Living Out Our Core Values

_{February 6, 2020}

NOTE: This was taken from the blog of Foundations Health Solutions leader Bob Speelman. Each week Bob works at one of our Foundations Health facilities in different roles. Whether working in housekeeping or as a nursing assistant, he sees firsthand how we embody the vision of our founder and nursing home developer, Brian Colleran, to be "A Culture of Care."

Cincinnati, Ohio - I spent the day at The Home at Hearthstone, our 96-bed facility in Cincinnati. Val Shepherd is the administrator there and has an incredible team of caregivers. One of those caregivers is Brianna Herth, who has been an STNA for two years and is currently in nursing school. Once I was on the unit with Bri, I quickly found out that the entire unit works together as a team. Diamond Herth was the nurse on the unit and Shawntrae Hill and Marilyn Clay were the other two STNA's. They all had their assignments, but they all answered each other's call lights, help get people down to the dining room, and assisted each other with care. Throughout the day, they function as a team.  

The entire day flew by and we chatted together about things that we do well as a company and things we could improve on. It was a really enjoyable time. I thought to myself on my drive home, how can one company have so many good caregivers? The answer came to me as quickly as I asked it, we are a family. We are a group of people with a passion for making a difference. It's our Culture of Care. When we make it our singular focus to have the right people in the right places doing the right things for the right reasons, the result is our culture.

I thought back on how we challenged our administrator to help us develop our Core Values. We asked them to define behaviors that will help us be the company we all desire to be. The results were amazing, twelve Core Values that we want to live out each and every day in our facilities:

1. NEVER about the role, ALWAYS about the goal
2. Integrity - Do what is right, even when no one is watching
3. Don't find fault. Find a remedy.
4. Our Residents do not live in our workplace; we work in their home 
5. Be the Reason - Be the Reason that residents smiled today, that nurses went home on time, and that the housekeeper had one less spill to clean up.
6. Make a Difference Every Day
7. LISTEN then respond.
8. Feel EMPATHY, show SINCERITY, provide DIGNITY, experience PROSPERITY. Be better; ALWAYS.
9. Build a Positive Team and a Family Spirit.
10. Work alongside your staff - Sweep floors, pick up trash, serve trays, and earn their respect; don't expect it.
11. Walk the Talk.
12. When you treat a disease, you sometimes win, but when you treat a person, you can't lose.

Those values are making a difference. They are being lived out each and every day in our facilities across the state. I witnessed them when I worked alongside Bri, Diamond, Shawntrae, and Marilyn.  

"Your personal core values define who you are, and a company's core values ultimately define the company's character and brand. For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny."

Tony Hsieh

Bob Speelman, STNA

Each week, Bob Speelman visits a Foundations Health Solutions nursing home. He works alongside a variety of departments to ensure Foundations Health is excelling in the vision of founder Brian Colleran's "Culture of Care." Foundations Health continues to practice the principles nursing home developer Brian Colleran instilled, such as resident and family satisfaction, positive employee culture, and investment in the community.

Bob's Blog