Looking Through the Lens of UCHS
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Looking through the lens of UCHS United Church Homes and Services Annual Report Fiscal Year 2017 Board of Directors Officers Dr. Linda J. Morris, Chairperson Parker D. Howell, III, Vice Chairperson Brenda Eckard, Secretary Walter Hoffman, Finance Committee Chairperson Mark W. Sigmon, Member-At-Large J. Ray Deal, Past Board Chairperson Board of Directors Gregory M. Alcorn, Salisbury, NC Anthony J. Branch, Cornelius, NC James W. Buchanan, Lexington, NC J. Ray Deal, Burlington, NC Beth Deal, Hickory, NC Naomi Y. East, Hickory, NC Brenda C. Eckard, Claremont, NC United Church Homes and Services Walter Hoffman, Lexington, NC Parker D. Howell, III, Suffolk, VA Our Mission Joan Marsh, Gary, IN A Christian ministry committed to providing vibrant Kelsey D. McCleave, Raleigh, NC senior living opportunities, diverse programs of outreach Linda J. Morris, Greensboro, NC and compassionate healthcare services. Rev. Randall Orwig, Elon, NC Mark W. Sigmon, Denver, NC Our Vision Rev. Brad Thie, Durham, NC Enriching lives by providing the right services, at the right Ray Walker, Conover, NC time, in the right setting. Gene Hamilton, Advisory Council Our Values Chair - Abernethy Laurels Compassion – we treat all individuals with understanding, Rick Matthews, Advisory Council Chair - care and respect. Lake Prince Woods Innovation – we are continually changing in order to meet Cory Tobin, Advisory Council new needs. Chair - Piedmont Crossing Integrity – we are honest, accountable and transparent in Ex-Officio Members (non-voting) our services, communications, and the fulfillment of our Rev. Dr. Edward Davis, mission. Southern Conference Minister People – we are committed to hiring and investing in Lee Syria, President and CEO dedicated, passionate people. of UCHS Mona Huffman, Executive Quality – we strive to provide excellent Assistant/Assistant Secretary of service surpassing ordinary standards the Corporation and expectations. Value – we aim to be the provider of choice making services accessible to as many as possible. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ROMANS 12:13 iscal year 2017 was another great time in the life of United Church Homes and Services (UCHS). As a not-for-profit senior living provider, we aim to expand our mission in order to have a meaningful impact on those we serve, on the wider community and to provide needed services to more individuals. UCHS was able to serve 8% more people than in fiscal year 2016. FWe continue to grow our home care programs and services in order to offer more choices to individuals. At our Lake Prince Woods community, located in Virginia, we have partnered with Senior Options LLC to become a Medicare-certified home health provider. This certification will enable us to broaden the scope of work we do and reach more individuals needing services. Abernethy Laurels in Newton officially welcomed residents to North Manor, our new state- of-the-art health and rehabilitation center, on September 14th. This opening completes the first phase of a project to completely replace the original health center which dates back to 1971. The second phase of construction is underway and is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2019. This project is enhancing our efforts to move away from the traditional medical model of care to a person-centered care model within a household design. As we look through the lens of UCHS, it is the service of outreach provided by our residents where UCHS really becomes the most impactful in the communities where we are located. Residents at all of our communities contribute countless numbers of volunteer hours to UCHS and many other not-for-profits, schools and community agencies. It is through their good works that the footprint of UCHS truly expands beyond our walls! As an employer of over 850 team members, we strive to provide a meaningful experience and a great working environment. We were pleased to have earned a 4% improvement in the overall satisfaction on our employee opinion survey this year. Our associates are the ones who make the positive difference each and every day in the lives of those we serve. In turn, we continue to look for ways that we can make a positive impact in the lives of our team members and strive to be a better employer for them. Our residents and team work toward a common calling as a Christian ministry. Together, we practice and demonstrate hospitality on so many levels each and every day. UCHS looks forward to impacting more lives for the better through another year of service in 2018! With gratitude, Linda Morris, MD Lee B. Syria Chairperson President and CEO Board of Directors Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. ROMANS 12:6 Looking through