In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO at Lutheran Services in America, and Ted Goins, President and CEO at Lutheran Services Carolinas.
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of 300 Lutheran health and human services organizations that reach one in 50 people living in the US. Lutheran Services in America is in over 1,400 communities in 45 states.
In the episode, we learn about Lutheran Services in America and Charlotte and Ted’s roles. We also hear their opinions on the long-term care industry and how we can improve it.
Lutheran Services in America’s shared heritage, vision, and mission make the company unique. The different branches don’t compete, creating a trusting environment for people to collaborate and innovate.
The national network brings collective power to advance innovation for a healthier, more equitable future for Americans. Lutheran Services in America has cared for older adults with dignity, respect, and independence for over a century.
Rapidfire Q/A
Can you give an example of where your collaborations differ from the competition?
Charlotte:
It’s the way we were created. Most organizations were created by somebody in a congregation over the last 150 years. And so, they started caring for older adults.
At the national level, we leverage that trust and non-competitiveness because it opens up the door so that people can share freely.
This is where people can come and share. And that’s where a lot of the learning occurs. It’s also an area where we can bring national partners to work with us.
This is an extraordinarily innovative network. What it allows us to do is to work together to improve how we’re able to empower older adults and enable them to live an entire life with abundance.
What are some of the pilots or partnerships that you’re most proud of?
Ted:
Closest is our Senior Network. Charlotte also mentioned the Disabilities Network. That’s the one for us that has been extremely successful. We didn’t have services for folks with developmental disabilities. There was not very much service until we joined the Disabilities Network and learned from Virginia, Minnesota, and other states how to get into that space and grow that in the Carolinas.
And that now has become a very large and important part of our organization because of what we learned from folks doing the same work in other locations.
What can we do to start changing the long-term care industry?
Ted:
I started as a nursing assistant when I was in college, and I say nursing assistant because there was no such thing as ‘certified’ back then. I was over the floor the day I applied for my job.
It’s a much better system now. Because now we’re training people to do that work. But that was a few years back when things were different.
But it’s given me kind of a grounding in what we do. And I still try to spend a day with our nursing assistants, once or twice a year, to remember and to be humbled by the work that they do every day.
I couldn’t do it every day. But it’s nice to see them. And I think we need to talk about this more.
We need to get people’s attention. Sadly it took Covid to start talking about these people as heroes. They became the center of attention where they ought to be all the time.
Can you give examples of where you see the optimism inside your network?
Charlotte:
We have a very strong commitment to our shared mission and values. And so, ultimately, we are people of hope. What gives me hope is the extraordinary network of organizations and people like Ted and others throughout this network. They deeply care about the well-being of older adults.
They’re innovative. They partner well with others. They’re dedicated. They persevere.
We are united in our mission and dedication to empowering older adults to live a life with dignity, purpose, and abundance. And when I look at this network and other partners outside this network that we can be working with and partnering with, I see hope and opportunity.
I do see that there’s a path forward. And I think people like Ted and others are critical to making this happen.
Is there someone who’s made you the leader that you are?
I’ve been very fortunate. I have had a number of wonderful mentors who’ve encouraged me in my career and I learned from and tried to emulate.
I also look at the people that I work with, not only on my team. So I find a lot of inspiration within this network.
Learn all about Lutheran Services in America, a national network that reaches one in 50 people in the US. Tune into the latest episode of the LTC Heroes podcast with Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO at Lutheran Services in America, and Ted Goins, President and CEO at Lutheran Services Carolinas.
Learn all about Lutheran Services in America, a national network that reaches one in 50 people in the US. Tune into the latest episode of the LTC Heroes podcast with Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO at Lutheran Services in America, and Ted Goins, President and CEO at Lutheran Services Carolinas.
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