29222 Rancho Viejo Rd, Ste 127
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
April 2022
Click Here for a printable copy of The FlagPOST
Our Therapy Leaders are receiving this 15-year anniversary edition of the FlagPOST at our annual Therapy Leadership Experience. Our theme this year is Create Your Legacy: passion meets purpose. 

Each of us has a calling for the work that we do in our organization. The odds are stacked against our industry in every direction, yet here we are. Determined. Driven. Unstoppable. We are unusual leaders who took the road less traveled in order to make a difference in the lives of the elderly and “redefine healthcare” as our founder, Roy Christensen, so eloquently says. We are working to create something bigger than ourselves, a legacy that dignifies long-term and post-acute care in the eyes of the world. Please read on to hear about the many ways we do this in our facilities!
--Mary Spaeder, Editor
April is Occupational Therapy Month
We Celebrate and Thank our OTs and OTAs!
I Am Because We Are
By Paul Emerson L. Baloy OTD OTR/L, DOR, The Hills Post Acute, Santa Ana, CA
I am who we are … UBUNTU. A term from the Nguni languages of Zulu and Xhosa that carries a fairly broad English definition of “a quality that includes the essential human virtues of compassion and humanity.”

UBUNTU through CAPLICO. It is clear to us that we can achieve a sense of community, a family, and who we are if we embrace our CAPLICO values and practice them day in and out in our facilities. No single department carries the responsibility of moving us forward but all of us. The paddles represent all the departments rowing in unison to the beat of a drum, working together collaboratively in order to achieve clinical and operational objectives.  
 
We presented a video at the Annual Meeting that captured a DOR in a building in a remote small town in northern California performing multiple roles in multiple departments — what a great sense of community and UBUNTU through CAPLICO. We also launched therapy audiovisual equipment that allows therapists to “mirror” and guide clients through a remote application program. It’s state-of-the-art technology that allows for real-time audio and visual feedback and opportunity for telehealth.  
 
Annual leadership attendees had a blast visiting the therapy booth, taking pictures and videos while singing and dancing, signing their names, coloring our UBUNTU through CAPLICO poster (an excellent memento of the event), and rowing the ENSIGN dragon boat. A big thank-you to all those who participated and made our Therapy booth at the Annual Meeting a fun and successful one!

UBUNTU through CAPLICO … Dignifying post-acute care in the eyes of the world. 
Introducing LSVT eLOUD
Speech Therapy Program
Submitted by Elyse Matson, MA CCC-SLP - SLP Resource
Carmel Mountain Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in San Diego, CA, announces the launch of their new LSVT eLOUD outpatient speech therapy program via telepractice!

On Saturday, April 9, the Parkinson’s Association of San Diego (PASD) hosted their 20th annual Step-by-Step 5K Walk. This event funds PASD to provide thousands of critical resources to individuals with Parkinson’s locally. Including over 1,000 participants and 40 exhibitors and sponsors, this event was an incredible testament to the strength and dedication of the Parkinson’s community here in San Diego. 

Carmel Mountain Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center had the opportunity to sponsor this event through promotion of their new LSVT eLOUD telehealth outpatient program pioneered by Speech-Language Pathologist Emory D’Andrea. 

LSVT eLOUD is clinically proven to be as effective in improving vocal loudness and overall speech intelligibility in individuals with Parkinson’s as when the program is provided in person. The difference? eLOUD is provided via zoom.com. Read On...
Roy's Corner Legacy of Leadership
Esther Lopez, TPM, Sun West Choice, Sun City West, AZ 
Submitted by Jessica Foster, DPT, CLT, Bandera Therapy Resource, Arizona
We are very excited to announce that Esther Lopez has joined team Sun West Choice in Bandera West as our Therapy Leader!  Here’s a little more about Esther: 
I have been blessed to start working at Surprise Healthcare and Rehab as a COTA and be a part of the growing team and building the past two and a half years. I’ve grown in leadership through case management, back to therapy, ADOR and now Therapy Leader of Sun West Choice. I spend most of my days working and relaxing … also drinking coffee — I love all things coffee. Besides that, I absolutely love what I do and enjoy being around people. I am so excited to see what the future holds! 
Alicia Rasmussen, OT, ADOR, Park View Post Acute Care, Santa Rosa, CA 
By Julia Schmutz, Therapy Resource, Northern CA
We are very excited to announce that Alicia Rasmussen has been promoted to Assistant Director of Rehabilitation at Park View Post Acute (PVPA) in Santa Rosa, California. Alicia has been an occupational therapist at PVPA for two years. Soon after being hired, she realized that her interest was in LTC and improving the quality of life (QOL) and began training in the Abilities Care Program in 2019. 

