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Alverno In The News
Visit this page often to keep up to date with Local news about The Alverno Health care facility.
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The Alverno Board of Directors Announces Transfer of Ownership
The Alverno Looks to Future with Blessing of New Chapel
High Touch meets High Tech at The Alverno
The Alverno Health Care Facility administrator receives state honor
Above & Beyond Award Recipients: Emily Flynn and Ashley Lange
Alverno Residents Bake Pies for Victory Center
Alverno Resident, Ruth Baird Turns 108
The Alverno Receives the Silver Quality Award
Schutte to Retire After 33 Years
The Alverno Board of Directors Announces Transfer of Ownership
The Board of Directors of The Alverno Healthcare Facility, Clinton, Iowa, announced an agreement to transfer ownership of the facility to Trinity Senior Living Communities (TSLC) of Livonia, Mich. The acquisition is expected to become effective March 1, 2013.
The Alverno, a 132-bed skilled nursing, rehabilitation and wellness facility, was opened by the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, in 1914 creating the first long term care facility in the Clinton region and the only local facility to serve the aged and infirm until the mid-20th century. The Alverno will mark their 100th anniversary in 2014.
TSLC has provided management services at The Alverno for the past five years. TSLC is a non-profit senior housing and nursing care organization, currently owns and manages 33 communities offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, long term care and rehabilitation services for seniors.
TSLC is a member of Trinity Health, the fourth largest Catholic health system in the country.
Anne Martin Phelan OSF, president of the Clinton Franciscan sisters and chairperson of the Alverno Board, explained the decision to transfer ownership of the health care facility as an extension of the Sisters century-long commitment to the needs of ill and aging persons in the Clinton region.
“Transferring ownership to TSLC allows our ministry to the people of Clinton to continue securely into the future,” she explained. “It enhances the continuum of care in the region for seniors and aligns The Alverno with healthcare reform, providing better service to our residents and their families.”
The Alverno has long been a leader in long term care in the State of Iowa and the Midwest. It is one of only two long term care facilities in the State of Iowa earning the American Health Care Association’s (AHCA) Silver National Quality Award for demonstrating its strong commitment to quality.
“In addition to improved quality of life for nursing residents, the award demonstrates that systematic, data-driven quality initiatives create better places of employment, more effective management, and more active roles in the surrounding communities,” explained Phelan. “Winners of this prestigious award know that the pursuit of excellence is a continuous journey, and that the journey is as important as the destination. That is another reason we have pursued this initiative to assure the continued high quality of care for the Clinton region in an evolving healthcare industry,” she noted.
The Alverno will continue its mission that the Sisters and TSLC share, based off of the Franciscan, Gospel-centered charisms of respect and compassion.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with an organization dedicated to outstanding high quality care, employee satisfaction and excellence,” noted Ken Robbins, President & CEO of TSLC. “We are invested in and committed to the people of the Clinton, Iowa region and believe this is the right opportunity for both The Alverno and for TSLC.”
“We are excited about this transition and look forward to working even closer with TSLC. By being part of a larger organization, we will have more resources available to us and employees will have the ability to participate in a more comprehensive benefits package,” shared The Alverno’s administrator, Libby Goodman. “As we enter this new chapter, we would like to take the opportunity to thank all of those who have served on our board of directors over the years and to the Sisters of St. Francis for their dedication to The Alverno and our community,” said Goodman.
The Alverno Looks to Future with Blessing of New Chapel
The Alverno Healthcare Facility, Clinton, Iowa, celebrated the blessing of their new chapel and dedication of the altar Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Residents, staff and guests joined together in worship, with Bishop Martin Amos presiding. Special music was provided by Sugar Creek/Bryant Choir.
The creation of the new chapel took place as part of an overall renovation of the front lobby and main lounge areas. The project, which began in October, 2012 also included the creation of office spaces and a conference room. During the renovation, worship services and activities were relocated to other areas of the building. According to Alverno Administrator, Libby Goodman, “The months of hard work and dedication to this project have certainly paid off. The chapel at The Alverno has always served as the heart of our organization and we are pleased to be able to have this beautiful, new space to worship, which offers the privacy requested by our residents.” While the new flooring, walls and furnishings are all currently in place, they are still waiting for the installation of three stained glass transom windows for the chapel area, which will depict the creation story.
