Ceca Foundation

Have you ever wondered how Ceca Foundation got its start? Well the story begins with Knollwood Life Plan Community (Army Distaff Foundation) and the team of caregivers who befriended veteran Mary Lawlor during her golden years. Mary’s son, Matt Lawlor and his wife Rosemary, were so thankful for the friendship and joy that the Knollwood team brought to Mary’s life, that they started Ceca Foundation as a way to honor caregivers in healthcare communities across the country. Matt and Knollwood’s Col. Paul Bricker spoke with ABC 7 News in DC for this special Veteran's Day story.

Today marks the 11th Anniversary of Ceca’s founding by the Matthew and Rosemary Lawlor Family, and we're incredibly proud of all we've accomplished more than a decade later: 45,000 acts of care recognized with nearly 12,000 caregivers honored and over half a million dollars awarded to caregivers. Yet these remain challenging times for the healthcare industry. Through it all, caregivers have stepped up to serve those in need, and their resilience and dedication continue to inspire us. And in our mission to celebrate their efforts and accomplishments, we need your help. We're asking you to consider a donation to support our efforts to bolster America’s healthcare workforce for Thanksgiving in June. You read that right! We're taking a moment mid-year to pause, give thanks, and recognize the invaluable contributions of those who dedicate their lives to care for others. Why reserve our gratitude for the end-of-year holidays when caregivers deserve our appreciation all year long? If you want to thank healthcare workers, go to donate.cecafoundation.org to give back.

If you're going to be at the Texas Health Care Association conference next week, join our CEO Nate Hamme to learn more about enhancing your employee recognition efforts. With current legislation putting a squeeze on staffing mandates, it is a crucial time to be thinking about your staff retention. We look forward to seeing you there!

We are honored to have a piece, authored by Ceca’s President Nate Hamme, published with The Beryl Institute. In Part I, Nate outlines clear connections in the healthcare experience and dives into why Employee Recognition has a significant positive effect on Employee Experience, which correlates to positive impact on Patient Experience. The piece acknowledges that there are a wealth of strategies for increasing Patient Experience scores—though strategies that can sometimes lack effective and sustainable implementation—and goes deeper into why Employee Recognition is such a core component of Employee Experience. He points out that "Leadership recognition is a remedy to the adage that 'people don’t quit jobs, they quit managers.'... [and] peer recognition is essential for building comradery, [which] naturally leads to improved communication, such as during all-important patient handoffs." He also hits on an important part of healthcare delivery that we often minimize: “You can have the newest, most innovative medical tools and technology in the industry. But healthcare is deeply rooted in people delivering a service. If they can’t show up as their best self, then the care experience suffers. [So] if patient experience is a strategic imperative, then employee recognition must be, as well." Stay tuned for Part II which will focus on addressing misconceptions about Employee Recognition efforts and offer best practices in building a culture of recognition and achieving those strategic goals. https://lnkd.in/eZr_bNHa #PatientExperience #PXBlog #EmployeeExperience #CaregiverRecognition #EmployeeRecognition

Our President and Executive Director Nate Hamme was honored to be featured in a McKnight's Senior Living article last week after speaking on a panel hosted by the Maryland Regional Direct Services Collaborative. The session focused on best practices for respecting and appreciating senior living’s direct care workforce--something we understand deeply and a nonprofit mission we live on a daily basis. Caregiver recognition is often an overlooked solution to the current workforce issues. A couple of thousands dollars investment can quickly be turned into five or six-figure returns in decreased turnover for care communities. As Nate said, '"Stop focusing on people’s stomachs and start focusing on their heads and their hearts,"' by giving life to a true recognition program that goes far beyond what your traditional pizza party appreciation efforts yield.

We are beyond thrilled to officially announce the four National Ceca Award recipients for 2023! They are: Jacqueline Akansugba (GNA at Edenwald Senior Living), Paul Borowski (Environmental Services at Middleburg Heights Optalis Health & Rehabilitation Centers), Carla Castellano (Professional Caregiver at Focus Healthcare Solutions) and Menbere "Gabbi" Ali Gebral (CNA at Knollwood Life Plan Community / Army Distaff Foundation). All four extraordinary caregivers were chosen from among thousands of caregivers for their exceptional acts of care and were honored by their care communities with Ceca presenting an engraved trophy and $2,500 award. Please join us in congratulating these amazing individuals, and be on the lookout for more to be posted on their stories! Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/eGZRKpDh #CecaAward #HealthcareHeros #EmployeeRecognition

Looking forward to Nate Hamme speaking with Andrea Pilman for Idealist.org on the importance of celebrating your team members. Coordinated and comprehensive recognition that highlights impact, provides direction, and allows organizations to revigorate and reinforce vision and purpose. Join TODAY at 3pm ET! #employeerecognition #employeeengagement #pauseforapplause

Such a pleasure to celebrate an exceptional caregiver in Paul Borowski, a housekeeper (and so much more) at Optalis Health & Rehabilitation Centers Middleburg Heights. Ceca Foundation helps organizations tell their story and highlight the people who make patient and resident quality of life their top priority. Our work with SNFs around the country, and incredible advocates like the Ohio Health Care Association, transforms the lives of those receiving care and those providing it, while building culture and financial resilience at the organizations where they live and work. #caregiverrecognition #cecaaward #employeeengagement #employeeappreciation #employeeretention

We're almost there! There are FOUR DAYS LEFT to help us meet our matching donation goal! Now through December 31, every contribution made up to $200,000 will instantly double in reach and impact. A $25 donation will be doubled to $50 and a donation of $250 now covers TWO Ceca Awards directly to caregivers. We can recognize and honor more caregivers for their exceptional efforts with your support! Donate at: https://lnkd.in/g3MqZ--J

Yesterday may have been #GivingTuesday, but there is still time to help us meet our matching donation goal! Now through December 31, every contribution made up to $200,000 will instantly double in reach and impact. A $25 donation will be doubled to $50 and helps us to celebrate more caregivers. Even better, a donation of $250 now covers TWO caregiver awards. With your support, we can recognize and honor more caregivers for their exceptional efforts! Donate at: https://lnkd.in/g3MqZ--J