In 2021, Alicia expanded the Abilities Care Program by developing a new LTC program called “Advanced Activity Prescription Program: A specialized Abilities Care approach to improve the psychosocial wellbeing of all long-term care residents.” The program’s aim is to maintain all LTC residents’ engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic on all COVID-19 isolation levels because throughout the pandemic, she saw the difficulties of this population’s lived experience, which drove her to look for new ways to improve their quality of life. 
As the new ADOR, Alicia has been challenged to meld her business experience (first career) and her occupational therapy passion to create a new management system for Park View’s Part B LTC. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, acrylic painting, spending time with her daughter, working out at Orangetheory, gardening, loving her pets, and going to her spiritual center with friends for church. 
Nicki Beausoleil, DOR, The Healthcare Resort of Olathe, Kansas 
Submitted by Danielle Banman, Therapy Resource - Kansas
Nicki Beausoleil is our new therapy leader at The Healthcare Resort of Olathe! She has been a PT for five years and attended PT school in the Philippines. Nicki has a background in outpatient development and marketing and wants to grow that program at Olathe. She is passionate about having strong clinical programs for short-term rehab, LTC, and outpatients. 

Nicki is a competitive West Coast Swing dancer and teaches dance, too! She has two dogs and a cat, loves Harry Potter, and enjoys spending time outdoors — especially rock climbing! We are so excited to have her on our team and to see all she will accomplish here in Emerald.
Colter Duffy, TPM, Bennett Hills Rehab and Care Center,
Gooding, ID
Submitted by Cory Robertson, Therapy Resource, Idaho
Introducing Colter Duffy PTA, Therapy Program Manager at Bennett Hills Rehab and Care Center in Gooding, Idaho. Colter fell in love with skilled nursing after significant and meaningful experiences restoring dignity to an older adult. Before that, he wanted to do sports rehab, but like many of us, he fell in love with skilled nursing therapy. Eight years and three states later, Colter is still with an Ensign-affiliated facility. Colter is married to an SLP, and this past summer, they welcomed a baby boy, their first. Colter has an affinity for the outdoors, wild places in the mountains, and excelling at whatever he does.

Colter is a huge asset to Pennant ID/NV and Bennett Hills, which was acquired in the fall of 2018 and struggled to find therapy leadership for years. There are sufficient challenges that turned away several therapy leaders. Colter accepted the challenge and dove in with accountability, ownership and fortitude. He put the Therapy department on his back, and to a large extent the building, to make Bennet Hills Therapy and the building the best it could be. People like Colter make Ensign-affiliated therapy the standard for skilled nursing therapy.
Introducing Medallion Post Acute Rehab’s New Outpatient Manager 
Submitted by Paula Reyes, PT, DOR, Medallion Post Acute Rehab, Colorado Springs, CO
Deanna Radzymski joined our team in May 2019. She has 10 years of COTA experience with a strong outpatient background. She went through the DORiTO program in 2021 and officially took over the Outpatient department in February 2022. In a very short time, Deanna has made significant changes to the department, and we are well on our way to our strongest outpatient revenue month. We’re glad to have you, Deanna!
Maureen McConville, OT, The Villas at Sunny Acres, Thornton, CO
Submitted by Jennifer Kuehn, DOR
The Villas at Sunny Acres has gone through some pretty drastic changes, but sometimes turnover can be good! Recently, Maureen “Mo” McConville transferred from a sister facility to the Villas at Sunny Acres, and her presence has already had such a positive impact! Mo has brought in part of her plant collection to add a little green to the facility, and the plants have really brightened up the gyms. 
Mo has been thinking of out-of-the-box ideas to engage the residents and assimilated to the team instantly. She also brought in St. Patrick’s Day accessories to share with the residents; they were so excited by their new garb! St. Patrick’s Day has been a pretty muted affair over the past two years, but this year, our residents were ready to party! Thanks, Mo, for all you do for our residents!
Recognizing Vangie Seaton 
By Suzanne Estebo Simko, M.S. CCC-SLP, Olympia Transitional Care, Olympia, WA
Evangeline (Vangie) Seaton is the embodiment of the "American Dream." She immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 2019 only knowing her American husband. While at a local mall, she happened to overhear two sisters talking in Tagalog. She struck up a conversation with them and found out that one of them, Sharon, worked in a local care facility (Olympia Transitional Care). She asked if Sharon might be able to help her get a job when she got her green card. Sharon happily agreed.  

