As Hurricane Florence gained strength and threatened the Eastern coast, Signature HealthCARE at Tanbark teams and leaders sprang into action preparing to take in dozens of evacuated residents from a sister location in Norfolk, Virginia. The outpouring of support from our Regional team, Spirituality, Home Office, vendors and sister facilities in the local area, made what could have been a very trying situation into lasting memories for all! The behind-the-scenes planning, numerous conference calls, strategy sessions in the Command Center, and last minute deliveries made the transition a success. Tanbark more than doubled it’s occupancy on the Personal Care Unit and the team did it with a smile!
The effort to serve our Tanbark and Norfolk residents surpassed the hurricane’s strength and included many in the community. Jessamine County Emergency Management supported us with extra supplies, our ombudsman held Storytelling sessions and local restaurants donated food for our stakeholders.
The love and compassion that the stakeholders showed, along with the wonderful meals that our dietary team prepared and the activities that were planned, made several of the residents in tears as we said our good-byes and loaded them back on the bus to Norfolk. It’s times like these that remind us why we do what we do. It’s a calling, and we are so fortunate to have been called to do so!