Each month, the Marketing Department sends out an e-newsletter sharing updates and stories about Vermont’s only Lifeplan Community. If you or someone you know is interested in learning about Wake Robin, this is a great way to discover the benefits and culture of our community.
The core of Wake Robin’s mission is to “create a sustainable dynamic community.” The Corporation recently achieved this goal through a major event. The Board of Directors unanimously supported Wake Robin’s leadership team’s decision to increase all 225 staff members pay by $2 an hour, thereby raising the minimum wage for entry level workers to $15 an hour. The change took effect in July.
This increase represents a significant investment by the non-profit organization in its people and their livelihoods. “This is huge,” one staff member said. “It was a complete surprise, and a welcome one. With cost of living always going up, Wake Robin took a big leap on behalf of its employees, and it’s a future my family and I look forward to sharing with this community.”
CEO Martha Maksym personally shared the good news with staff during group meetings throughout the day. “I am so happy we could increase our minimum wage to $15. It was a goal of mine by 2023, but circumstances pushed us to move more quickly. Our staff deserve the bump! They have been heroic during the past 18 months keeping Wake Robin safe and healthy.”
Wake Robin is committed to contributing to the state-wide discussion on the importance of hospitality and healthcare workers and continues to be a leader in the industry. The wage increase will make Wake Robin stand out as a premier employer, one who truly values its staff and invests in its long-term financial health. As organizations seek to fill many positions, this new policy from Wake Robin invites dedicated and compassionate individuals to join its workforce, receiving a livable wage even before the state of Vermont requires it.
Director of Human Resources Anne Levesque reflected: “We should care for our staff as they care for others. Ensuring that our employees feel valued is vital to us, and this pay increase for everyone shows that they mean so much for the success of Wake Robin now and into the future.”
Director of Dining Kate Hays
Congrats to Wake Robin’s very own Director of Dining Kate Hays who was a graduate among the 32nd cohort of the Lake Champlain Chamber Leadership Champlain program! The program is a professional development and community engagement endeavor which prepares grads to solve the biggest issues our community faces. The Chamber’s website describes the program as focused “on a different sector [each meeting]. Over the course of the class year, topics such as Human Services, Business and Economy, Government and Politics, Public Safety and Justice, Education, Healthcare, Energy and Environment, and Civic Engagement will be explored by the cohort.”
Wake Robin’s excited to have Kate bring her expertise to our entire staff. You can view all of the grads on the Vermont Biz website
Learn more about the Leadership Champlain program here!
Each month, the Marketing Department sends out an e-newsletter sharing updates and stories about Vermont’s only Lifeplan Community. If you or someone you know is interested in learning about Wake Robin, this is a great way to discover the benefits and culture of our community.
Priority Depositor virtual presentation: The How, When & Why of the Linden Health Care Center, Thursday July 15th 3pm EST
Please join the Marketing and Health Services teams to learn about how and why an Independent Living resident transitions to the Linden Health Care Center. The small group setting will allow for an in-depth discussion of the details and care that goes into the entire process. Use this link to pre-register.
We’ll be happy to see you!
For more information, contact Jane Mitchell, Marketing Admissions Planner at 802.264.5194 or jmitchell@wakerobin.com.
Not a depositor? Contact us to learn more.
Engagement, Entertainment & Education: Lifelong Learning at Wake Robin, Thursday 6/17 2pm
June’s Priority Depositor webinar event highlights Inquire, Wake Robin’s lifelong learning program. Program and Events Coordinator Jena Necrason will walk you through the fascinating components of this college semester-like program, which connects residents to workshops, lectures, and much more.
Pre-registration required. Please contact the Marketing Team to reserve your place by calling 802-264-5100 or emailing info@wakerobin.com
Not a Priority Depositor and want to learn what a depositor status encompasses. Get in touch with the Marketing Team!