Vangie started out as a housekeeper with OTC and quickly established herself as a favorite among residents. She stated that she dreamed, "one day I will be a CNA.” In 2021, she took the plunge and enrolled in the CNA certification program through OTC. Even though she had challenges with English as her second language, she kept at it and became a CNA in 2021. Vangie is known for taking care of everybody around her and inspiring her coworkers. Her DNS Heidi Sanchez stated, "She is an amazing caregiver; she really knows her residents and advocates for them." Thank you, Vangie, for all your hard work and dedication to our residents at OTC.  
Congratulations to Our New Chief Therapy Officers!
Tony Botelho, OTR/L, DOR Osborn Health and Rehabilitation, Scottsdale, AZ 
Submitted by Stephanie Cole, Bandera Therapy Resource, Arizona

Congratulations to Tony Botelho for achieving CTO status on January 27, 2022. Tony has worked at Osborn Health and Rehabilitation for five years. He established an outpatient clinic that provides services to the local community. Osborn’s team has doubled in size over the past year and, as a result, increased LTC programming. 

Tony is a CI for OT students, providing incredible guidance and instruction. He is a culture warrior, as noted by consistent 100% EEF participation and strong partnerships. Tony is a level 5 leader with unwavering passion, humility and dedication. While Tony is a rockstar at work, we also admire Tony personally. Tony is a car enthusiast, workout junkie, and avid hiker. He is the loving owner of four dogs and a superhero buff. You will find him eating sushi or anything healthy — possibly with a fine cigar in hand. He is well-deserving of this honor. Congratulations, Tony!
Congratulations to Our Super Awesome DOR/CTO, Lou Antiquiera 
By Scott Langdale, Therapy Resource, Washington

From Therapist > DOR > CTO > AIT >???

Lou was just accepted into the AIT program. We are thrilled for him and know that he will be an incredible administrator for our market here in WA. Lou is the epitome of Passion for Learning, as he has excelled in every role he has been given. The most incredible thing is that he does this with such humbleness and integrity. Great job, Lou!
Pennant Idaho-Nevada is Excited to Announce the Addition of Two New CTOs!
Submitted by Dominic DeLaquil, Therapy Resource, Idaho/Nevada
Sarah Prough, Owyhee Health & Rehabilitation, Homedale, Idaho
Sarah is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and has been the Therapy Program Manager at Owyhee Health & Rehab since 2017. She took over a Rehab department that had struggled with consistency for years and completely transformed it. The department has three times as many therapists as when Sarah started, and they are now a consistent top performer in the market financially and clinically. Sarah works very closely with the entire IDT, and her Executive Director, Melissa Truesdell, relies on Sarah as one of the most valuable leaders in the facility. Congratulations, Sarah, and thank you for your ownership at Owyhee!

