We have instituted an Immanuel Lutheran COVID-19 Task Force consisting of key staff members to discuss protocols daily. Click here to visit our Foundation website and donate to our COVID-19 Response Fund. 

Immanuel Living
COVID-19 Dashboard

(Dashboard will be updated weekly)

December 30, 2020

We unfortunately can confirm that a second resident of Immanuel Living (IL) has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The resident, a 69-year-old female tested positive on December 24, 2020, and passed away at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on December 28th, 2020.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this tragic time. This is a reminder to all of us at Immanuel Living – our staff and our residents – of the very serious nature of this virus, and need for all of us to remain vigilant to protect those who are most at risk.

November 19, 2020

Holiday Recommendations in the midst of COVID-19

Department of Health & Human Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C2-21-16
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850
Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality Safety & Oversight Group
Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services

ALERT

To Nursing Homes, Residents, and Resident Family Member(s)/Representative(s),

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency (PHE) has been one of our nation’s greatest challenges and has especially taken a toll on the nation’s nursing home residents. CMS is committed to protecting the health and safety of nursing home residents at all times and especially during the challenges presented by the spread of COVID-19. We understand the emotional impact that separation from loved ones has caused. In September, CMS provided revised guidance for how residents can safely receive visitors in the nursing home. With the holiday season fast approaching, we understand that residents and their families will want to spend more time together. During the holidays, facilities, residents, and visitors should continue to follow the guidelines for visitation and adhere to the core principles of infection prevention, such as remaining six feet or more apart, wearing a face covering, and limiting the number of visitors in the nursing home at any one time. We also recommend that facilities find innovative ways of celebrating the holidays without having parties or gatherings that could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission (e.g., virtual parties or visits, provide seasonal music, movies, decorations, etc.).

We also know that some residents may want to leave the nursing home temporarily to visit family and friends for the holidays or other outings. While CMS supports family engagement and a resident’s right to leave the nursing home, everyone needs to work together to take extra precautions to help reduce the spread of COVID- 19, which can pose an elevated danger to the health of nursing home residents. Therefore, CMS recommends against residents leaving the nursing home during this PHE. With the potential for a safe and effective vaccine on the immediate horizon, extra precautions now are essential to protect nursing home residents until a vaccine becomes available. Leaving the nursing home could increase a resident’s risk for exposure to COVID-19. The risk may be further increased by factors such as a resident’s health status, the spread of COVID-19 in the community (e.g., cases or positivity rate), or attendance at large gatherings. We encourage residents to discuss these and other risks with their families and nursing home staff. Nursing homes should educate residents and families of the risks of leaving the facility, the steps they should take to reduce the risk of contracting COVID- 19, and encourage residents to stay connected with loved ones through alternative means of communication, such as phone and video communication. For examples of ways to connect with residents, refer to memorandum QSO-20-28-NH. Should a resident ultimately choose to leave the nursing home, CMS is providing the following recommendations:

• Limit close contact (maintain physical distancing of six feet or more), keep gatherings as small as possible, and use technology to engage with others remotely;
• Wear facemasks or cloth face covering at all times (including in cars, homes, restaurants, );
• Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items;
• Keep safe around food and drinks. Avoid communal serving utensils, passing of food, potluck or buffet style food service, and instead opt for individually prepared plates by a single server;
• Perform hand hygiene often (e.g., wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer);
• Avoid large gatherings, crowded areas, and high-risk activities such as singing;
• For those attending a gathering, avoid contact with individuals outside of their household for 14 days prior to the gathering;
• Ask anyone who has signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or has been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, to not attend the gathering;

• If possible, conduct gatherings outdoors. Indoor gatherings should have good ventilation, open windows and doors if possible;
• Verbally greet others instead of shaking hands or giving hugs. Think ahead about how you will manage to prevent physical interactions with loved ones of different ages such as young children; and
• Check local conditions and state requirements for precautions and restrictions, including positivity rates and quarantine requirements, before crossing state

CMS has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on these recommendations, and we encourage you to review CDC’s webpage on holiday celebrations, which has more suggestions for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Note to nursing home staff: Staff should also use extra caution, especially during the holidays. Staff should follow the same recommendations for residents and families regarding gathering with their families and friends outside of work to protect the vulnerable residents they care for.

