Aloha … from BethC Gifford raises money for March of Dimes
Quality nursing 'home' wins awards, garners visit from Gov. Douglas
RANDOLPH, July 15, 2010 – It wasn’t a surprise. Everyone knew it right along.
How could you not? You walk in and the place is clean, beautiful and everyone is friendly, and so caring.
But it was still nice to hear the governor say it: the Menig Extended Care Facility is a high quality nursing home and the people of Orange County are fortunate to have it.
Gov. James Douglas; Brendan Hogan, acting Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) commissioner; and Vermont Health Care Association Executive Director Laura Pelosi Wednesday afternoon at the Randolph nursing home presented Menig its sixth consecutive Nursing Home Quality Award from DAIL and Gold Star Employer Award from DAIL and the Vermont Health Care Association.
Gov. Douglas called achieving the awards for six years in a row a great feat and great news for Vermonters.
“We’re the second oldest state in America now and that means we have to have quality options as the years go by,” the governor said. “High quality care is going to be increasingly important because of the demographics of Vermont.”
The governor further praised Menig for earning an Excellence in Action award from national resident (really residents’ families) satisfaction survey company My InnerView. “That’s something that you should be particularly proud of as well,” Gov. Douglas said.
Menig has won that award two years in a row and has also achieved the maximum five stars on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare Web site, medicare.gov.
Menig is also part of Gifford Medical Center, and Gov. Douglas extended his praise to the entire medical center for providing a continuum of care.
Hogan, who took the helm of DAIL following the recent retirement of Joan Senecal, added his praise of Menig.
“I’m thrilled to be here and be at such a great occasion and see the quality of work that goes into nursing homes,” Hogan said.
To an audience of Menig staff, residents, families and volunteers seated around the nursing home’s expansive living room, Pelosi noted that achieving the prestigious Quality Award would not be possible without first earning the Gold Star Employer Award, which Menig has now received since the award’s inception six years ago.
The Quality Award is granted based on results of health and life safety surveys, cost effectiveness, a lack of substantiated complaints and resident satisfaction survey results. The honor was also accompanied by a $12,350.91 state financial award to further improve residents’ quality of life.
The Gold Star Employer award is based on nursing homes’ efforts to use best practices to recruit and retain staff.
“We’d like to congratulate the staff,” said Pelosi.
Menig Director of Nursing Cindy Richardson extended her thanks to the support staff that make Menig the quality home that it is, including the hospital’s housekeeping, maintenance and kitchen staffs, which each earned rounds of applause, and the many volunteers who give of their time at Menig.
Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer 
Joseph Woodin said Gifford is known for a few things, like its Birthing Center and fine cuisine. Menig also tops the list. “We really do appreciate the Menig unit,” he said. “It’s one of the shining examples of this hospital. We’re very proud that we’re able to provide such a good service. It’s really a terrific place.”
A terrific place indeed.
“It couldn’t be any better,” said resident George Kendall Jr., whose Braintree family visits often.
Seated by resident Lucille Salls at the awards ceremony were three generations of her Randolph family – daughter Ruth Hawver, grandson Todd Griswold and great granddaughter Samantha Griswold.
Salls waited two years to get into Menig.
It is the only nursing home in Orange County and with just 30 beds has a significant waiting list.
“We had been trying very hard to get her in here,” Hawver said.
Ultimately Salls’ declining health at another facility landed her a spot, Hawver said.
Now, said Hawver, “she gets excellent care. She’s close and we can visit her when we want.” It’s also clean and odor free. “When you walk in here, you don’t know it’s a nursing home. I’m thinking about putting my name on the (waiting) list,” she added, only half in jest.
“I love this place,” added Todd Griswold. “It’s personal. The staff takes a little bit of time to talk you. I just like the connection the staff has with the patients.”
“They treat them like family,” Hawver agreed, noting for Salls that coming to Menig in Randolph from another facility outside of the area was a homecoming. “She came home.”
And to a happy home at that.