Steve Balle, River’s Edge Rehab & Living Center Emmett, Idaho 
Steve Balle is a Physical Therapist and has been the Director of Rehab at River’s Edge Rehabilitation and Living Center for over 12 years. He transitioned to DOR when River’s Edge became one of the early Ensign-affiliated facilities in Idaho.  Steve has been a bedrock of stability at River’s Edge over the years and is an essential part of the culture in the building. He loves working with patients, and the nursing partners know they can always count on Steve and the Rehab team to lend a helping hand whenever they are asked. His DON recently described him this way: “He is amazing! All he does is eat, drink and sleep this place, and he continually praises other people. He is selfless.”  Congratulations, Steve, on earning Chief Therapy Officer!
You Never Stop Learning
Submitted by John Patrick Diaz, PT, DPT, DOR, on behalf of the SD United Market, San Diego, CA
The success of Parkside Health & Wellness Center and Magnolia Post Acute did not happen overnight. It took the commitment of everyone to believe that we all can complement each other’s strengths and passion for a common goal. For us, it has been our passion for learning. Pursuing credentials in Advanced Credentialed Exercise Expert for Aging Adults and Credentialed Balance and Fall Prevention Professional was part of our responsibility in making ourselves better for our commitment to clinical excellence.
Leadership and learning are indispensable. It’s not the titles that we put at the end of our names that are important. But it’s what we have learned in achieving these titles and incorporating evidence-based practice and policies into our daily routine that matters most. To be able to share with our colleagues advanced knowledge, skills, and competence and to see them implement it has made a huge difference in the results and outcomes for both facilities.
Milestone Retention Boards and Therapy Involvement
By Gary McGiven, Milestone Therapy Resource - Utah
Milestone’s HR Resource Brandon Lane has rolled out a retention plan with most of our facilities to better live our culture and show our new-hires our Love One Another culture. As a visual for the whole department head team to see and be a part of, this plan includes a retention board. This board has weekly tasks for the department head team to complete, following the employee from new-hire through their first 12 weeks. Some of the weekly tasks include:
  • Assign a mentor
  • Phone check in
  • Non-work connection (i.e., off-site activity with mentor and/or other facility employee)
  • Thank-you treats
  • Empower them to recognize and reward a peer
  • Send a text
With the retention boards being a department head focus, the Therapy leaders and their teams decided they wanted to partner with the department heads to take part in the retention process. Read On...
Outpatient Opportunities
Bringing the Abilities Care Approach to
Your Community
By Gina Tucker-Roghi, Alexis Renfro, and Ali Vandeloo, Rock Creek of Ottawa, KS
Looking for opportunities to increase your community outreach and develop your outpatient program? Rock Creek of Ottawa is putting a new spin on the Abilities Care Approach. Ali Vandeloo, DOR, worked with Alexis Renfro, an OT and TEACHA (Therapy Expert on the Abilities Care Holistic Approach), to bring an abilities-based approach to dementia care to their community through outpatient programming. Ali and Alexis have broadened the scope of services at Rock Creek by promoting aging-in-place for individuals with early-stage dementia.

Our outpatient Abilities Care Approach programming incorporates the familiar aspects of the Abilities Care Approach with training, support and education for family caregivers to target the following clinical outcomes:
  1. Increase caregiver self-efficacy through education on approaches and techniques to manage challenging behaviors
  2. Prevent falls and injuries
  3. Maintain meaningful relationships and engagement with family, friends, and the community
  4. Maintain function, prevent functional decline and mitigate risk factors related to dementia Read On...
Congratulations, ACE Class of 2022 
Submitted by Marci Woehler, TPM/CTO, Wayne Countryview Care and Rehab, Wayne, NE
The ACE class stands for “Abilities Care Expert” Class. This is an approach to patients with dementia that trains experts in a facility who can then go on and train others in the facility so that there is great continuity of care. Wayne currently has five active ACE members who completed their training in September/October 2021 with a pinning ceremony at our October all-staff. They currently all remain employed, although two have changed roles.  
 
We ran a second round of applications and interviews in March and have just accepted an additional five employees for our 2022 class. They will begin their classes in the middle of May. We are equally excited about our next round, as there are two IDT members (Social Services and Housekeeping, who has her CNA license). They will be the first class under the revised program, which will focus more on occupation. There are specific cues based on the tasks at hand that need to be completed based on the individual’s level. There will also be more activity engagement based on levels. With the revisions to the program, the concept is to be more useful for ADLs and activities.
Passionate About ACA
By Camrin Nettey, MS, CCC-SLP, DOR, The Healthcare Resort of Leawood, KS
The Occupational Therapy team at The Healthcare Resort of Leawood is passionate about implementing the Abilities Care Approach to improve the quality of life for our residents with dementia. In doing so, they recognize the importance of collaborating with and providing education to other staffing departments within our facility to maximize the ongoing success of this program. 

