Cassie Morris headshot

Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2022 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 5 through Aug. 10. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.

On one Friday this past December, Cassie Morris — seeing forecasts of dangerous weather conditions later in the day — called for a practice tornado drill. As assistant director of nursing at Mayfield Health and Rehabilitation in Mayfield, KY, she was the highest-ranking staff member on duty and thus was responsible for the safety of those in her care. 

That drill ended up helping save the lives of every resident and staff member at the scene.

Several hours after the drill took place, an actual tornado hit Mayfield — to devastating effect. 

The twister was part of a collection of tornadoes that ravaged states across the Central United States, killing at least 70 people, including, sadly, Morris’s aunt and grandmother. It also demolished at least 1,000 homes in Kentucky alone, according to state Gov. Andy Beshear (D). 

As a result of the earlier drill, Mayfield’s residents were well-equipped to deal with the coming tornado. They accessed the safest possible positions within the facility and sheltered there until the tornado had passed through. 

Amazingly, all 74 residents and staff members on site survived the deadly event, left with nothing more than a few minor injuries.

The tornado decimated the 85-bed skilled nursing facility. Buildings nearby were reduced to splinters. And first responders at the scene described the outcome as a miracle.

One of the architects of this silver lining to such a bad situation, Morris now works at another of the company’s facilities in town.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare. Silver sponsors include OnShift and PharMerica, and the Bronze sponsor is Reliant Rehabilitation. Table sponsors included Dreamscape, Gojo/Purell and Sound Physicians.

Visit these web pages to see lists of the 2022 honorees: Rising StarsVeteran VIPsHall of HonorLifetime Achievement Award and Spirit Awards.