is to build consistency across all buildings, such as using the same cleaning products and processes in facilities.
The dining and dietary big picture is a recent focus. “We want to make the quality and food and presentation be consistent,” he says.
VHS wants to offer choice so meals don’t feel stale. It includes experimenting with different set ups to learn how to take away roadblocks to change.
“It’s up to us to figure out how to influence the operation in a positive way,” Jesse says. “… How do I improve the footprint … regardless of scale?”
Family life
Jesse and his wife have a 7-year-old daughter, six adult children and seven grandchildren. Outside of the office, Jesse says he spends a lot of time with everything “family related.”
Before VHS, Jesse worked with Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg in several capacities. It was his background in construction and hospitality that launched the phone call to bring him to Virginia Health Services.
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