the lens of UCHS Looking through the lens of United Church Homes and Services (UCHS) is an occasion to reflect on servant leadership and the kaleidoscope of gifts used to impact the lives of others. Some gifts are personal and others are performed behind the scenes. Some gifts are creative and generous, while others require a small amount of time. Whatever the gift, most would concur with Albert Schweitzer, “The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.” United Church Homes and Services’ lens has no filter; the organization holds true to their mission: a Christian ministry committed to providing vibrant senior living opportunities, diverse programs of outreach and compassionate healthcare services. For more than 45 years, UCHS has engaged in opportunities to impact lives and offer service to others both within our walls and through outreach in the larger community. We hope you will enjoy our stories reflecting a kaleidoscope of experiences that continue to show compassion and service for others. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. PROVERBS 11:25 aving a master’s degree in Recreational Therapy may have helped Sibert Lewis land the position of Life Enrichment Coordinator at Carolina HSeniorCare, but his big heart is what sets him apart from others. Sibert brings an optimistic approach to Carolina SeniorCare and his excitement is contagious among the participants and team members. He believes that empowering each individual is the key to helping them live a long, healthy and independent life. With each participant, Sibert learns their background, discovers the contributions they made to society and utilizes the same attributes to embrace them as a “whole” person. “Sibert has a way of creating an atmosphere where people want to do things. He knows how to maximize each participant’s skills and abilities,” stated Thomas Chang, Executive Director at Carolina SeniorCare. Whether it’s directing the choir, leading bible study, reading poetry, or crocheting for an entry at the county fair, Sibert seems to find the “sweet spot” of each participant, giving them purpose. Sibert has found his “sweet spot” too; and may he continue the art of giving. THROUGH THE LENS OF SIBERT LEWIS Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. JOHN 15:13 illy Stutts, a two year resident at Piedmont Crossing, knows about sacrificing for others. Billy has a 42 year military career with the US National Guard. Enlisting as a Private in 1947, he learned that his unit would be called for Bactive duty for the Korean War. Billy, like many of the resident veterans served by United Church Homes and Services, left as a boy and returned a man. Throughout the early 1950’s, Billy spent time in military training camps which eventually led to his promotion to Master Sergeant early in his military career. Billy participated in nuclear weapons testing where he and fellow soldiers took cover as the blasts shook the ground and broke glass windows up to 65 miles away. Throughout his military service, Billy held numerous ranks before retiring in December of 1989 as Major. Billy might say his life was impacted greatly as he served his country. He learned teamwork, pride, tolerance, discipline, and compassion. Military service changes people; it is a commitment to one’s country and there is no greater service to mankind. THROUGH THE LENS OF MAJOR BILLY STUTTS etired Pharmacology Professor of East Carolina University and nine year resident of Lake Prince Woods, John DaVanzo, impacts lives. Professor DaVanzo saw determination and an academic gift in a university student, West RPaul. Though struggling with a rare medical condition, Paul sought guidance from Professor DaVanzo. Davanzo recognized the brilliance and set about designing a curriculum for the university’s first M.D.-Ph.D. graduate. During Paul’s first year of the program, he attended a doctoral program DaVanzo gave on Triap (Tricyano-2- amino-1-propene), a neuroprotective agent connecting He who sows conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. He sparingly studied Triap for his doctoral thesis. Paul’s work not only will also reap yielded a dissertation and several published research sparingly, papers, he and DaVanzo secured a patent on the combined use of nerve growth factor and Triap. and he who In recent studies, Triap has been shown to accelerate limb sows regeneration and recovery of motor function after injury. bountifully Today, DaVanzo’s gift keeps giving as the study of Triap will also reap continues. One might proclaim brilliance both in student bountifully. and the Professor. So let each THROUGH THE LENS OF PROFESSOR JOHN DAVANZO one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of ake Prince Woods’ team member Cherie God’s varied Holloman was awarded the ACHI Magazine grace.