Additionally, while the above actions can greatly reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, we recommend nursing homes take the following actions when residents return to the nursing home:

• Screen and increase monitoring for signs and
• Test a resident for COVID-19 if signs or symptoms are present or if a resident or their family reports possible exposure to COVID-19 while outside the nursing home. A nursing home may also opt to test residents without signs or symptoms if they leave the nursing home frequently or for a prolonged length of time, such as over 24 hours. For more information on testing guidelines see CMS memorandum QSO-20-38-NH.
• Place the resident on transmission-based precautions (TBP) if the resident or family member reports possible exposure to COVID-19 while outside of the nursing home, or if the resident has signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon return. Please note that residents and loved ones should report to the nursing home staff if they have had any exposure to COVID-19 while outside of the nursing
• Consider placing residents on TBP if they were away from the nursing homes for more than 24

As we progress through these challenging times, we express our sincere gratitude for everyone doing what they can to help protect nursing home residents. CMS’ mission is to safeguard the health, safety, and quality of life for America’s nursing home residents. While this year’s holiday celebrations will undoubtedly be different than previous years, together we can still find safe ways residents can enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

CMS Administrator

This alert is prepared as a service to the public and is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. We encourage readers to review the specific statutes, regulations, and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their contents.

November 10, 2020-

Protecting the wellbeing of all in our Community has always been our top priority. From the first COVID-19 Response Team meeting, we set out to take a proactive approach, and our efforts will continue until we have a vaccine for COVID-19. Our team has spent much time over the past year, actively planning for resource needs, increasing infection control measures, implementing travel and illness surveillance, screening and testing team members, and staying in communication with our staff, residents, donors, and family members.

We continue our laser focus on keeping those within our community safe, and we are using every source of guidance from federal and state agencies and the senior living/long term care fields. As we increase our vigilance, we will do all we can to minimize the impact on day to day life while continuing our proactive approach.

As we carry on our prevention efforts, we will continue to follow the below measures to protect our staff, residents, and greater community:

• Since March 13^th, all visitors, groups and volunteers have been restricted from access to the building.
• Any staff entering the building is being screened per Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ (DPHHS) and CDC suggestions.
• All residents are being tested per the guidelines of CMS, CDC and the DPHHS. As well as monitoring temperatures and respiratory status every eight hours.
• All groups are restricted from meeting across campus, and residents are practicing appropriate social-distancing and hand washing.
• Any vendors with deliveries are also being screened if they need to enter the building, and any deliveries are being met at a designated location outdoors.
• All staff have been asked to limit travelling during the pandemic and if they do travel to take precautions (masking, social distancing and handwashing). Upon return they are to follow the surveillance process for all employees, as well as doing a rapid test prior to working in the facility.
• Dining services have been tailored to avoid group gatherings, and also accommodate any residents who are self-quarantining.
• Any new admissions are being placed in a 14-day quarantine, while also being monitored multiple times a day for signs of COVID-19.

If you have any additional questions regarding our approach to COVID-19, please feel free to contact Carla Wilton, Chief Operating Officer, at cwilton@illcorp.org.

September 12, 2020-

For Immediate Release: Contact: John MacDonald 406-465-3558 or john@jmacconsult.com

Immanuel Lutheran Reports Fatality of COVID-19 Positive Resident

KALISPELL, MT – One of the 3 residents in the Skilled Care Center and Retreat of Immanuel Living who had previously tested positive for the Coronavirus and was in isolation, has died. She was preparing to be transferred back to her original residence when her health declined significantly. This resident, an 87 year old woman who was previously asymptomatic, was transported from Immanuel’s COVID-19 Quarantine Wing to Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC) where she passed away shortly after being admitted on Thursday evening, while in the company of her loved ones. This death has been classified by KRMC as COVID-19-related, with other complications also playing a role.

“Although this resident passed away outside of our facility, we feel it’s very important to continue educating the public on the harsh reality that COVID-19 can transform in a matter of hours.” Cronk said. “This resident was in general good health – eating well, resting and comfortable, – when suddenly she took a turn for the worst. Her family is in our thoughts and prayers, as we mourn her loss.”

