National Skilled Nursing Care Week

May 9 -1 4, 2022

“To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals, this alone is worth the struggle.” — William Osler

Today marks the first day of National Skilled Nursing Care Week – a commemorative week honoring all of you who, some might consider, have the most challenging of nursing positions.

The quote above is attributed to William Osler, a physician, educator, historian and cofounder of the renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The physicians and scientists who founded Johns Hopkins were true innovators and believed in the convergence of science and medicine – which actually were considered separately for centuries. The leaders of this institution were on the frontline in 1918 frantically attempting to develop treatments and a vaccine for the global pandemic known as the Spanish Flu.  You may recognize Hopkins as one of the most credible national databases that has tracked the rate of Covid infections in all 50 states beginning in 2020.

Scientific discovery is certainly a struggle – rarely achieved with the first, second or countless subsequent experiments and often never.  Struggling is a part of life – no matter your race, religion or economic status. Most of the world struggles much more than a minority percentage who have more resources, but no one is immune to encountering challenges in life. It is what we do with the struggle, how we manage it, how we help others experiencing the same struggle, that makes the anguish and exhaustion worth it.

“…to have been true to certain ideals…” is a part of Osler’s quote that makes me think of all of you. Throughout all of everything in the near three years of this viral storm, you have remained true to your ideals – and that speaks directly to your character and the capacity of your heart. I wish the world could walk in your shoes for one day and feel the weight of your responsibility, see and hear your experience and feel the intensity as well as the gratification of caring for a vulnerable person, sometimes a very sick person, sometimes as a resident passes away.  The appreciation of what you do would spread around the world faster than a pandemic and leave an imprint on humanity’s conscience that you are what it means to be human in the best definition of the word.

Thank you as the founder of Focused Care, as a former long term care administrator and a Certified Nurse Aide, as a husband, father and fellow human being. You represent the best of all of us and it’s hard for me to believe at times how fortunate I am that we are in the struggle together. Several quotable people have said if you dare to struggle, you dare to win.  I’m right here with you and I know we will win – together.

With all my gratitude and respect,

Mark McKenzie

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Texas Health Care Association Awards Vicki Burr from Focused Care at Center as Certified Nurse Aide of the Year

Statewide Association for Long Term Care Facilities Bestows Honors to Outstanding Skilled Nursing Care Providers in Ten Regions Throughout Texas

(Center, TX) – Following one of the most challenging years as a health care provider caring for the most vulnerable population during a global pandemic, a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) at Focused Care at Center, a local long term skilled nursing care community, was recognized by the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) for her outstanding delivery of nursing care.  Vicki Burr, CNA, was presented with the award for Region 6 at the THCA’s Annual Convention in September.

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Focused Care Vaccine Mandate

You may have heard this expression – the tipping point.  Here is a definition of its meaning: the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place

Most of us might immediately think of the pandemic and it certainly can be considered a tipping point in our world. But right now, I’m referring to a vaccination mandate for all who work in nursing homes soon to be implemented by the president of the United States.  And if that doesn’t create a tipping point, the penalty for not enforcing this mandate as a long term care provider is the withdrawal of Medicaid and Medicare federal funds – together of which comprise the majority of revenue for a skilled nursing care community and which without, we will struggle to operate.

All of you are aware there was a nationwide nursing shortage prior to the pandemic, the latter of which significantly deepened the deficit of qualified, compassionate nurses. Focused Care recognized this early on and as a company, we truly did everything we could to retain our exemplary nursing team members. We are on a mission in this company – we are family – and we want to stay together. We can’t afford to split up – there is too much at stake. How do we keep doing what we are here to do – take care of the most vulnerable?

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