The renovation of the chapel is just one of the many exciting projects the facility has untaken over the past five years as they continue to expand their services and focus on a person centered approach to providing care. Earlier in 2012, all 16 private rooms in the facility’s skilled neighborhood were renovated to provide a comfortable, healing environment for those recovering from illness and/or injuries prior to returning home. The Alverno also renovated a space on their 3rd floor neighborhood to establish a computer/internet lounge, complete with beverage station and bird aviary. In their Memory Lane neighborhood, they created a relaxation room and a beautiful new activity space for residents to enjoy. A massage room was added to their 2nd floor neighborhood and the therapy gym was updated. Renovations have taken place outside as well with a landscaping project that enhanced the courtyard area at the facility.
In addition to the excitement created by all of these improvements, The Alverno is also excited for the future as it looks to celebrate 100 years in 2014 and move forward with its new owner, Trinity Senior Living Communities (TSLC). “We are very appreciative of all of the work done by the Sisters of St. Francis over the past 98 years and we have so much to look forward to. We will continue to align our facility’s strategic plans and goals with the Iowa and American Health Care Associations, TSLC and Trinity Health.
As one of only two long term care facilities in the state of Iowa to have earned the Silver Quality of Achievement Award from the American Health Care Association, we also look forward to submitting our application in the near future for the Gold level award,” shared Goodman.
The Alverno Health Care Facility, which is licensed to care for 132 residents, originally opened its doors in 1914 to care for the aged and infirm. The original building, Mt. Alverno, was named after Saint Francis’ mountain retreat of La Verna near Assisi. The Alverno’s current building, located at 849 13th Ave N., Clinton was opened in 1971. Today, the organization provides long term care, memory care and rehabilitation services to Clinton and the surrounding areas. While the ownership of The Alverno will change from the Sisters of St. Francis of Clinton, IA on March 1, 2013, the facility will continue to operate under the name of The Alverno and the Sisters and Board will continue to serve in an advisory capacity.
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High Touch Meets High Tech at The Alverno
As the use of electronic devices continues to grow among individuals nationwide, those residing at The Alverno are no exception. Residents and families are now able to enjoy the use of iPads on each of our neighborhoods and a new laptop in our skilled nursing unit. The devices can be checked out with an Activity Director or with the nurse in the skilled nursing unit. Residents have enjoyed using the iPads to play games with staff, Facetime with their loved ones from a distance and learn about the new technology available today.
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The Alverno Health Care Facility Administrator Receives State Honor
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Libby Goodman (center), administrator at The Alverno Health Care facility in Clinton, was presented the Excellence in Long Term Care Award for Administrator of the Year by Iowa Health Care Association President Mary Jane Venteicher (left) and Iowa Center for Assisted Living President Jeanine Chartier (right). The award was presented in conjunction with the IHCA ICAL state convention of long term care providers in Des Moines on September 28. |
Libby Goodman, administrator of The Alverno Health Care Facility in Clinton, has received the Excellence in Long Term Care Award for Administrator of the Year from the Iowa Health Care Association (IHCA). Goodman was honored on Wednesday, September 28 at the associations’ state convention in Des Moines. She was nominated for the award by Theresa Nielsen, Director of Nursing; Deb Bergmann, Director of Marketing; Janice Cebula, president, Sisters of St. Francis; and Mr. and Mrs. John Ryan, residents at The Alverno.
In just 3-and-a-half years as administrator, Goodman has led The Alverno to the next level of quality care provider. In 2010, The Alverno was named a recipient of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Silver Award for Achievement in Quality. The Alverno is only one of two Iowa facilities to receive the award.
In the facility’s move to resident-centered care, Goodman systematically planned and implemented the steps of the transition. Working collaboratively with staff, and with input from residents, the facility services now receive input from both staff and residents on food and dining, hiring of staff, and building and grounds improvement.
“Libby’s positive and enthusiastic presence makes it easy for residents, family members, employees and board members to work with her,” said Cebula in her recommendation.
“Her passion is the care of the elderly and The Alverno’s mission of care for the aging,” Nielsen and Bergmann added. “As a leader, Libby promotes positive interactions among staff members and holds great value in the personal growth of her team.”
The Ryans praised Libby’s communication skills and ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for all residents. “Libby has a way of communicating that brings smiles to others,” they said. “At her ‘Rappin’ with Libby’ group gatherings, residents can learn more about projects and improvements taking place and share their ideas for promoting a home-like environment.”
The Excellence in Long Term Care Awards are presented by the Iowa Health Care Association and Iowa Center for Assisted Living. IHCA ICAL, located in West Des Moines, is a nonprofit trade association that represents more than 600 nursing homes, assisted living programs and residential care facilities in Iowa. For more information on long term care in Iowa, visit www.iowahealthcare.org.