The team recently created a Powerpoint presentation, along with pocket-size strategy reminders to provide at an all-staff in-service. Through collaborating with other staff, we have seen countless success stories for the residents that we serve here at The Healthcare Resort of Leawood. Read On...
Getting Back to Basics With a Therapy/Nursing Partnership 
By Shelby Donahoo, Therapy Resource – Bandera Tucson, AZ
In February, the Tucson market held an ED/DNS/DOR meeting titled “Partnering Rehab and Nursing Goals for Success.” The basis of the meeting was a) Do we know each other’s goals? and b) Do we truly understand them, the why, and the impact on the facility overall?

We went back to the basics. We broke down rehab parameters — not just that rehab “has to be productive,” but how productivity is defined (by the minute, what’s billable, and therapist expectations). We shared the impact that group and concurrent can make — from a patient psychosocial standpoint — in lessening the burden of patient care for Nursing for a period during the day and the operational impact for the facility. We recognized together the need to get back to pre-COVID systems that center on patients out of bed. We looked at the potential team-building impact of sharing patient outcomes/successes together. We discussed partnering on FTAGs to direct programming … and more.

Our opening for the meeting was “The Newlywed Game!” led by Mountain View Care Center ED Neil Cullen. Each DNS and DOR were paired up to answer questions about each other and then see if they matched. “What’s your DNS’s favorite food?” “What’s a pet peeve you have about your ED?” (lots of laughs on that one 😊).

Pictured is the winning Newlywed team from Pueblo Springs: Kristin Pearson, DOR, and Carah Hodge, DNS. The prize was matching mugs that say “I GOT YOUR BACK.”
Sharing More Capstone Projects from Our DORiTOs
What’s The Big Deal About Oral Care? By Melissa Alexander, M.A. CCC-SLP, Opus and Millenium Post Acute Care, West Columbia, SC
At Millennium Post-Acute care we wanted to make sure the importance of oral infection control was integrated effectively at our facility. Did you know that tooth brushing prevents more than just cavities and bad breath? Poor oral hygiene has been related to a number of medical conditions including:
• Diabetes mellitus
• Cardiovascular disease
• Strokes
• Atherosclerosis
• Myocardial infarction
• Cancers, including:
• Kidney (risk increased by 49% in men)
• Pancreatic (risk increased by 54% in men)
• Blood (risk increased by 30% in men)
• Pregnancy complications such as low birth weight and prematurity9                 
• Pneumonia Read On...
By Stephanie Marshall, MOTR/L, PAM, CDP, Glenwood Care Center, Oxnard, CA
When you first enter a skilled nursing facility, it’s likely to look the same as almost any other: neutral flooring and paint colors, limited signage, and identical rooms throughout. This poses significant issues, not just for visitors trying to find their way to family members, but for residents with any type of cognitive disorder looking for their room. It is important to remember that individuals with dementia may experience impaired reasoning and struggle with daily items that we often consider “easy to use” or familiar. Thus, adaptations must be made in order to promote ease of navigation and use throughout the building’s hallways and resident rooms. Our development plan consists of three phases of signage improvement. Read On...
The Impact of a Student Clinical Internship 
By Dustin Rex, PT, DPT, MS, CEEAA, DOR, Cedar Pointe Health and Wellness Center, Cedar Park, TX
We love hosting students across all disciplines for so many reasons — most significantly, students are able to shake up our routine, expose us to the cutting edge of our profession, and bring us back outside the box, where we are able to make the most difference for our residents. 

