Robert Speelman Jr.

North Olmsted, OH-based Foundations Health Solutions experienced little pandemic-related staff turnover based on the culture it established before COVID-19 took hold, according to Robert Speelman Jr., the company’s vice president of business development and culture. 

“We are winning the recruitment and retention battle, and I believe it is 100% because of the owner’s passion and commitment to culture,” Speelman told the McKnight’s Business Daily. The organization, he said, calls it a “culture of care.”

Foundations Health Solutions operates 59 skilled nursing facilities across the Buckeye State, employing 8,000 workers.

“We had a conversation about five years ago with Brian [Colleran], the owner, and I said, ‘Look, I really think we need to rework our mission statement. It just felt right,” Speelman.

The company’s mission statement now reads: “With strong Christian values and heritage, Foundations Health Solutions is committed to serving our communities with the highest level of clinical excellence and resident satisfaction, along with a strong employee culture which places priority and resources on the direct caregiving team.”

Before getting into healthcare, Speelman was a youth pastor, so, he said, he knew what it takes to motivate people culturally.

“I’m glad we did it then, because when we got the pandemic, I felt like we had our culture established really well within employees, and we were able to weather all of the turmoil that came with the pandemic,” he said. “We felt really fortunate we jumped on this when we did.” 

At the time the company initiated the new culture, Speelman said, Foundations Health Solutions had a turnover rate of approximately 60%. It’s now at about 30%.

“It’s not all about the money. It’s about the people,” he said.

Speelman went so far as to become a state-tested nursing assistant, and he works on the front lines in that role one or two days each week to ensure that the culture of care is in action at each building. He said he spends time getting to know the workers and listening to their feedback about what the company is doing or can do better.

Listening has been key to the culture of care since the beginning, according to Speelman. At the beginning of establishing the mission, the company held an STNA summit, he added. Instead of pulling the employees together for training, it was the corporate team that got some training through dialogue, and members learned some things they collectively were not doing well

“They gave a lot of feedback for things that we thought policy-wise was a good idea, but in practicality, it wasn’t. We made a lot of changes with them,” the executive said.

Some changes were as simple as putting a little more money into supplies for residents by upgrading things such as toothbrushes and razors. The toothpaste was terrible, Speelman said.

“When we started spending a little more and we had better products, the aides were happy and the residents were happy,” he said.

One of the company’s core values, Speelman said, is: “It’s not about the role; it’s about the goal. The goal is to create this culture of care; everybody in every department matters.”

Of course, he added, Foundations Health Solutions has raised its wage scale over time, but more importantly, Speelman said, the organization has created a culture in which people want to come to work.

“That’s what really has helped us through this whole pandemic,” he said. “I know it, I’ve seen the results.”

The company has tried to avoid pandemic burnout among its workers with activities, Speelman said, including making breakfast for staff members, embracing the calendar with “silly things” such as National Cupcake Day, and communication among staff members at the various SNFs. 

Foundations, he said, has purchased an app that seems to be helping with employee retention and morale. Each facility can post pictures, “shoutouts” to employees and even creative ideas for administrators, which has helped foster an environment of camaraderie, Speelman said. In addition, he communicates through Bob’s blog and newsletters. 

Colleran increased the company’s tuition reimbursement program to include full tuition for college degree programs. The company has put 36 employees through nursing school since the program began, Speelman said.

“He [Colleran] loves our residents, and he loves our staff. …He’s living out our culture,” he said.