So You Want to Hire a CFY?

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By Elyse Matson, MA CCC-SLP, SLP Resource
One of our initiatives for 2021 is to increase our SLP programming, thus providing a more cohesive and multi-disciplinary approach to care. Hiring SLPs can be challenging depending on the market. One way to increase the number of candidates for SLP positions is to consider hiring a newly graduated SLP, also referred to as a CFY.

What is a CFY? CFY stands for Clinical Fellowship Year. Think of it like a residency. It is a mentored experience to better transition SLPs from student to licensed and certified clinician. In order to hire a CFY, a licensed and certified SLP needs to agree to mentor for approximately nine months if it is a full-time position. This involves some supervision and guidance of the CFY, depending on the state regulations. In addition, the licensed SLP needs some training in supervision. These regulations vary by state.

There are numerous benefits to hiring a CFY. The new grad is likely to be motivated to learn, eager to build a caseload and willing to accept guidance. A CFY is not a student. If you hire a new grad SLP, they are a regular employee. The only difference is they require some supervision from another SLP. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHA is allowing tele-supervision. The mentor needs to be licensed in the state where the CFY will be working. See the changes for 2020 here: 2020 requirements ASHA SLP Crosswalk.

If the new grad will be the only SLP in the facility, make sure to talk with them about how they will handle that challenge so they are clear on what their role in the facility will look like. To help with recruiting efforts, consider stating in the position “CFY accepted,” which will help let new grads know they can apply. Whether they will join a team of SLPs or be the sole provider, hiring a CFY might be just what’s needed to invigorate your SLP programs.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you need assistance with interviewing and decision making with CFYs. Click here for more information from ASHA : https://www.asha.org/certification/completing-the-clinical-fellowship-experience/

Caitlin Colteryahn, OT, TEACHA at The Healthcare Resort of Leawood, KS

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By Danielle Banman, DOR, The Healthcare Resort of Leawood, KS
Caitlin Colteryahn is our lead occupational therapist here at The Healthcare Resort of Leawood and has been with us for four years. Caitlin graduated from Rockhurst University in 2014. She has been married for 10 years and has two boys. She loves spending time outdoors and traveling, especially with friends and family.

Caitlin is an outstanding occupational therapist and is passionate about developing programs for maximizing independence for our residents with dementia. She received advanced training in dementia care in March 2020 to earn the title of Therapy Expert for Abilities Care Holistic Approach (TEACHA). Caitlin has developed an amazing program here at our facility and enjoys teaching other occupational therapists in our market about this program to improve the quality of life for all individuals with dementia that we have the privilege to serve.

Caitlin says this of our program: “I believe it is incredibly important, now more than ever, that we as clinicians use the tools available to us and our clinical knowledge to help develop and implement strategies based on our residents’ functional cognition and strengths to reduce their risk of decline, promote engagement, and for overall quality of life. I love and it is an honor to work with this population, as we have the resources to really get to know who our residents are, what makes them the person they are today, and then to use that knowledge to help them achieve their goals. As a TEACHA, the pandemic has complicated the ability to be able to go into other facilities to help implement programming. However, I have been able to collaborate with other clinicians in and outside of our market through email/phone in order to help support them to utilize the Abilities Care strength-based programming to help reach the needs of their residents.”

Jihan Antipolo-Baldonado, Rehab Aide: The Secret Sauce

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By Carlos Pineda, CTO/DOR, Southland Care Center, Norwalk, CA
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results” – Andrew Carnegie. It is fascinating to watch an organization continue climbing up and inspiring the members to be the best they can be despite unpreventable hiccups. As you dissect this great phenomenon, you will always find those who are the concrete and steel of the institution. They are usually the quiet, humble but full-of-smiles individual or group that is sitting behind. You can feel their presence in any space and even more when they are not around. They are culture lovers. They are the catalyst for innovation. They spark love among individuals.

