On this week’s episode of LTC Heroes, we speak with Constance Woulard, Nursing Divisional Director at Wellpath Recovery Solutions. Constance has a long career in the long-term care industry, traveling around the country as a consultant for many industries.
In the episode, we learn what it takes to be a consultant and discuss the various jobs Constance has experienced.
We learn in detail what Constance would change in the long-term care industry if she could, which is the mindset of the employees in the sector. We also discover that the biggest change Constance has seen over the years is the populations the long-term care industry serves.
A highlight of the episode is Constance explaining more about her life as a consultant in the industry. She describes how she takes on new consultant jobs and the agreements made before they confirm the role.
We also hear about the two most memorable consulting jobs Constance experienced—one in Oklahoma and another in Alaska.
The episode wraps up with Constance answering whether she likes being a consultant in the long-term care industry, and why.
Do you want to learn what it’s like to be a traveling consultant in the long-term care industry? Then tune in to this week’s episode of LTC Heroes, with Constance Woulard, Nursing Divisional Director at Wellpath Recovery Solutions.
Rapid Fire Q/A
Do you have any uncommon hobbies?
Yes, I love to fish. I have been fishing since I was three years old.
What’s the biggest change you’ve witnessed in our industry since you started?
The populations that we serve. Now we have a younger population, people who are my age and younger. They are there for whatever reason, for health, failing health, or just a lack of a place to go.
Who is your LTC hero?
At my first job, there was an older nurse, or LPN, who had been a nurse for like 25 plus years. Jane took me under her wing.
Janie taught me how to get in there and make sure that care was being delivered, how to interact with staff, and how to get the job done. We remained friends until she passed away maybe five years ago, and I had the opportunity to meet her daughter when she came along in school.
Are there many different levels of consultants?
It depends on what the organization wants. They may want somebody to come in monthly to do an audit. Or they may want someone as an advisor.
There are different levels, but pretty much it depends on what your area of expertise is.
Is there a specific name, or one that’s changed over when you’ve acquired more experience?
Long-term care consultant or geriatric consultant.
Is there a process and methodology that you have learned from someone else, or you’ve read and improved over time?
I think it’s a skill that I have innately. But at the same time, it still takes work. I’m good at bringing teams together and getting groups together.
But my process and methodology require everyone to sit down at a table first thing in the morning, the whole team, and talk about each patient that day.
What’s the most memorable consulting gig you’ve had?
There are two. I did one in Oklahoma, and it went very well. It was a lot of work; I had to go on different shifts, at different times a night, and so forth, but it worked well.
But my most memorable was in Alaska because they had just undergone an unfavorable CMS survey. And then the Joint Commission walked in the very next day. So it was a lot of work—235 findings total that we had to go through and correct.
Do you enjoy being a consultant, and if so, why?
I enjoy being a consultant and I’ll tell you why. If I should go or end up in a long-term care facility, I want things to be right when I get there.
So you could call me selfish, but I want it to be right before I get there. I want it to be right for those that are there.
These are their final years. They should be able to enjoy those years and be happy in those years. That’s why I do what I do.
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