In this week’s episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, we discuss changing company culture in long-term care. The episode includes Bob Speelman, Vice-President of Business Development and Culture at Foundations Health Solutions, and Brian Colleran, the owner and founder of the company.

Foundations Health Solutions is Ohio’s leading long-term care company, managing 59 nursing homes. The company specializes in physical therapy, skilled nursing, quality outcomes, and resident satisfaction.

The episode starts with a few icebreaker questions for Brian, including what he would change in the long-term care industry if he could.

The conversation then delves into the main topic of the episode, which is changing company culture in the industry. Brian shares what makes the company culture at Foundations Health Solutions so special, which is mainly that he views people as individuals who are all important to the company.

We also learn where Brian learned this mentality and how Bob has evolved as a leader over the years. Toward the end of the episode, we discover where Brian sees the organization going in five to ten years, which involves focusing on hiring and retaining excellent employees.

Learn all about the importance of company culture in the long-term care industry by tuning into the latest episode of the LTC Heroes podcast. The episode includes Bob Speelman, Vice-President of Business Development and Culture at Foundations Health Solutions, and Brian Colleran, the owner and founder of the company.

 

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Rapid Fire Q/A

Can you tell me one uncommon hobby that you have Brian?
Brian: I love jet skiing. I like being on the water. It settles me down quite well. I’ve got a lot of energy, and the water is helpful for me.

 

What would you change about long-term care if you could?
Brian: I would like to get rid of many of these older buildings with semi-private rooms and start recognizing that excellent patient care begins with private rooms, nice rehab space, and great equipment for our staff. I wish I could change that sooner.

 

What is different about corporate culture at your organization?
Brian: I really believe in the individual. I believe every person has something of value to tell me that we can learn from. I’ve never been a big fan of the top-down managerial style, the so-called pyramid effect.

I think the further you get away from the facility, the less connected you are with how to solve a problem. I’m all about the individual. I like to give them a lot of latitude to make the call.

I love when staff are empowered to make a decision, good or bad, and I support it. 

 

How long did it take for you to believe not only in the mission and vision of Foundations Health Solutions but in the way that Brian runs the team?
Bob: This was 20 years ago, at the second building of Crown Pointe Care Center here in Columbus. I was out in South Dakota with the Good Samaritan Society and wanted to come back to Ohio. So I flew in for an interview.

Pretty quickly after I was hired, he came down to visit, and you could tell he did things differently. He just challenged you to make this building successful. We started right away, just challenging things. There was only one other building.

There was something they were doing that the other administrator thought we should do, and I didn’t really want to do it. He’s like, dude, do your thing then. I knew right away. I was going to have the creativity and the freedom to make good decisions and to challenge things.

 

How have you evolved as a leader?
Bob: It’s been a process of realizing that it’s not about you, it’s about finding other people you can surround yourself with and giving them opportunities. 

I love it when we get the administrator hired right at a building as somebody independent, confident, compassionate, and driven to provide your care. It’s nice seeing those people succeed, and our corporate team is finding those people that are there for the right reasons.

They want to be there to assist the facilities and give them the support they need. 

I love it when somebody says, ‘That’s not a dumb idea.’ Or they want to try something different. Brian’s always been, ‘Try it. I mean, what do we have to lose?’

We hate having cookie-cutter approaches.

 

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