From the Administrator’s Desk: Sept/Oct 2018

I first wanted to say thank you to all the residents, families and staff at the Neighbors of Dunn County for such a warm and friendly welcome. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know all of you over my first few months here. Though the transition has been busy and eventful, I am settling in, and every day I am even more excited to be a part of this wonderful community.

You may have noticed that I am not the only new face at The Neighbors of Dunn County. The Neighbors is proud to support the education and advancement of future healthcare professionals. This summer and fall we have and will continue to welcome several students, interns, and even Resident Physicians into our buildings. This is any excellent opportunity to promote and grow the amazing field of long-term care, as well as gain new and exciting insight from fresh eyes that are eager to make a difference in the lives of our residents. Here at the Neighbors of Dunn County, we are extremely fortunate to have great partner- ships with local educational programs.

This summer we were lucky to have two Social Services interns. They worked on special projects throughout the summer, and learned what the role of Social Workers is in a skilled nursing facility. The Social Services department will also be having an intern this Fall starting in September. Also this fall, we will have dietetic interns from the University of Wisconsin-Stout; the first intern will start in early October.

The Neighbors is also excited to welcome another new class of nursing students from CVTC. Eight future nurses started clinical rotations here on August 29th. These students will be here on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon. This has been a long standing part- nership, and we could not be happier to play a role in training the nurses of tomorrow.

The final program I would like to mention is our partnership with the Mayo Clinic Family Medicine Residency Program of Eau Claire. The Neighbors of Dunn County is honored to be the sole Nursing Facility that the Resident Physicians do a rotation at. The physicians round with Dr. Brown, our Medical Director, and gain valuable experience with geriatric medicine. Our first Resident Physician, Dr. Ben Ayotte was with us for the month of Au- gust, and it could not have gone better. In total we will have five Resident Physicians do a roughly four-week rotation here at The Neighbors.

I speak for all of the staff at The Neighbors of Dunn County when I say we love seeing people who show genuine interest in the ever rewarding world of health care. It is truly inspiring to see the drive and determination to make a difference. We are so grateful to be able to be a part of that.

Again thank you all for the extremely warm welcome. If I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet, I hope to do so soon. Please feel free to stop by my office at any time if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to say hello.

Carmen Flunker, LNHA Community Mentor/Administrator