FROM COLLEGE CAMPUS TO NURSING HOME, AT 23 YRS OLD By: J.P. Wooley Success in today’s job market just might require an infatuation with the elderly. Go beyond your love for grandma’s cookies and you could end up with a profitable career. Professional, punctual, and incredibly personable, Heather Elliott beat the odds to find success in her field of study. Many college students have a difficult time transitioning from the classroom into the workforce, but with the right skills and attitude it can be done. Heather found full time employment a mere two months after graduation. Battling one of the highest unemployment rates in history Heather emerged victorious where so many had fallen before her. Her weapon of choice is marketing and she wields it well. Raised in Lexington Kentucky Heather attended Bryan Station High School, it was there that she first developed an interest in marketing. This interest carried over into higher education when she began taking business courses at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. It was at BCTC with the help of dedicated professors that she was able to ignite her passion. While sharpening her skills academically Heather was also exposed to real world scenarios, as a handful of her instructors were prominent business figures in the community. Heather attributes much of her “real world” success to the valuable life experiences shared in those classes. After the graduation cap is thrown and the gown retired most students face the most
daunting task yet, the first real interview. Heather’s first interview was at Lexington Country Place, a local nursing home. The position to be filled was an Admissions and Marketing Coordinator. The predominant role of the Coordinator is to persuade consumers to choose Lexington Country Place. The interview process was extensive but after speaking with three different people and answering a series of marketing scenario questions, she was called and offered the job. Now that Heather is the Admissions and Marketing Coordinator, a typical day starts with a morning meeting. During this meeting Heather is responsible for relaying census information to the other departments. The census refers to the number of residents currently staying at the facility. After the meeting she proceeds to follow up on referrals and plan for the day’s admissions. In addition to admissions, giving tours, marketing to local hospitals, and direct contact with prospective clients takes up the majority of her day. When asked if there was anything she would like to change about her position she responded with “The pressure, there are strict deadlines and quotas that must be met in order to maintain a satisfactory census. It can get pretty stressful”. While Heather referred to the quotas as challenging, you wouldn’t gather that from her performance this past year. When she was first hired the census was unusually low and the facility was struggling to fill rooms. Heather implemented several new practices to draw more clients including a scrapbook of testimonials and a variety of promotional
items. (See figure below)
After just a few months the census began to rise and later reached it’s highest point in the facility’s history. The maximum capacity of Lexington Country Place is 133 residents. Heather took the census from a meager 104 residents to 125 in less than a year. This is especially impressive when you take into account that Lexington Country Place is also a rehabilitation center. This feature makes it even more difficult to maintain high numbers because residents come and go more frequently than at other facilities. As you could imagine it would be nerve racking to come into a position with so much responsibility and no experience. There are so many questions that you need answers to. Networking with other professionals becomes key as well as utilizing resources related to your profession. A simple question such as, “how many sales calls should I make per week?” can be
answered by checking websites where other professionals have posted their advice. Heather often uses nursinghomepro.com to gain additional information and answers to her questions. When it comes to networking, Heather hosts several events at the nursing home to bring in case managers and doctors from the community. They often give away free food or gift bags to get people in the door, and even if they only stay for five minutes they get to meet Heather face to face and they see the facility. Heather speaks of situations when doctors come and go very quickly but on the way out she hears them say, “This place is really nice.” Sometimes that’s all it takes. Heather is not just focused on marketing the facility she’s also taking steps to better improve it. Lexington Country Place is in the process of acquiring a Biodex Balance System. This system “has been designed to meet the needs of everyone looking to improve balance, increase agility, develop muscle tone and treat a wide variety of pathologies. It is also an excellent tool in the growing field of Fall Prevention.” (Biodex.com) This revolutionary piece of machinery will greatly increase the value of their rehabilitation program and in return make the facility even more marketable to prospective clients. Heather is obviously finding great success in her current position, but what does she have planned for the future? In my recent interview with her she expressed that she would like to start a business of her own someday and work from home offering assistance to the elderly. She also expressed that she is deeply attached to Lexington
Country Place and even if she decided to pursue another career she would still like to be involved at the facility on a voluntary basis. That in itself speaks volumes about Heather’s character. For one to experience the full effect of her passion they must see her in action. She is incredibly kind, patient, and it’s obvious by her behavior that she really cares for the residents she is working to serve. While most college graduates probably don’t plan on setting foot in a nursing home for at least 50 years, Heather found that it was the best step for her career. Her passion for marketing, love for people, and bubbly personality combined to create the greatest Admissions and Marketing Coordinator Lexington Country Place has ever seen.
References: Biodex | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (n.d.). Biodex | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://biodex.com Elliott, H. Personal Interview, February 2012 Nursing Home Pro - A Resource for Nursing Home Administrators (n.d.). Nursing Home Pro - A Resource for Nursing Home Administrators Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://nursinghomepro.com