Immanuel continues to practice extensive Infection Prevention and Control measures to protect residents and educate staff to prevent COVID-19 from being introduced into our environment. The community continues to monitor and test both residents and staff each week. In addition to the testing and screening, ILC has taken extensive infection preventions measures.

August 24, 2020-

For Immediate Release:
Contact: John MacDonald 406-465-3558 or john@jmacconsult.com

Immanuel Lutheran Updates Resident COVID-19 Testing Results

KALISPELL, MT – One of 92 residents in the Skilled Care Center and Retreat of Immanuel Living who underwent nasal-swab testing for the Coronavirus last Friday has tested positive, but continues to show no symptoms. However, a second resident, whose Friday test came back negative, was hospitalized Sunday night for unrelated health issues and a test administered at the hospital came back positive.

“What we are seeing at Immanuel Living right now serves as a reminder and a caution about the serious nature and uncertainty of this virus,” Cronk said. “I am so proud of our staff for the measures they have taken to try to keep this out of our community – all the protocols, precautions, screenings and testing. But we still have had positive cases. It shows how unpredictable this virus is and the need for all of us to remain vigilant.”

Friday’s nasal-swab tests of residents were prompted by identical, mandatory staff tests earlier last week that confirmed three ILC employees tested positive for COVID-19. All of these staff members are in isolation at home while they recover. Two of those employees, a housekeeper and a maintenance worker, continue to be asymptomatic as of Monday. The third employee, a nurse, experienced some minor symptoms but is recovering well.

Cronk said no additional employees have shown any signs of the virus as of Monday. No other residents are showing symptoms, and all are in general good-health.

All 300 full- and part-time employees are screened at the beginning of each shift and receive nasal-swab testing weekly. The screening includes a temperature check and a series of questions to determine if they have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus while outside of work.

All residents living in Immanuel Living are being screened every 8 hours, and monitored daily for symptoms of COVID-19.

Cronk said all residents residing in the Immanuel Skilled Care Center and The Retreat at Buffalo Hill will remain in quarantine until ILC receives all negative results for 14 days, per the Health Department’s requirement.

August 21, 2020-

For Immediate Release:
Contact: John MacDonald at 406-465-3558 or john@jmacconsult.com

Immanuel Lutheran Reports Three Staff Tested Positive for the Coronavirus

KALISPELL, MT – Three employees at Immanuel Living tested positive for the Coronavirus this week during the required nasal swab testing put in place to protect residents.

Jason Cronk, President and CEO of Immanuel Lutheran, said the three employees were notified immediately upon receipt of the initial positive tests results Wednesday, and ordered not to come to work. The test results were confirmed late Thursday evening. The Flathead County Health Department was immediately notified, as were the families of all ILC residents upon confirmation of the positive tests. At the time the tests were administered Monday, none of the employees showed any symptoms, Cronk said.

“It is obviously a concern that we had positive tests among any of our employees especially when they did not show any symptoms, but due to the nature of this virus, it is something we anticipated could happen and we have prepared to deal with this possibility,” Cronk said.

Due to preventative measures already in place at ILC, Cronk said he is optimistic the employees would not have spread the virus to any residents. The employees who tested positive included a nurse, a housekeeper and a maintenance worker.

All 300 full- and part-time staff are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks and face shields or goggles. Additionally, staff are required to social-distance, and when possible, limit their time around fellow staff members to under 15 minutes. When serving residents, staff members wear required PPE, and the resident is asked to wear a cloth face covering to eliminate possible spread.

Additionally, every ILC employee is screened at the beginning of each shift. The screening includes a temperature check and a series of questions to determine if they have any symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus outside of work. All residents living in assisted living, the Lodge, the Immanuel Skilled Care Center and The Retreat are also screened every eight hours and monitored for symptoms.  Residents living in independent living are asked to self-monitor.  As of Friday, no employees or residents across the ILC campus showed any symptoms.