For more information about the services provided at The Alverno Health Care Facility, contact Libby Goodman at 563.242.1521 or visit www.TheAlverno.com.
Alverno Announces Fall 2010 Above & Beyond Recipients
Congratulations to Emily Flynn and Ashley Lange for receiving this quarter’s Above & Beyond award for the care they showed our residents while helping prepare for the facility’s annual Hog Roast event.
Alverno Bakes Pies for Victory Center
The Alverno residents worked hard to make sure the Thanksgiving meal at the Victory Center had plenty of dessert to go around. By the time they were finished baking, they had made 63 pies including pumpkin, apple, mince meat, cherry, peach and blueberry. The pies were delivered to the Victory Center by Activity Director, Rebecca Schmidt.
Alverno Resident, Ruth Baird Turns 108
On August 19, residents and staff joined together with Ruth Baird and her family to celebrate her 108th birthday. To mark this wonderful occasion, 108 balloons were released to the skies with notes attached to the strings. Ruth has been residing at The Alverno since May, 2003.
Ruth is fast approaching that status of supercentenarian, a group of individuals who are recognized for being 110 or older. (This group is maintained by the Gerontology Research Group.)
The Alverno Health Care Facility to be Honored with National Award Recognizing Their Significant Achievement in the Delivery of Quality Care
The Alverno Health Care Facility, located in Clinton, Iowa has been recognized as a 2010 recipient of the Silver – Achievement in Quality National Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), a trade organization with approximately 11,000 members nationwide. This year, 271 nursing home and assisted living communities from across the nation applied for the Silver Quality Award and the Alverno was one of 39 organizations to receive this award. The award will be formally presented to The Alverno during AHCA/NCAL’s 61st Annual Convention and Exposition, October 10-13, 2010 in Long Beach, CA.
“We applaud the staff and leadership of The Alverno for demonstrating national distinction in their quest for performance excellence,” stated Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “Being judged to be worthy of a Silver Quality Award demonstrated a commitment to a rigorous journey of continuous improvement and a good level of sustainable performance.”
Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, The National Quality Award Program is based on the core values and criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. It provides a pathway for providers of long term and post-acute care services to journey towards performance excellence. Facilities that apply for the Silver Quality Award, formerly known as the Step II Award, must demonstrate very good performance outcomes that have evolved from sustainable approaches to the core values and concepts of visionary leadership, focus on the future, resident-focused excellence, management by innovation, and focus on results and creating value. The award is judged by a Board of highly trained Examiners who come from within and outside of the long term care profession.
The Alverno has previously won the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award and may now move forward to apply for the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award which requires them to address the Baldrige Program’s Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence in its entirety.
“We are very excited and tremendously proud to be a recipient of the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award,” stated Libby Goodman, Administrator of The Alverno. “The Alverno has demonstrated our commitment to continuous quality improvement and we are focused on our mission to provide care for the aging through an environment and professional services which are life giving, supportive, and enabling for the aging person and for every member of the staff.”
The awards are sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Member McKesson Medical-Surgical, a leading distributor of medical supplies and equipment to physician practices, surgery centers, hospitals, home care, and extended care facilities, and My InnerView, a Web-based applied research and quality-management company that supports leaders across the entire assisted living, senior housing and skilled nursing profession with tools to measure, benchmark and improve performance.
Click here for the full press release pdf.
Sheryl Schutte to Retire After 33 Years
Sheryl Schutte, Co-Director of Nursing at The Alverno Health Care Facility has announced her retirement following 33 years of service. Schutte received her nursing training from Black Hawk College, which was affiliated with the Moline Public Hospital School of Nursing. In 1977, she began working at The Alverno as a registered nurse. Schutte was promoted to floor supervisor in 1996 and to Co-Director of Nursing in 2003. Schutte’s last day at The Alverno will be July 2, 2010.
“Sheryl has been a pleasure to work with. Her calm, professional leadership style has been key to the success of The Alverno over the years. She will be missed greatly,” said Alverno Administrator, Libby Goodman. Co-Director of Nursing, Theresa Nielsen adds, “Through her 33 years of service, she has shown great compassion for our residents and has helped see our organization through the numerous changes that have occurred in long term care. We appreciate all her commitment and dedication.”
Additional Retirements: Erna Rickertsen and Sr. Virginia Krakow have also recently retired from The Alverno. Rickertsen retired after 21 years of service to The Alverno. She began working in the laundry department in 1988 and at the age of 80, she decided it was time to retire. Her last day at The Alverno was April 27. Sr. Virginia retired from The Alverno following six years of service in the laundry department. Her last day was May 31.