Meet the WRRA Webinar for Priority Depositors, Tuesday May 18th at 2pm
Come learn about the Wake Robin Residents’ Association (WRRA) and how it functions as the engine to our community. Hear from residents about the diverse range of programs and activities that make Wake Robin so unique. Pre-registration required. Please contact the Marketing Team at 802-264-5100 to reserve your place, and a Zoom link will be sent to you prior to the event.
Exclusively for Priority Depositors. Not a depositor and want to learn more? Get in touch by calling 802-264-5100 or emailing info@wakerobin.com
Please join MaryBeth Dudley, Director of Marketing, for a deep dive exploration of Wake Robin’s residency application process and eligibility guidelines. The small group setting will allow for an in-depth discussion of the confidential financial review, the health assessment, and the timeline for becoming a resident.
Two convenient dates are available – Tuesday, April 20th, and Thursday, April 22nd – with both sessions scheduled for 2PM EST. Space is limited to 12 participants in a 1-hour Zoom meeting format.
Click here to pre-register. For more information, contact Jane Mitchell, Marketing Admissions Planner at 802.264.5194 or jmitchell@wakerobin.com.
Not a depositor? Contact us to learn more.
Showing the reporter the sugarhouse
In late March, local WCAX3 report Kevin Gaiss came to campus and interviewed two resident leaders of the sugaring operation. They discussed what it was like last year when the pandemic started, how this sugaring season is going, and how deeply embedded the sugaring experience is embedded in Wake Robin culture. 28th year and going strong, maple sugaring at Wake Robin is a proud celebration of the active and nature-based life residents enjoy throughout the seasons here.
Showing the reporter where the sap goes into the evaporator
Watch the WCAX3 Wake Robin Maple Syrup Segment Here!
Check out our blog on this year’s maple sugaring operation here!
A happy, vaccinated resident
With her team, Meagan Buckley, Director of Health and Resident Services, responded swiftly when she learned Wake Robin had been granted on-site Covid-19 vaccine clinics. The first clinic took place just three days after Christmas and planning and logistics had to wrapped up in a weekend. Now that the third and final clinic concluded this February, many at Wake Robin look back at the vaccination process with astonishment and some well-deserved pride.
Great Vaccination Rates
In total, the vaccination rate reached 100% in the Linden Health Center, with all 71 residents receiving both doses of vaccination. Staff hit a 90% vaccination rate: that’s 187 employees and well above the nation-wide staff vaccination rate for nursing homes. “It’s clear that what makes a difference is the staff’s commitment to the community,” reflected Meagan Buckley on the turnout.
Partnering with CVS
Pharmacists at work
The federal government mandated on-site Covid-19 Vaccine clinics for all nursing homes throughout the country, and with Wake Robin’s Linden Health Center designated as such by the state, Wake Robin was alerted late in 2020 that the clinics would start soon. The model required partnering with a pharmacy and Wake Robin teamed up with CVS, who had six pharmacists and four pharmacist assistants available every round to administer shots and monitor the workflow. “We felt very welcomed,” one CVS team member said. In fact, there was a link with one pharmacist to the community: she used to operate a pharmacy on campus when Wake Robin had one!
The partnership worked as a real collaboration. Wake Robin staff helped CVS in streamlining consent forms, educating resident and staff about side effects, converting the old fitness studio into a vaccine location and the break room into supervision area, and requesting appropriate dose amounts for each clinic. For vaccine awareness, nurses met with Linden residents one and one and also fielded questions from their families. Nick Fredette, Wake Robin’s nurse practitioner, hosted six Zoom sessions for staff to ask questions and learn more about the process. “The goal was simple,” Nick said, “to get immunity into our community.”
“This is hopeful”
The state of Vermont has begun vaccinations for citizens over seventy. When appointments opened up, Resident Services assisted eighty Independent Living Residents in scheduling their vaccination dates. It’s been a complete team effort at Wake Robin, and the community feel has bolstered since the vaccination roll out. A Linden resident was brought to tears the day she received her first vaccination. “This is progress. This is hopeful,” she said.
#OurShotVt
