SKLD Opens 7 Skilled Nursing Facilities in Ohio with a Bang
At the stroke of midnight on Aug. 1, staff and residents at seven skilled nursing facilities in Ohio anxiously awaited the new owners taking over the facilities. All they knew from past experience is that with a new company comes change, for better or worse.
Normally in a merger or acquisition, staff would wait a few days to hear about the new company, but the employees at the new Ohio facilities had been told the owners would be arriving at exactly midnight.
Let’s Get This Party Started!
What came was a party. Armed with balloons, cakes, fireworks, disco globes, luaus, photo booths, red carpets and swag, Illuminate HC corporate administrators threw a midnight celebration that looked more like New Year’s Eve than a corporate acquisition. Day shift employees stuck around into the night, and even several resident stayed up to join the celebration.
Spread the Love
“The best thing we can do for these people at a time when they’re feeling really unsure is to show up and do something awesome and special for them,” says Yosef Nathan, vice president of business development.
That the party happened at midnight was absolutely strategic. In the past when working for other companies, Illuminate HC CEO Yair Zuckerman would always visit a new facility at midnight after an acquisition in order to greet the staff. Since Illuminate HC was founded in July 2018, throwing a midnight party at new facilities was a natural progression.
And the midnight shift never seems to get the same level of employee appreciation that happens during a day shift. “We want to show them, especially, that they are really important and share the love,” says Yosef.
Our new SKLD employees in Ohio were completely overwhelmed by the welcome they received on August 1. In addition to all the excitement and celebration, there were hugs of joy and relief and even some tears. “We got a lot of comments that they’ve never experienced anything like this,” says Yosef.
Team Perrysburg enjoying a luau.
Lisa Sinatra, an Illuminate regional director who was at New Lebanon, says, “The night was so much fun, but the best part was seeing all faces of the residents, families and our new teams. Priceless!”
Melissa Simon, Illuminate pharmacist, who was at New Lexington, says, “The excitement for this transition was unreal. So many employees stayed or came back at midnight that we had to order more food! The highlight were the residents who joined us. All in all, a WIN for every team.”
Festivities Continued for the Day Shift
On the day of August 1, festivities continued with catered lunches, cakes and swag for employees.
New signs went up for all seven of the SKLD Ohio homes on August 1, and even that proved exciting for the new teams.
SKLD Bryan was so excited about their new sign, that they interrupted the installation to take a group photo, even before the address was posted.
Change is just beginning, SKLD Ohio. Welcome to the family.