June KMH Newsletter by KSMasonic

KMH Newsletter June 2013

Meet Nick Stillahn, KMH’s new director of dining services Have an opinion about your meal? Bring it on.

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In This Issue Meet Nick Stillahn Meet Margot Harris marketing intern Rapid Recovery Suites About to Open New Faces on the Dining Team

Nick Stillahn, who in early March replaced Aaron Wurtz as the KMH director of dining services, loves to talk to people about their dining experiences. He’s willing to listen to fans as well as critics – for as long as they want to talk. “I enjoy helping people on a day-to-day basis. I enjoy listening to their needs and desires,” Stillahn said. “I find that very gratifying.” Stillahn, who now oversees a staff of about 25 people, is a native of Colorado who got his start in the food industry working for a fine-dining steakhouse in Loveland, Co.

Nick Stillahn

It was called the Summit Steakhouse, and Stillahn worked as a cook under a chef who had a degree from the Art Institute of Colorado.

When Wurtz left to take a new job with Morrison, the company offered Stillahn the chance to move up to a bigger organization – KMH. He took the chance.

Inspired by his boss, Stillahn went there, too, earning a bachelor’s in hospitality management.

And now, he says, he’s very glad he did.

Right out of school, he got a job with HDS, a contract food service company that eventually was purchased by Compass Morrison, the company that partners with KMH to provide dining services for the 200-plus residents, their guests, other visitors and 240 employees.

Employee Profile: Lori Clark

He’s spent the last nine years working for a long list of hospitals and independent living providers in Colorado and Arizona.

Recipe of the Month: Baked Frittata with Veggies & Feta

He last worked as the dining services director in a skilled health care facility in Arizona – where he was able to devote his free time to his favorite pastime – golf.

“It didn’t take a lot of convincing,” he said. “I love it here. It’s been great--the entire building is super nice and very welcoming.” So far, Stillahn has been filling his time getting to know the staff and residents. His specialty, in addition to his obvious hospitality management skills, is listening, and KMH residents are more than happy to share their opinions about their dining experiences. Stillahn likes that. “All day, I just talk to people, whether they’re having trouble with their meals or enjoying their meals,” he said. “I’ve got a very enjoyable job.”

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Hello! From Margot Harris, marketing intern A little about me and a little about KMH…

Hello everyone! My name is Margot; I am a senior communications major at Newman University—and I am excited to say that I will be graduating next May! I am also Kansas Masonic Home’s marketing intern. I was a military brat from birth till 2001, when my dad retired from the U.S. Air Force. During that time my family and I moved to different states including my favorite location, Hawaii. My family consists of my parents, Kathy and Dale, and my big brother and little sister, Leland and Kaitlyn. My family and I have been Kansans since 1998. Leland and I graduated from Derby High School and our family can’t wait for Kaitlyn to graduate from DHS too. Go Panthers! I don’t have any real hobbies; I just know that whatever I feel like doing at that moment, I go do it. I do enjoy bike rides, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. I also work in the Human Resources department at Target in Derby. I have loved the contacts, experience and skills I have gained there. I will be interning at KMH until the end of summer and I am looking forward to sharing the opening of the Rapid Recovery Suites and other projects with all of you. I am truly enjoying building relationships with the staff that makes KMH such an amazing place. My first impression of the Kansas Masonic Home was not what I expected. As I said, I spent a significant amount of my life in Derby, about 17 minutes (according to my GPS) away from KMH—during that time I never realized that it was a retirement community or how much KMH has to offer their residents. The grounds are beautiful; and while 15 acres and a maze of hallways are very daunting for this directionally challenged intern, the staff and campus maps are especially accommodating, thank goodness!

Margot Harris

circumstances change, requiring folks to move into assisted living or skilled nursing—but it seems like KMH doesn’t just talk the talk about how they “Make it Home,” they walk the walk. The artist renderings and construction of the households with the variety in design styles and options definitely remind me of someone's home--it’s a bit unreal!

I’m working with Jill Laffoon, KMH’s Director of Marketing, and what really surprised me about the households and the changes that will take place is the fact that these households and their residents will really be respected as separate entities who’s occupants are the homeowners. The fact that I’m impressed with the beautiful views out of every window– instead of people just roaming in on the resident’s living so essential in this busy environment. spaces or eating areas, every staff person and anyone who The personal environment is just as amazing. I imagined this isn’t a resident or a part of the household operations team will have to knock to be let in, certainly seems to separate place as a pretty standard hospital setting with staff that KMH from other retirement communities–resident privacy didn’t interact with residents unless they needed medical and dignity is a priority here! help. I was mistaken; I feel as though everyone, including the teams of directors and staff not directly involved in the Although I am only in my first weeks as an intern here, Pavilion truly care and value the residents, while treating I’m completely impressed by the atmosphere at KMH; them like family. The relationships, respect, and positivity between the KMH staff from every level is contagious. I imagine that The construction of the new additions is so amazing—I’m this makes for a great place for the residents and I’m sure each of you are very proud of creating something that ecstatic to gain experience here, really explore what KMH will honestly give residents the feeling of home. I believe is all about, and continue to build relationships with both many residents at other facilities lose that feeling of home, staff and residents! and even here there must be a definite sense of loss when

