Sister facilities help make a special day come true

Saturday, July 11 was a very important day for Debbie McDermott’s brother-in-law. It was a day that Debbie knew she did not want to miss – her brother-in-law’s retirement party marking 42 years of service in the Air Force. But as a resident of Atlantic Specialty Care (formerly Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center) with limited mobility, she wasn’t sure how she would be able to participate in the festivities being held 80 miles away in Des Moines.

As luck would have it, Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center has a sister facility in Pleasant Hill, a suburb of Des Moines which would play a crucial role in helping Debbie join her family for the celebration. Atlantic Administrator Kellie Jimerson worked with Shawn Mikles, administrator at Parkridge Specialty Care in Pleasant Hill to arrange for accommodations for the weekend.

On Saturday morning, Debbie’s husband picked her up at Atlantic Specialty and headed for Des Moines. “I was able to enjoy Saturday evening with family and friends coming from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Texas,” Debbie said. “And then return Sunday morning to enjoy even more time.”

Debbie credits the helpful staff at both Parkridge and Atlantic Specialty Care for making this a successful and enjoyable trip. “Our motto is ‘Residents First’, and it showed throughout the corporation as they were able to put together a great weekend for me.”

Great job everybody!