Sen. Alexander (back left) visits BAYADA client Rusty (front left) and his nurse, Vikki (front right) with BAYADA staff Cheryl, Jillian, and Rusty’s mother (back right).
GAO can’t do it alone, and in North Carolina we are proud to have so many employees that understand the impact of sharing their voice on behalf of all our staff and clients!
SHE and GAS Host Impactful Home Visit
Last month two offices, SHE and GAS, teamed up to host a home visit with newly elected Senator Ted Alexander. Our BAYADA team of advocates, including MIM Division Director Joe Seidel, GAS Clinical Associate Cheryl Reading and GAS Client Services Manager Jillian Fernald, as well as the client’s long-time nurse Vikki, spoke passionately about our services and the challenges we face in care delivery.
The visit was a grand success! The importance of home care and the work you do every day was certainly not lost on Sen. Alexander, whose wife and daughter are both nurses: “Our goal,” he explained, “is to keep families where they belong, together and at home.” These types of interactions lay the foundation for support of our legislative asks because the decision-makers see first-hand the impact home care has on families.
RAN Builds Relationships in a Different Way
BAYADA Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Senator Wiley Nickel
Last month, the RAN office hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of our new state-of-the-art simulation lab and training center. This was no regular ribbon cutting ceremony where the office invited current and prospective nurses to tour and see-in-action the simulation lab. We took the opportunity to educate lawmakers on the scope and breadth of what is possible in the home by inviting Senator Wiley Nickel to welcome the group. We also included Ed Troha, Vice President for the NC Chamber, who has four nurses in his family, to speak about the importance of the training center in job creation.
Additionally, former Senior Chairman for House Appropriations Nelson Dollar issued a proclamation to show his strong and constant support for home care. This center allows BAYADA to train nurses using real life scenarios that helps develop confidence, competence, and builds career-building skills to home health care nurse. Increasing awareness among legislators and other community leaders on the benefits of home care helps garner support as we work toward our legislative goals.
Thank you to the many North Carolina staff and families that regularly share their voices in advocacy! To find out how you can get more involved, contact GAO Director Lee Dobson today!