We have recently hosted Chelsea Basilio, SPT, through the University of St. Augustine, Texas. Chelsea will be completing her internship in early April. As a part of the process, most students complete an in-service or project. Chelsea met with Brooke Brown, PT, DPT, and me about her project and what she specifically wanted to accomplish. She identified the need, created from scratch a tool that is comprehensive yet succinct, and composed it in a manner that is visually appealing for patients, families, and staff. Read On...
Color-Coded System for Transfers
Submitted by Aimee Bhatia, NCI Therapy Resource, California
Emily Oh and Abby Amoroso at Villa Maria Post Acute in Santa Maria, CA, have developed a color paper system to better communicate transfer assistance for their residents. They had identified that there was a lot of inconsistency with the information provided to the CNAs regarding transfers status, so they teamed up to develop a system that would allow for more consistent care to the residents. The white paper means the resident can ambulate with Nursing or Therapy supervision. The colored papers are for the residents who transfer with Nursing assistance. The green paper means they are supervised with transfers using the device pictured. The yellow means they require minimal/moderate assistance with the device pictured. The red means the resident requires maximum/dependent assist with either a Sara steady or Hoyer lift for transfers. All of the residents have a transfer sheet at the head of their bed. The transfer sheets are then updated by the therapy staff as their abilities are progressed during the course of care. 

Once the system was developed, both Emily and Abby in-serviced the Nursing staff, and they even added a color-coded chart to their name badges for easy reference as the staff gets used to the system. There has been great feedback from CNA and administrative staff since this started, and it’s great to see therapy identifying an issue, creating a solution, and finding a way to expand their influence throughout the building. Thank you, team Villa Maria, for finding a way to help our Nursing partners. 
Robust Student Program at Camarillo
By Aimee Bhatia, NCI Therapy Resource, California
Camarillo Healthcare Center, led by Vonn Malabanan, has the most robust student experience I’ve been able to witness. When I visit this facility, there are a minimum of four students, with the average being six in the building at a time. Vonn has continued the student coordinator relationships that Julia Schmutz had initiated and also developed even more in order to provide an inpatient setting for students. Currently, they have a DPT student from Touro University, a DPT student from UNE, two PTA students from Concorde Career College, and two PTA students from Casa Loma College. They also have OT students lined up throughout the year, and Vonn is always the first to respond when someone needs a last-minute placement.

Initially, it was hard to get staff on board with being clinical instructors for the student program, but as they watched their peers interact with the students, sharpen their treatment skills, and experience the benefits of having a student, many changed their minds. Even the most tenured therapists who were the most hesitant now have students, and they feel like they are lost when they don’t have students with them. Read On...
Nursing, Wound Care & Physical Therapy 
By Dustin Rex, PT, DPT, MS, CEEAA, DOR, Cedar Pointe Health and Wellness Center, Cedar Park, TX
Our wound care systems at Cedar Pointe, led by Tiffany Delafosse, RN, DON; Nikki Alvarez, LVN/LPN, ADON; and Elise Mixson, LVN/LPN, are consistently managing our wound care systems successfully and effectively. When he started, Ricardo Cacho, one of our physical therapists, expressed a specific passion for learning about wound care. The combination of clinically talented and motivated team members facilitated our discussion of Nursing and Therapy collaboration within this system. Read On...
IDDSI Training 
Submitted by Danielle Banman, Therapy Resource, Emerald Market, Kansas
Endura resources Whitney Warkentin and Emily Clark partnered to provide IDDSI training to the therapy leaders, speech therapists, and dietary managers in Emerald. They trained on the importance and implementation of IDDSI and helped the IDTs who are not using IDDSI to have a plan for their facility. We are so fortunate to have this partnership with Endura so that we can learn and grow and together provide great care!

Tag Busters:
SKIN INTEGRITY FOCUS 
F-Tag 686: Skin Integrity; Pressure Ulcers/Injuries
Submitted by Tamala Sammons, M.A. CCC-SLP, Sr. Therapy Resource
Surveyors will assess how a facility is doing based on the comprehensive assessment of a resident, and ensure that: 
  1. A resident receives care, consistent with professional standards of practice, to prevent pressure ulcers and does not develop pressure ulcers unless the individual’s clinical condition demonstrates that they were unavoidable; and 
  2. A resident with pressure ulcers receives necessary treatment and services, consistent with professional standards of practice, to promote healing, prevent infection and prevent new ulcers from developing.

