Melinda Graham, RN, BSN, PCHA, is the Personal Care Manager at St. John’s Herr Estate. In her three-plus years with Luthercare, Melinda has taken on a variety of roles ranging from Registered Nurse Supervisor, Clinical Systems Specialist, and Clinical Care Coordinator. Her time with us reflects a similarly varied 24-year career in nursing, where she has been a part of providing care as an aide, med tech, nurse, Registered Nurse Assessment Coordinator, and unit manager in hospital, home health, and long-term care settings. Melinda decided to return to long-term care because it is a good fit for her needs and wants, and affords a consistency not often found in other healthcare settings. “In long-term care, you know that the stability is there. They always need honest, caring, ethical people to care for the residents,” she said.
In her current role, Melinda is responsible for making sure that our residents in personal care have all of their needs met. To do this, Melinda oversees many of the components of everyday operations, including admissions, assessments, compliance, resident and medication safety, Team Member education, and scheduling. Getting everything done can be a challenge at times, but it is a team effort. “We all work together to figure out how to put a person’s care at a good level so that they are cared for and able to manage their own life,” Melinda said. Similarly, being skilled in multiple ways allows Melinda to provide her team with support. “Whatever is necessarily needed, that’s part of what I do, too. I’m still a nurse; I’m still part of that team. I’m still a part of the footwork that needs to be done,” she said.
In addition to her experience and dedication, Melinda’s passion for keeping her skills sharp make her a stand–out Team Member. Earlier this year with the support of Luthercare, Melinda added to her credentials by attaining a Personal Care Home Administrator’s license. This 100-hour course gave her comprehensive training in various aspects of personal care administration, adding to her knowledge, and allowing her to support our residents in more advanced ways.
But above all, we value Melinda’s commitment to our residents. “They’re who we’re here for,” she said, “The bottom line is, if residents are smiling, that’s my happiness.” As a nurse your primary objective is to help others, and Luthercare is glad to have someone so devoted to the profession. Thank you, Melinda, for your steadfast efforts!
To learn more about how you can find a rewarding career with us like Melinda has, visit our “Careers” tab and check out our job listings!