Luckie up to the future challenges of providing long-term care

Betty Luckie, administrator of HCR/ ManorCare in Springfield, will be the first to say that she happened onto her chosen profession almost by accident.

The Springfield health care administrator, honored with a 2001 Salute to Health Care Award, began her career in health care in 1967 when she took a position as office manager at a nursing home. "I had just gotten out of college and that's where I found a job," she said. Her realization that she enjoyed working in the field ultimately led to her earning her administrator's license in 1972.

By 1974, Luckie was administrator of Fremont Manor Health Care Center in Springfield. Among her many duties there was the task of guiding the facility through two transition periods Man-orCare purchased the center in 1981 and merged with Health Care Center in 1998.

Nominators

Those who nominated Luckie for the Salute to Health Care award noted her desire to identify necessary services for those who receive long-term care. "Betty works to continually upgrade her facility's services to provide better care for the elderly," said Cathy Mulford, who worked for Luckie for nine years.

Dr. Steven D. Atwood of Springfield, in his nomination of Luckie, said, "I've always been truly impressed by Mrs. Luckie's diligence, enthusiasm and ex-pertise at providing our senior citizens with outstanding health care."

Barbara Henegar, president of the Missouri Health Care Association, in her nominating remarks, said, "Betty has demonstrated her leadership in long-term care by serving on committees and boards too numerous to list. As an ad-ministrator of one of Springfield's finest long-term care facilities, she provides health care to Springfield's frail, elderly and often forgotten senior citizens."

Springfield surgeon Dr. Keith A. LaFerriere said of Luckie, "She has played a very prominent role in the provision of health care in our community. She has also been an innovator in geriatric health care, including specialized services."

Alzheimer's care unit

Those innovations include the mid-1980s establishment of the city's first Alzheimer's care unit. "There was a real need in our community for that type of care," Luckie said.

"When a patient with Alzheimer's is part of the regular population of a long-term facility, they can be difficult to care for. With the Alzheimer's unit, we are able to provide a different kind of program, different activities, and a different routine," she added.

According to Luckie, people with loved ones who might need Alzheimer's care can call Sheree Collins, who runs HCR/ManorCare's Arcadia Unit.

Luckie also introduced the first assisted living wing in 1979. "This type of care allowed a patient to live in his or her own apartment setting," she said. The emotional and psychological benefits of this new care model were obvious right away, Luckie said. "They were independent but also at ease knowing that they had medical support if they needed it. It's more of a home-type setting."

Community involvement

The Salute to Health Care nominations also pointed to Luckie's drive for community involvement. "We believe in giving back to the community," she said. That giving spirit has manifested itself in the many community projects spearheaded by Luckie and HCR/ManorCare's staff over the years.

Luckie's reason for staying in long-term care for so many years revolves around her relationships with her pa-tients, she said. "They are all very special in their own way. They have a lot of knowledge to share."

The nature of this special medical service, however, means that Luckie must often bid her patient friends a final farewell.

"The way I cope with that is by reminding myself that these people have had very long, productive lives," she said. "We all know it's inevitable."

A big surprise'

Luckie said that she's not sure why she was nominated for the Salute to Health Care award. "It was a very big surprise to me."

She said she guessed that her years of service to area health care, coupled with her commitment to promoting community service with her staff, may have led to the honor.

Being an administrator for three decades has left her with a solid skill set, she said. "You have to know how to manage people and work with a budget, and you must have a lot of flexibility because this business changes every day."

The future of long-term care holds many challenges, according to Luckie. "We will be providing more acute care, and we will be providing that care to a much larger group of people as the Baby Boomers continue to age," she said. "Staffing and funding will also be very big challenges."

Luckie said she is ready to meet those challenges, although she is careful to point out that she can't do it alone. "Anything I've done is not just me, it's the staff I have," she said. "I have a really great team."