How can Therapy help be a partner to ensure the facility has a strong skin system? Start by asking a few questions:
  • Is skin integrity and risk for pressure ulcers assessed on every Therapy evaluation? Should it be? 
  • Do therapy assessments include other risk assessments, i.e., tissue tolerance testing? Pain? Nutrition/Hydration? Incontinence?
  • When OT is working on showers with patients, in addition to focusing on ADLs, do they assess the patients’ skin?
  • How often does PT remove a patient’s shoes/socks to assess a patient’s feet? Read On...
Behavior Modification Chart 
By Jeniffer Donaldson COTA, Ukiah Post Acute, Ukiah, CA
For the urinary incontinence pilot study with Accelerated Care Plus (ACP), I created a reward chart to reinforce a patient’s positive behavior towards the incontinence goal. This particular patient is certainly motivated by rewards, as evidenced by the “Halloween Costume Winner” medal she wears, and her passion for earning Bingo bucks. We modified the goal for the incontinence program by making it something that fit her life story, in this case a horse trail that the horse moved along when goals were achieved. The horse was pictured as a Pinto horse, her favorite! Motivation and fun are key ingredients for success, so we incorporated horse videos into the experience, visual codes to help with recall and memory, and color-coded trails to mark when a week of training was completed. This pilot has the team at Ukiah well on the trail to more incontinence programs!
Special Focus Facility Graduation
By Paul Emerson L. Baloy OTD, OTR/L, DOR, The Hills Post Acute, Santa Ana, CA
The Hills Post Acute was officially removed from the Special Focus Facility List as of January 14, 2022, as a result of improved compliance with federal regulations as documented in the findings from the recent recertification surveys and complaint investigations.  

Special Focus Facilities are nursing facilities that have a not-so-good history of past surveys that were identified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and were given an opportunity to improve their systems to better the care of the vulnerable elderly entrusted to them. 

The Hills Post Acute had to successfully complete two intensive and comprehensive successive surveys. The building under the previous owner and management has been riddled with multiple complaints and poor past survey outcomes, placing the facility on that special focus list last year. Our new management team was entrusted with this enormous and critical undertaking and, with the help of our cluster partners and resources, devised strategic plans to address problem areas and came up with multiple dynamic systems to cope with the complex and evolving needs of the building.  Read On...
Pet Therapy Fun at Beacon Harbor  
By April Trammell, DOR, Beacon Harbor Health & Rehabilitation, Rockwall, TX
Here at Beacon Harbor, we love to embrace pet therapy! Puppies, bunnies, and today we had a visit from alpaca Tom Sawyer! It warms my heart to see the smiles on our residents’ and staff's faces. 
Sun's Out, Patients' Out 
By Lauryn Mellberg, SLP-CFY, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Fullerton, CA
Today our therapy program took a couple of residents out to the local grocery store for some community reintegration IADL activities! Instrumental Activities of Daily Living are those activities that allow an individual to live independently in their community. Some examples of these are: 
🛒 shopping 
🍳 cooking 
🚙 using transportation 
💵 managing finances 

PT, OT, ST, and family caregivers all participated to target planning, car transfers, walking, balance, money management, time management, and much more!😅Allowing residents to participate in tasks like these provides a huge boost in confidence in taking those next steps to returning home with loved ones! It also was a time for them to grab their favorite candy bars and late-night snacks. 🤪🍪🍬🍿
Congratulations to Our Newest SPARC Winner! 
Kathryn Russell, PT Student, AT Still University, Mesa, AZ
Grad Date: June 2022
Read Her Awesome Essay Here:
A spark in the lives of my patients — a metaphor appreciably open to interpretation. I guess I have asked myself a parallel question but framed in a different way: how will I make a meaningful positive impact on my patients that endures beyond their physical therapy encounter? Now, my education and training, while both instrumental in driving the principles I want to implement in my practice, do not act entirely to answer the question to its fullest, nor should they. My personal objectives that were not taught are the ones I believe make me stand out to patients, and maybe make me a spark in their lives, but it seems selfish to aim to be the spark in someone’s life. That implies that I chose physical therapy for me, rather than for others. Read On...
Thank you all for your support, love and prayers for the Pearson family! 
Gary Pearson, DOR at Pointe Meadows in Lehi, Utah, and wife Alexis were able to take their early Christmas gift home! After 97 hard-fought days in the NICU, Brooks is home! He is truly the toughest pound-for-pound (an amazing 6 pounds) fighter, and we are so happy for this great family! Congrats, Brooks, Alexis and Gary!