When the Momentum market gave me an opportunity to manage two great buildings, Southland Care Center and Downey Post-Acute, there was one person who stepped behind me and whispered, “This opportunity is best for our patients and therapists.” She did not see the struggle that I was heading into, but the opportunity of spreading our core values. I always feel proud, with teary eyes, every time I brag about this person to my colleagues when they ask about our best practices. My answer is that our secret sauce is Jihan Antipolo. She has been in Southland Care Center for 17 years, consistently doing great things over and over again, like the hedgehog. I do not consider her as our rehab tech but a “Resource” for all the departments of both facilities. There was a time during the beginning of the pandemic where everyone was so stressed out about where to secure PPE. Jihan did not waste a second to begin reaching out to different organizations giving donations, like PPE, hand sanitizer, alcohols, food, vitamins, etc. Instead of feeling the uncertainty, we felt the sense of being blessed. These were also shared with our sister facilities.

As I witnessed how both buildings experienced their bumpy road and how they continued to drive toward greatness, there is only thing that I know: We have Jihan Antipolo weaving every strand of the web to make it stronger and purposeful over and over again. Thanks, Jhie. We love you!

Jessica Ballera, COTA, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Fullerton, CA

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By Dennis Baloy, OTD, OTR/L, DOR/Therapy Resource, CA
All in the Family
Jessica’s career as a therapist in an Ensign-affiliated facility was inspired from way back. When she was a little girl, she distinctly remembered how her grandmother was being taken care of by therapists of an Ensign affiliated facility. To this date, she vividly remembers her grandma’s smile after every therapy session. She reminisces about this image of her grandmother all throughout her life.

Her family is also not new to the therapy world. Her mom, Jasmine, is also an Occupational Therapist Assistant working with our company. Together with her Mom’s guidance and Jessica’s love of therapy, Jessica eventually obtained her degree as a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant from Stanbridge University in 2018. She worked as a part time employee to explore her options and eventually was hired full time at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Fullerton, CA.

“I find that the greatest part about the St. Elizabeth team is how they give me the ability to shine and grow in my specialties. I feel supported in all of my out-of-the box ideas.” Jessica explained when asked what she loved about being part of the organization. She also added that what truly motivates her are the “Moments of Truth” she encounters on a daily basis. She looks forward to making a difference in someone’s life, to give them hope, and to help create a purpose for her patients. This for her is the greatest selfless joy she experiences and constantly looks forward to.

Jessica is also always available to help out other facilities around our area. She is well-liked by her peers and patients. She always brightens any room she enters and even more so the lives she touches. All of these attributes lead the Therapy Resources to choose her to be a part of the Momentum Culture Committee whose mission is to help facilitate and promote culture within the clusters. Not to mention, “O” for Ownership is her favorite CAPLICO value! Her inclusion will certainly tap her potential to further her positive influence to other therapists in the market.

Jessica is truly a gem of St. Elizabeth and our Ensign-Affiliated Facilities!

Keller Oaks: The Culture is in the Details (#startamovement)

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Submitted by Jon Anderson, DPT, Therapy Resource
“KO Let’s Go, Let’s Go KO!” This is the rally cry at Keller Oaks in Keller, Texas, and it is a commonly heard anthem when you visit the facility. In a year that has been difficult at best in healthcare, the culture has done nothing but improve at Keller Oaks. When you look deeper to see what is in the air at Keller Oaks, it goes far beyond COVID.

Kristin Ryther, the therapy program manager at Keller, has been a breath of fresh air in a very trying year at a facility that has been hit hard by COVID on multiple occasions. We asked her to share a bit of her best practices and were blown away by what is developing there.

Starting with onboarding, Keller embraces culture by conducting group interviews and hiring only those people who the team agrees can be grown into great leaders. They agree on all hires and then make sure that the process does not stop there. According to Kristin, “Love is in the details.” She ensures that the new employee is greeted with everything that they need to be successful. She has their log-ins ready, an itinerary for their first day, and a team member assigned to them as a mentor. Kristin provides them with a bit of “swag” and has a ready-made reference form entitled “KO NEED TO KNOW” that includes everything from door codes to restroom locations to documentation tips and PCC locations of interest.

