Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen
Left to Right: Janet Bresnahan, Bob Speelman, and Judy Bach.
May 24, 2019NOTE: This story was taken from the blog of Foundations Health leader Bob Speelman. Each week Bob works at one of his facilities in different roles such as housekeeping, or as a nursing assistant, to bring A Culture of Care.
Yesterday my STNA journey took me to The Residence at Salem Woods, our 116-bed facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. Janet Bresnahan is the Administrator there and we couldn’t be prouder of the difference she is making! One of the keys to her success is a young lady I had the privilege of working with by the name of Judy Bach. Judy is 46 and was raised by a single mom who couldn’t read or write, but, “she sure knew how to love us kids - and she made me who I am today.”
As we worked and talked throughout the day, Judy told me they didn’t have a lot growing up and she was determined that when she got married and began to raise a family, she wanted more for her kids. To achieve this, Judy worked a lot to provide for them, sometimes holding two or three jobs at a time.
Judy told me she became an STNA back in 1994. Her ex-mother-in-law was an STNA and talked her into becoming one. To watch Judy in action you know this was a calling and I’m glad she followed it. Her love for her residents is undeniable and her gentle yet firm way was comforting to her residents.
I found out from Judy that she never learned to drive. Judy said it’s honestly nice not having a car. I love being outdoors, walking, and riding my bike. For years she would walk two miles to work every day and never called off or was late. When she divorced her first husband, they had been living across the river in Northern Kentucky. He was her ride to work and now she had to figure something out. For months Judy got up at 4:00am walked across the bridge between Kentucky and Ohio to catch the bus in Cincinnati to be at work by 7:00am. At the end of her 12-hour shift, Judy would do the same thing in reverse and would get home between 9-9:30pm. Judy did this for months and was never late or called off.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
– Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Judy – I’m so glad I had a chance to meet you. You are everything we are about as a company and a culture. Your love for our residents was a beautiful thing to see, and your love for your fellow team members was equally as beautiful. You are a beautiful person in the truest sense and we are lucky to have you on our team.