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Update Rapid Recovery Suites about to open Almost exactly a year after groundbreaking on KMH’s new state-of-the-art therapy and rehabilitation household (Rapid Recovery Suites), the building is about to open. The newest addition, and first completed ‘household’ at KMH, is scheduled to be open for new residents the first week in July; just under a year since July 20, 2012, when construction officially got underway on the building. Soon, residents and members of the public will get a peek inside the new 14,450-square-foot, $4 million building, which sits on the southwest corner of campus and was designed by Anderson Knight architects and built by Hutton Construction to exactly mimic the destinctive architecture of the rest of the campus. But the outside of the building is far from being its only impressive feature. Inside, the new space is fitted with beautiful rooms with large windows, spacious, in-suite bathrooms, warm colors and high-tech features that will make life for people recovering from falls, strokes and other life-changing incidents much easier to learn to manage again.

Front Porch Furniture

Most important, the new rehab center will provide an environment that more closely reflects the homes that the residents will likely return to following their rehabilitation. Once inside the building, people will be greeted by an open, relaxing great room fitted with fine furnishings and an inviting fireplace. The room feels like a living room at a private home, and all the clinical elements one might expect – like a reception desk and nurses station(s) – have been eliminated from the design. Instead, staff works within the household as a family might, operating without the hospital-like elements. Also in the front of the building is a common kitchen and dining area, which would be the envy of any high-end private homeowner. The therapy areas, tucked behind the main living hub of the household, feature a drive in, easy access garage where residents can practice getting in and out of vehicles—including their own; a kitchen where they can re-learn basic household tasks; and a plethora of equipment and areas where therapy team members will offer specialized treatment options in multiple disciplines to help residents overcome the challenges of surgeries and/or health incidents. The 20 private rooms, with beautiful, solid wood doors that match the architectural design, each has a large bathroom, a big closet and lots of sunlight streaming in through large windows that offer views of the surrounding neighborhood or the soon-to-be completed landscaping of the east courtyard. The carpet and paint in each room varies and features a color palate of warm, inviting earth tones.

Visitor Jeff Hampton and KMH Marketing Director Jill Laffoon tour the Rapid Recovery Suites.

All that’s left now, aside from actually moving in furnishings, said David Shuman, KMH director of building services, is a few inspections, the installation of some lighting fixtures, final details on paint and custom woodwork, and the landscaping, all of which will take place over the next few weeks.

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Martinson

N S

Therapy/ Rehab

Private Suite Private Suite

Storage

Closet

Rapid Recovery Suites

Private Suite Storage

Hallway

Garage

Laundry Workroom

Private Suite

N.I.C.

wall-mounted flat screen TV

Vestibule

Laundry Workroom

Open Desk Study

dresser

Storage

Kitchen

Private Suite

Dining Prep / Storage

Private Suite

zero-entry shower

Dining Alcove Dining Covered Patio and Courtyard

Private Suites Household Area

Foyer

and Additional Ammenities

Therapy Area

Living Den Shower Corridor Storage

Spa Beauty

Private Suite

Laundry Storage

Storage

Private Suite

Corridor Private Suite

Private Suite

Private Suite Private Suite

Private Suite

Corridor and Bedroom Furniture

Anything we can change or do better, we will, because we’re in their space.” Bruna said he’s more than happy with the finished product and can’t wait for the KMH community to see it completed. “It’s a nice-sized environment and really is a house,” he said. “It looks like a house inside and out. It was a fun project, and it’s going to look really neat.” The second phase of the construction project, which Hutton also will lead, will start soon.

Rapid Recovery Suites living room under construction

Shuman said he’s pleased with how the building turned out. He particularly loves all the natural light that streams into the main living area of the house through the windows and French doors that open onto an outdoor seating area and courtyard.

It’s expected to take 18 months to complete and will create distinct households within the existing walls of the skilled health care Pavilion and assisted living Manor. The households will have their own front doors, kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms and private rooms and bathrooms for each resident. Artistic renderings can be viewed at www.ksmasonic.org or on our facebook page.

And he is even more pleased that the project stayed on track. Shuman estimated last year that it would take 12 months to complete the construction and landscaping, and the house should open in just under that. “We’ve had a couple of residents who have toured it already, and they are excited to see it come into play,” Shuman said. “Things have gone pretty smoothly.” Larry Bruna, who managed the project for Hutton Construction, has become extremely involved with the KMH staff and particularly the residents—to the point of personally attending monthly Town Hall meetings on campus to directly listen and respond to concerns, questions and a lot of suggestions from KMH residents about the construction process. “There are always going to be questions and concerns,” he said. “We [Hutton] like to hear them.

