Mentor, trainee share lessons from admin training program

In this episode, Matt Holsen, with Sanford Health News, talks with Rachel Baldwin, administrator in training at Comforcare, and Clara Stitt, preceptor and administrator at Comforcare. The topic is leadership development, and workforce and work-life balance.

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Transcript

Alan Helgeson (announcer):

“Reimagining Rural Health” a podcast series brought to you by Sanford Health. In this series, we explore the challenges facing health care systems across the country. From improving access to equitable care, building a sustainable workforce, and discovering innovative ways to deliver high-quality, low-cost services in rural and underserved populations.

Each episode examines how Sanford Health and other health systems are advancing care for the unique communities they serve.

In this episode, Matt Holsen, with Sanford Health News, talks with Rachel Baldwin, administrator in training at Comforcare, and Clara Stitt, preceptor and administrator at Comforcare. The topic is leadership development, and workforce and work-life balance.

Matt Holsen (host):

Clara and Rachel, thanks for spending time with us here today. We appreciate you joining us for this podcast about training senior care's next leaders. You both have pretty unique, and I would say, special jobs as administrators. What drew your interests in nursing home administration in the first place? Let's start with Clara.

Clara Stitt (guest):

I definitely wanted to help people. I had some background as working in a nursing home in high school, and I wanted to help people and still work in health care. Working as an administrator was a way I could use the skills that I naturally possessed and still be able to help people.

Matt Holsen:

Rachel.

Rachel Baldwin (guest):

For me personally, I've spent nearly my entire career in health care, starting as a caregiver when I was younger, then into HR, and then serving as an executive director in assisted living for several years. But my deepest connection to the administrator position came through a personal experience when my son suffered a traumatic brain injury from a life-changing accident at 16 years old.

He spent months in the hospital, from the ICU to the neuro floor, then inpatient rehab, followed by two years of outpatient rehab that just recently ended. Through that journey, I was able to witness firsthand what the power of an interdisciplinary care team can do. That's what led me into the nursing administrator position.

Matt Holsen:

Thanks for sharing that personal story. So you feel like you have a big calling for this, I would assume?

Rachel Baldwin:

I do. Definitely. Yes.

Matt Holsen:

Clara, tell me a little bit about your background and how you became a preceptor.

Clara Stitt:

I started at a Good Sam when I was 16 years old up in International Falls, Minnesota, my hometown. Then I went to college, and I kind of naturally just fell into the Administrator in Training program at Good Sam. I applied. That was back in 2020, so about five years ago, and I became a preceptor. They were asking for who would be a preceptor, and I volunteered. I had a really good experience with my administrator in training, and I think our facility was a good size, and we had kind of a handle on things. So we were excited to bring somebody in.

Matt Holsen:

For people who don't know, what is a preceptor?

Clara Stitt:

Every administrator in training has to be with a preceptor. I'm basically like the mentor for the administrator in training, showing them my daily routine, and leading them down their path to be an administrator.

Matt Holsen:

Tell me a little bit about your guys' relationship.

Clara Stitt:

Rachel is just about finished with her administrator in training program. Rachel was with me for over six months, and now she’s moved on to help out some other buildings, see some different buildings. I can let Rachel speak for herself.

Matt Holsen:

Yeah, walk us through the administrator in training program.

Rachel Baldwin:

It’s a structured program where you get to spend, like Clara said, six months, depending on where you're starting from. You get to spend time with every leadership position in the facility. So you get to see firsthand a little bit of everybody's job, and then how it all comes together. Working under a seasoned administrator is very helpful and lets you be able to experience it without having such extreme pressure right off the bat.

Matt Holsen:

It's a big role. A lot of responsibilities. I'm glad they offer that kind of support.

Rachel Baldwin:

Absolutely.

Matt Holsen:

How do you prepare to become a preceptor?

Clara Stitt:

At National Campus, they did a preceptor training program. So it was a robust program where they brought us to National Campus, all the preceptors, for several days. We learned about different strength trainings, and how to lead people, and we actually got to see each other's strengths. So we got to prepare for our individual administrator in training before we even met them. We know we're not educators by background, so this was the foundation on how to be an educator and a mentor.

Matt Holsen:

Rachel, what's been the most impactful part of the program for you?

Rachel Baldwin:

I would say the workshops were very impactful. Listened to panels of experienced administrators and people in other roles, and them just being very raw and real with you.

Matt Holsen:

It gives you a lot of insights that, if you didn't have this program, you'd be probably sitting somewhere wondering about a lot of different context and a lot of different things that now you hopefully know, and you can hit the ground running maybe.

Rachel Baldwin:

Right.

Matt Holsen:

Clara, tell me a little bit about how this works. So, what's a day in the life look like when you're at your location in Austin, Minnesota?

Clara Stitt:

A lot of it is informal training. With Rachel, a lot of the times what we did together was just basically we would go in meetings together. She was my second set of hands. She was right there with me, every single phone call, every family member that came in.

She was just there with me watching how Good Sam works and who I reach out to for different things. Just kind of learning how I navigate my day. That's just part of her training. There's also a formal program where she rotated with different departments as well.

Matt Holsen:

Rachel, what was the most important for you as you considered a career to pursue? When it comes to health care administration, everybody probably comes to it in unique ways. What drew you to it, and what was most important about it?

