Dear Walker family,
2020 tested everyone in unimaginable ways, and those living and working in our communities experienced one of the most frustrating years possible. But today, we stand at the beginning of a new day, issuing COVID vaccines to our residents and team members. Now is a time of hope because we can see the sun on the horizon—a new day is dawning.
COVID-19 has been with us for 10 months now, and it can be easy to forget what it was really like at the start of the pandemic, but when we think back we can see just how far we’ve all come and how many seemingly insurmountable mountains we’ve climbed.
In the early months, we sent out teams of people looking for more PPE at a time when masks, gloves, and gowns were nearly impossible to procure. We built friendships with distillery owners and soap makers who made and donated hand sanitizer because there wasn’t any to be found elsewhere. Thankfully we already had stockpiles of toilet paper!
As 2020 was put to rest, we reflected on all the ways that the year changed each of us and changed our industry forever.
- Courage and heroism. The word hero was used a lot in 2020, but it has not lost its potency. Our team members proved their heroism by coming to work, donning their PPE, and caring for our residents despite their fears.
- Family. We have always thought of ourselves as family to our residents, but never has it been more true than in the last year when families were shut out of our buildings. We understood the responsibility before us to love and care for residents as if they were our own families.
- Resiliency while standing firm. While we have had to shift our methods or change our patterns, we were not deterred from our mission to enhance the lives of older adults.
- Wisdom of our seniors. Regulations and rules changed overnight, and our residents’ plans had to adjust accordingly. We are in awe of our residents who handled the changes with good humor and dignity, teaching all of us how to stand with grace in the midst of crisis.
Thank you to our team members for all the ways that you contributed to the success of Walker Methodist in the past year. Thank you to our residents and families who continue to trust us each day—we do not take this trust lightly, but we use it to keep us motivated to do our best work every day.
All that we learned in this last year will give us strength and courage as we move into a year full of joyous possibilities.
Together we are overcoming,
Walker Methodist Executive Leadership Team
Scott Riddle, President and Chief Executive Officer
Russell Grundhauser, Chief Financial Officer
Anneliese Peterson, Chief Operating Officer
Sarah Wandschneider, Vice President of Human Resources
Beverly Ransford, Vice President of Quality and Clinical Services