Living Room Furniture

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The completed kitchen will feature solid surfaces and lots of space

New faces on the dining team The departure of former director of dining services, Aaron Wurtz, and the arrival of his replacement, Nick Stillahn, isn’t the only change to the KMH dining services team of late. The team also has recently welcomed Tammi Hanson, who is the assistant director of dining services. Wurtz hired her before he left, charging her with the responsibility of responding to the needs of the Towers Dining residents and guests until the Rapid Recovery Suites open and Hanson takes on the role of head chef for the newest area at KMH. But since Stillahn’s arrival, he said, he’s needed her more as a full-fledged assistant. She’s been handling the additional responsibilities beautifully he said. “She’s very professional, and has a can-do attitude,” he said. “She’s very results-driven.” Andrea Graham is also fairly new to the team and was hired six months ago as

Lori Clark profile By Margot Harris, marketing intern

the Nutrition Care Manager. Her main job is doing clinical chart work and handling managerial duties for dining services. She’s also been a great asset to the team, Stillahn said. “She’s punctual and very organized,” he said. “She’s another team member who is very results-driven – and very tactful.” Stillahn also has added responsibilities to Chef Andrew Terronez’s job. Terronez, in addition to his role as Executive Chef, is now responsible for all the purchasing for the campus and is implementing some new seasonal menus for the summer—something that will continue throughout the coming seasons. Terronez, who has been with KMH for a little over a year now, has also been working on a structure to offer dining services in the new, about-to-open Rapid Recovery Suites.

Andrea Graham

Stillahn said he couldn’t be more pleased with the team he found in place when he arrived, and said the group is positioned to help take KMH into its next phase of culture change – in delicious style.

“They’re going to be able to help drive our success in the culture change Stillahn, Terronez, Graham and Hanson are the four managers in dining services, movement from a dining services stand point.” leading a staff of 25 employees. Clark is a part of the Concierge team at KMH and visitors to the East Lobby are always greeted with Clark’s contagious smile and eagerness to ensure that every guest is taken care of.

the campus and allow her to serve others more thoroughly.

Before her start with KMH in December 2012, Clark was a licensed cosmetologist —a career she says she had a lot of fun Clark’s favorite part of working at KMH at—and particularly enjoyed that she is that she gets to meet new people and got to meet a variety of different people. One of the best and most unexpected enjoys helping them with the variety results of her career in cosmetology was of services they are seeking—from the fact that her clients had many applying to join the KMH team to interesting stories of where they have looking for a resident or staff member. travelled and their experiences; their She says that continuing to learn about stories inspired Clark to begin setting the health care aspect of KMH’s resident travel goals and compiling a travel wish list! services is something she is pursuing as Clark says that her transition to KMH much as she can—she knows that Lori Clark gaining a better understanding of Pavilion has been a significant change for her, Guests at Kansas Masonic Home see but she is enjoying her new environment resident and staff activities, assisted many faces during their visits, but one and the ability to learn about individuals living, and rehabilitation and therapy face they don’t soon forget is Lori Clark’s. will improve her overall perspective of and campus operations.

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Nick continued He’s also enjoyed getting to know his staff members, especially executive chef Andrew Terronez. The two both come from restaurant chef backgrounds, he said, so they share many attitudes and experiences. And Stillahn says he’s particularly interested in the “culture change” atmosphere at KMH. His predecessors set him up well to help with the dining piece of the puzzle as construction across the campus continues. “I feel very fortunate in the fact that a lot of the work has been done in past three or four years, and I can jump on the bus and have all the fun,” he said. “It’s very exciting to join the culture movement here.”

director of assisted living. “Although we were all happy for Aaron (who also received a promotion from Morrison), we were equally disappointed to see him go. Nick has made an amazing leap into big shoes and within days of his arrival the entire campus was absolutely thrilled to have him on board. We couldn’t be happier.” In his free time, Stillahn is an avid golfer and is passionate about conservation, particularly recycling issues. He’s also into landscaping and horticulture. He has two brothers – a twin who is a chemist in Albany, N.Y., and an older brother who is a teacher in Ft. Collins, Colo. Stillahn also has a 15-month-old niece.

The transition from Wurtz, an extremely popular presence at KMH, to Stillahn was amazingly smooth, says Mike Miller,

Recipe of the Month

from Executive Chef Terronez

Baked Frittata with Veggies and Feta Makes 2 servings

1 teaspoon olive oil 8 mushrooms, preferably Cremini, sliced thin 1/4 cup shallots, sliced thin 4 spears of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 scallion, sliced thin 1/4 cup peas 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill 4 egg whites, lightly beaten 1 oz. reduced-fat, crumbled feta cheese 4 slices grilled Canadian turkey bacon

Nutritional Information: Per serving: 205 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 24 g protein

Cut to edge for 3x5 recipe card.

Directions: Heat oven to 350°F. Heat oil over medium heat in an oven-safe frying pan. Cook mushrooms and shallots until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in asparagus, scallion, peas and dill. Pour egg whites on top of mixture; sprinkle on cheese; shake pan to mix together. Bake until egg whites are set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with turkey bacon on the side.

This newsletter is published by Kansas Masonic Home, a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization. For information, contact Matthew Bogner, Chief Executive Officer, Kansas Masonic Home, 316-269-7500, 401 S. Seneca, Wichita, KS 67213. Matthew Bogner, CEO Jill Laffoon, Director of Marketing

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