Following guidance from the Flathead County Health Department, residents of the Immanuel Skilled Care Center and Retreat will be undergoing nasal swab testing on Friday.  Results of those tests are expected within 48-72 hours and will determine next actions.

As an additional precaution to protect our residents, Cronk said ILC implemented a policy which began on Monday, August 17^th, that requires all employees to have the nasal swab test each week.

“Our priority is to protect our residents and staff from the virus, while also continuing to maintain a great quality of life for those who call our community home.” Cronk said. “Although there are many restrictions on our “normal” procedures due to the pandemic, we continue to find new creative ways to support and serve our residents.”

Immanuel continues to screen staff before each shift and to nasal swab test each employee weekly and will proceed with following very strict infection prevention measures to ensure to safety of both residents and staff. All ILC staff receive daily updates and educational pieces on COVID-19, as to help them make safe choices while outside of work.

August 12, 2020-

For Immediate Release:
Contact: John MacDonald, 406-465-3558 or john@jmacconsult.com

Immanuel Lutheran Confirms All Residents and Staff have Tested Negative for COVID-19 following Recent Positive

KALISPELL, MT – Following a positive test of COVID-19 for a resident at Buffalo Hill Terrace on July 29^th, Immanuel Living followed the state’s recommendations to test all staff and residents in the Assisted Living facility. All residents were required to quarantine until our community received 14 days of negative tests since the positive was reported. After two rounds of weekly testing, we received word on August 12^th that all of these results are negative for COVID-19.

This is great news, and our community continues to be diligent in protecting our residents against this pandemic. Our visitation restrictions on campus will continue as recommended by both CMS and the CDC, and our staff is continually working on new engagement activities and opportunities to prioritize human connection for residents, while performing extensive disinfecting, and proper social distancing.

Additionally, we are relieved to report that the resident who originally tested positive is doing well, and her test this week also came back negative. She was deemed “not contagious” by the state on August 7^th, was relieved from the state’s isolation then, but remained in quarantine until today when we received word of all negative tests.

Jason Cronk, CEO of Immanuel Living said, “Our community is extremely appreciative of the support we have received after the unfortunate news a few weeks ago, and we are very blessed to have such amazing staff who acted quickly to prevent the spread of this positive throughout our community.”

July 29, 2020-

For Immediate Release:
Contact: John MacDonald, 406-465-3558 or  john@jmacconsult.com

Immanuel Lutheran Assisted Living Resident Tests Positive for COVID-19

KALISPELL, MT – Immanuel Living received confirmation on Wednesday, July 29 that a female resident in assisted living at Buffalo Hill Terrace has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation. She is stable and resting comfortably.

Jason Cronk, CEO of Immanuel Living, said the organization immediately initiated prepared response plans when the test was suspected positive on Tuesday, and has been working with the Flathead County Health Department on “contact tracing” to determine who the affected resident may have been in contact with. Any persons who were exposed to this resident have been informed by the Flathead County Health Department.

Immanuel Living also immediately informed residents and their families of the positive test and suspended activities at Buffalo Hill Terrace.

Cronk said the organization is cooperating fully with state and federal health officials to trace the source of the exposure, analyze potential contact to other residents and staff within our community, and prevent any potential spread. The community has been busy since March, implementing new procedures to prevent the spread of illness, and to respond in the event it did arise. These precautions include:

• monitoring resident travel
• asking residents who recently traveled to self-quarantine
• cancelling Community activities and programs
• closing dining venues and delivering meals
• restricting visitors
• quarantining any newly admitted health care residents
• requiring staff to self-monitor for symptoms up to 14-days upon return from travel
• screening all team members and essential vendors including daily temperature checks and COVID-19 testing
• encouraging only medically necessary resident travel off-campus
• developing and practicing response contingency plans

While it was hoped these actions hinder the virus, Immanuel Lutheran leadership has continued conscientiously planning and preparing to respond effectively for a time such as this.

“Our priorities are to provide aid and comfort to our resident and the resident’s family at this time, and to ensure that every possible measure has been taken to isolate this case to prevent further exposure.” Cronk said. “Since it is seemingly impossible to defend against this virus until we have timely and accurate testing and a vaccine, our COVID-19 Response Team has been in constant preparation. The past few months have equipped us for this very moment, and I am confident that our extensive training combined with our strong clinical team that will do all that we can to eliminate this virus from our Community.”