Culture at KO does not stop at onboarding. The team meetings incorporate music and moments of gratitude. Kristin has become a champion of championing others. She works to identify strengths in each of her team members and then assigns responsibilities appropriately. Each member has a strength; slow down and find it! It may be that they have special attention to individual treatments; they may be strong at scheduling, growing programs, or even leading the infection control of the gym. List them out and recognize them.

Ensure that you are communicating everything to your team. Utilize dry erase boards, address at team meetings, keep up-to-date information in binders. Use all means necessary to ensure that your team members have the communication they need to do their best work! Don’t forget to prioritize individual communication. Get to know your therapists and be transparent as well as approachable. Don’t be afraid to just listen and allow them to be heard.

Set clear goals and expectations. Kristin sets goals for “2 week sprints.” Some programs are short projects. She assigns a leader and assists with facilitation but allows for teamwork so they meet their goals. She posts the sprints on the communication board, writes about it, takes pictures and then celebrates it. Short-term goals like this make it manageable, and then the challenge is less likely to be pushed off down the road.

Celebrate the wins! Find the team member who loves to do this and assign it to them. Celebrate the day-to-day achievements and find 10 positives for every negative. Make sure the team feels appreciated and celebrated.

That is not to say that there will not be challenges. There will always be hurdles. When that happens, keep your positive vibes on! Start with yourself, and look in the mirror. Stay consistent. Be transparent. Don’t expect others to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. Hold them accountable after you have asked yourself, “Did I educate? Did I communicate? Did I reinforce?” Maintain accountability and expectations, but never be afraid to give each other grace. Most importantly, be yourself! Your team will recognize the authenticity and appreciate the transparency. Let them know it is okay to enjoy your work and have fun while you are doing it!

Why Take the Vaccine?

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By Patrick Amar, DOR/PT, Mountain View Rehabilitation & Care, Marysville, WA
Here at Mountain View, we’ve experienced close to 100% facility staff vaccinations, and attribute our success to a couple of key reasons: the scars left on our minds and hearts as we reflect back over the past 13 months that we never want to repeat again, and communication, communication, communication. Looking back, we never thought the virus would hit so close to home. We heard about it in the news from China, but that’s a world away. We were taken by surprise when the first case of COVID-19 in the United States happened here in our backyard in January 2020. Shortly after, the first outbreak also happened in our area; it was just across the county line. Suddenly we were thrust into the epicenter of the virus, and it seemed the whole world was watching how we managed.

We quickly saw the virus spread in a nearby facility, then in another facility, and then in our community, like an uncontrollable wildfire. In June of that year, it finally came on our doorstep. We knew it was just a matter of time. I think the only positive thing about this pandemic is that it brought our team together even closer. We’ve seen the impact that the virus has had on our patients — their health, their emotions, their psyche and not just them, the family members, too, and the staff. This was the main reason why our staff was so determined to do something about this pandemic by way of getting vaccinated.

Another factor in the success of our vaccine rollout was having good education and communication from the get-go. Once the news of the vaccine was even hinted at, Clayton, our ED, was already preparing the staff for its arrival. Information quickly disseminated from the IDT to floor staff. We knew people would have questions, concerns and even doubts. Educational efforts ensued in huddles, staff meetings and therapy meetings. Even our medical director was involved in the education.

I’d also like to thank our clinical partners for the research and the materials provided for our educational efforts. It helped, too, to hear support for the vaccine not just from us, the IDT, but also from other specialists and healthcare providers who are experts in their field. Questions were welcomed freely and answered objectively. I really believe that our staff understood the common goal. The communication and education, coupled with what we’ve been through, were the driving factors of this success — for our patients, our families and our community.