10/29/2026
𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢!
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐕𝐂𝐋𝐂? I have worked at McCandless for 24 years.
𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞? I worked as a CNA right out of high school (33 + years ago). Even before I knew what the Eden Philosphy was, I knew there could be a better life for those living in a nursing home; a warm home-like environment, less institutional with a little effort and a lot more more compassion; patience, connection and respect. Unfortunately, I was repirmanded many times for taking too long with a resident, or talking with the residents too much. I left health care and worked at Trane in Pueblo where I learned an entire assembly line from laying down a unit frame, to completing the wiring. I became a certified overhead crane operator and received certification in brazing. I was 2 weeks away from starting the welding program, when I saw an ad in the paper for a recepionist position at a local nursing home. The experience at Trane was amazing, but there was a calling for me to return to heathcare. I worked at Hildebrand Nursing Home in Canon for 3 years - a year in the front office and 2 years in Medical Records. One day, out of nowhere, an opportunity to work at McCandless came up, and I knew I couln't let this opportunity pass. I started at McCandless August 1, 2002 in a 6-month temporary position in the Medical Records Department. My position became permanent in February 2003. I became an Eden Associate in 2007 and an Eden Educator in 2010. Along with my co-Eden Educators, I trained many of our team members, and teams from other nursing homes. In 2011, I transfered to the Business Office to do Accounts Payable, P-Card reallocation and some Accounts Receivable. In 2016, I moved to my current office and took all Accounts Receivable, Medicaid and Private Pay billing. In 2021, I took on the Medicare and VA billing, in addition to my other duties. In 2022, our BOM (Business Office Manager) retired and I was given some of the BOM duties. Little did I know it would prepare me for BOM position 4 years later. Never in a million years did I ever see myself as the Business Office Manager at McCandless; but I am so grateful for the opportunity, and look forward to growing our Business Office.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛? The Veterans and families we serve here at McCandless are absolutely amazing; along with the indiviudals that I have the privilege to call co-workers, these individuals are my second family. I like to know that I make a difference; that my service, my dedication to this team and to this home means something.
𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞? 𝐈𝐟 𝐬𝐨, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬? My Grandpa, Father, Father in Law and my husband's Grandpa all served in the military. All 4 of them shared stories of their experience in the militaryand many stories are similar to the stories I hear today from our Veterans. However, not all stories end well; and our Veterans regardless of their story deserve respect and dignity, kindness and compassion.
𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬. I am very much involved in the Employee Appreciation Committee and have been for many years. It is very important that our team members feel loved and appreciated. I like to cook and bake. Homemade pasta (sauce too) is my specialty. It took me 4 years to master poticia. I love music, and enjoy hosting and singing karaoke at McCandless once a month, and also at the Senior Center in Florence. Everyone who knows me knows my love for the mountains! The mountains are always calling; and I spend as much time in the mountains as I possibly can. My husband and I love to camp, ride ATVs or the SXS in the mountains, we like to fish and hunt; every year big game hunting is our annual vacation. My husband, Dom and I have one adult son, Dominic, an amazing daughter in law, Destiny and a very precious grandson Dominic VI who is now 15 months old. Being Grandma is the best!