Rachel Baldwin:

Well, for me, when I was younger starting out as a caregiver, I think being able to help people and make an impact. Especially people when they're at their most vulnerable state in life, and family members too. Just them knowing that they have somebody that they can rely on, that's going to be there, and they trust that person, helps transition a little bit easier and gives them more peace of mind.

Matt Holsen:

It sounds a lot like Good Samaritan supports new leaders through the AIT program. What does that support look like in the next five years of an administrator's career?

Clara Stitt:

This question is perfect because I'm at year five—

Matt Holsen:

(laugh) Good.

Clara Stitt:

—since my AIT. It really looks like getting knowledge of the supports that are out there. I still talk to my preceptor, Laura Salonek, on a semi-regular basis. There's people who I met and people who were in my AIT cohorts that I still talk to. It's a lot of support, and people know you. You're introduced as an AIT, you're introduced to the other team members at workshops. People who work at National Campus and who are your supports, it's nice that you get to meet them in person so then there's a face behind the email that you'll be sending later.

Matt Holsen:

Great connections made, I'm sure. The AIT program has an experience that I'm super interested in called “Day in the Life of a Resident.” Rachel, can you tell me a little bit about that?

Rachel Baldwin:

As that part of the program, everybody gets to be a resident at the facility that they are the administrator in training at. Basically, they get a diagnosis and get to act out that diagnosis. For me personally, I was in a wheelchair; I had a heart attack, I believe. So I had right-sided weakness, and my right arm was in a sling.

I spent the night. That was an experience. You really get to feel that vulnerableness that the residents feel when they come in, and put yourself in their shoes. You really have to act out that position. You're pushing the call light when you need help, and you're eating the diets. I had the minced and moist diet, so it helps you get a better understanding for sure.

Matt Holsen:

I would assume that's something you went through too. Why is it important to do something like that?

Clara Stitt:

It's important, I think, at the beginning of the administrator in training program because it puts you in the shoes of the residents. You're in a room that, there's nothing special about you. You're just a regular person, just like all of our residents. So it brings you into their shoes and gives you an example of what their days are like, and it gives you compassion for what they're going through and how vulnerable they must feel on their first days in a nursing home. Because it's a huge shift.

Matt Holsen:

Huge shift. So you've spent time together with your AIT. How do you know your administrator in training is ready for the next step?

Clara Stitt:

Something I've heard a lot of administrators, preceptors, do in the past is they go on vacation and they let their administrator in training act out their role and be the point person for all of the staff. Then I get feedback from the staff on how Rachel did. Then she can come forward with things where she maybe struggled. Of course, I'm just a phone call away, but it gives her the opportunity to act autonomously.

Matt Holsen:

Rachel, what would you tell other health care organizations that are seeking out strong leaders?

Rachel Baldwin:

I think strong leaders are not simply found; they're intentionally developed a lot of times. Hearing Nate (Schema, president & CEO of Good Samaritan Society) talk about ‘bloom where you’re planted,’ and investing in the people. That, to me, was spot on. I think showing people that you're willing to put that investment into them means a lot. Most people, if they're good people, they want to give back for that. They know that you put that trust and confidence in them, and they don't want to fail.

Matt Holsen:

Clara, if someone's thinking about applying to be an administrator in training, what should they think about?

Clara Stitt:

I think they should think about where they want to live. I think they should look into the qualifications that are necessary in your state. Different states have different qualifications. Then just look at the Good Sam website, see if there's a job opening for an administrator in training, and go for it.

Matt Holsen:

Why are you personally proud to work in long-term care?

Clara Stitt:

I'm personally proud to work in long-term care because we get to meet all of these different residents with their amazing stories, and we get to help people. That's the simplicity of it. We get to help people.

Matt Holsen:

Rachel, I'd ask you the same question: why are you proud to be in long-term care?

Rachel Baldwin:

Same reason. Just being able to make an impact or guide people to make an impact for people when they're in a vulnerable state in their life, and it's not an easy change for them.

Matt Holsen:

Knowing that you both have gone through the AIT program, last question: what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Clara Stitt:

One thing I've received as advice, and I really live by: if you ask, it might be a yes, but if you don't ask, it's always a no. So, go ahead and ask your crazy questions; ask for the moon. The worst thing that happens is they could say no, but they might say yes. Some incredible things happen just from stepping out on a ledge and getting some confidence.

Matt Holsen:

I love it. That's great advice. Best piece of advice you've ever received?

Rachel Baldwin:

I think somebody once told me—actually a previous supervisor: lead with your heart, but manage with strength. Being a leader, that says it all right there. We want to care for our staff, but we want to be respected. We want them to do the right thing, and if not, we have to have the strength to do what needs to be done in situations where they're not great situations, unfortunately.

Matt Holsen:

Is there anything else people should know about the AIT program?

Clara Stitt:

The AIT program was the best thing I've ever done. My whole career I've gotten so many opportunities just because I did this, and I would never have done it any other way.

Matt Holsen:

That is fantastic to hear. And I want to say thank you for joining us for this podcast. We appreciate it.

Clara:

Thank you.

Rachel:

Thank you.

Alan Helgeson:

You’ve been listening to “Reimagining Rural Health,” a podcast series brought to you by Sanford Health. Hear more episodes in this series, or other Sanford Health series, wherever you get your podcasts and at news.sanfordhealth.org.