Aspen Therapy 2020 Award Winners
Aspen Therapy is excited to share with you our award recipients for 2020. As you know, 2020 was an unprecedented year which proved to be challenging for everyone in Healthcare. Aspen Therapy's award recipients are being recognized for their amazing dedication to our residents and their teamwork throughout all the unexpected changes of 2020!
Aspen Therapy's Ambassador of the Year:
Amie Medvetz
Amie is always going above and beyond for the residents, Aspen and Embassy Healthcare. Amie has been employed with Aspen for 5 years as a Rehab Tech. Everyday Amie exceeds her job expectations. Amie has formed many friendships with the staff and residents. She is extremely caring and will always lend a helping hand wherever is needed. On countless occasions, Amie has brought in items for residents and staff to brighten their day. She is always willing to lend an ear for conversation and to help a resident or staff member out in a time in need. She has made hospital visits to residents, made phone calls to residents that have discharged home to check on them, and has come into work on her off hours to assist with additional needs throughout the facility. Aspen appreciates all the hard work and dedication to our facilities and residents.
Aspen Therapy's Facility of the Year:
Parkside Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation

The 2020 Parkside staff: Jennifer Rose COTA/FRC, Lauren Harris PTA full-time split, Ashley Crawford PT PRN, Lisa Williams SLP PRN, Jay Hoffman OT PRN.
The entire Therapy team at Parkside Nursing and Rehab is small but mighty.
They are known for maintaining an excellent rapport with residents and facility staff. Always willing to help anyone at any time and treat the facility residents as family. It is common for the therapy staff to go out of their way to attend to residents' requests and facilitate good communication between residents and facility staff.
As COVID 19 became a dangerous pandemic, Parkside Nursing and Rehab was one of the first facilities(if not the first) of our organization to open a COVID unit and accept positive cases for admissions. The therapy team quickly adapted to observing the Infection Control norms and regulations for the facility. Therapists continued to carry out superior therapy interventions to ensure residents could quickly return to the community. Therapists worked with the maintenance department to modify the isolation unit and add therapy equipment so the residents in the COVID unit were not missing out from not being allowed in the therapy gym. The trials with positive outcomes were implemented by the organization at other facilities.
Parkside Nursing and Rehab then opened a second COVID unit and the therapy team once again stepped up to the challenge of working within the high-risk environment. The team cared for each other and their residents by following strict regulations to avoid the risk of contagion.
For the entire year, therapists at Parkside concentrated their efforts towards what is important: the wellbeing of their facility's residents. Their selfless dedication is a true representation of what Aspen Therapy is all about.  
Aspen Therapy's FRC of the Year:
Melissa Majewski
Melissa Majewski has been an excellent asset since she began her journey with Aspen Therapy. Melissa has met the Productivity, Revenue, and S/I goals for her site with flying colors.
 During the second quarter of 2020, the entire facility, 75 residents plus multiple staff members, were affected by COVID-19.
Melissa organized the therapy staff schedule, protocols, and implemented the additional measures to keep the residents, staff, and coworkers safe. While the situation was very stressful and several Aspen Therapy staff became sick at times, Melissa kept the therapy department functioning, utilizing each discipline's strengths, and providing invaluable assistance to the facility staff for caring and attending Forest Hills residents. Melissa provided guidelines on how to approach and address residents' needs during the worst stages of COVID.
Even though the facility census was decimated and there was a shortage in facility staff for over 2 months, Melissa kept a positive attitude every day and provided the therapy staff with continued support and guidance to complete the task at hand. When the facility was finally free of COVID, Melissa did not skip a beat and concentrated the therapy department's efforts in the recovery of the residents' abilities and function. 
Melissa demonstrates excellent organizational and communication skills. She utilizes her knowledge to support the facility operations, especially when collaborating with MDS for case mix and PDPM billing. Needless to say, Melissa has an excellent rapport with facility staff, residents, therapy staff, and the facility's extended family.
Melissa is picture-perfect of what an FRC should be, she is well-deserving of the FRC of the year award.
Aspen Therapy | www.aspentherapyservices.com