As Flathead County sees and escalation in cases of COVID-19, Immanuel Living continues to promote the importance of personal action to protect seniors and other vulnerable populations. Daily communications to the Immanuel Lutheran Community encourage all to follow CDC guidelines of practicing proper hand hygiene and social distancing to prevent the further spread of COVID.19.

June 26, 2020- 

Yesterday, the Governor lifted the order directing “no visitation” in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Please click here to view a copy of his new directive on this subject which relies heavily on the guidance that has been issued by CMS and CDC. It also includes a general guidance document that was produced by the work group on this subject.

This order and guidance applies to both nursing homes and assisted living facilities. From the standpoint of this state executive order, all of the guidance is just that – guidance.

Each senior living community is asked to develop its own plan for allowing (or not) visitation, in consultation with our local public health authority, and considering the status of covid-19 in our community and our ability as a senior living community to meet applicable guidelines.

Protecting the wellbeing of all in our Community has always been our top priority, and thus far we have been successful in keeping the virus out. Upon Montana’s phased reopening which began in May, we have seen another spike in cases. In response to our current situation and the governor’s most recent directive, Immanuel will remain closed to visitors at this time.

In addition to the patio visits at Buffalo Hill Terrace, we are working with our local health department to allow scheduled visits outside with a protective barrier for Immanuel Skilled Care Center. Once finalized, we will share with you the policy and procedures to reserve your visitation.

In closing, we would like to thank you all for your patience, understanding and support as we navigate this pandemic. Our mission continues to be about putting the safety and well-being of our residents first. If there are further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to:

Carla Wilton
Chief Operating Officer
(406) 309-5592
cwilton@ilcorp.org

Dwight Shaffer
Clinical Administrator
(406) 250-5578
dshaffer@ilcorp.org

April 27, 2020-

Immanuel Foundation is participating in the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Day of Giving and Unity on May 5 – 6 as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.  Donations will help fund technology that will allow Immanuel residents to stay connected to their loved ones while keeping them safe as they socially isolate.  Learn more at https://immanuelfoundation.org/dayofgiving2020. If you would like to give, go to https://whitefishcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?grant_id=11269 between 8am on May 5 and 12pm on May 6.  Thank you!

April 15, 2020-

Click the play button below to hear our CEO, Jason R. Cronk, featured on KGEZ Radio talking about Immanuel Lutheran’s preparedness for COVID-19!

March 25, 2020-

Protecting the well-being of all in our Community has always been our top priority. From the first COVID-19 Response Team meeting, we set out to take a proactive approach, and our efforts will continue until the last case of COVID-19 in the world has recovered. Our team has spent much time over these past weeks actively planning for resource needs, increasing infection control measures, implement travel and illness surveillance, screening team members, and communicating thoroughly and regularly. We continue our laser focus on preventing the introduction of coronavirus into our facility, and we are using every source of guidance from federal and state agencies and the senior living/long term care fields. As we increase our vigilance, we will do all we can to minimize the impact on day to day life while continuing our proactive approach.

Immanuel Living appreciates your incredible dedication to this cause. As we are now in a new phase of prevention, since having multiple reported cases of the coronavirus in the Flathead Valley, it’s time to implement new and more intensified measures.

• Since March 13^th, all visitors, groups and volunteers have been restricted from access to the building.
• Any staff entering the building is being screened per Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ (DPHHS) suggestions.
• All groups are restricted from meeting across campus, and any residents should practice appropriate social-distancing.
• Any vendors with deliveries are also being screened if they need to enter the building, and any deliveries are being met at a designated location outdoors.
• All staff have been asked not to travel out of the county, and if they do, are restricted from entering campus for 14-days following their return.
• Dining services have been tailored to avoid group gatherings, and also accommodate any residents who are self-quarantining.
• Any new admissions are being placed in a 14-day quarantine while also being monitored multiple times a day for signs of COVID-19.

We will see this through and emerge stronger. Again, we are appreciative of the understanding and efforts made by you all, and would like to encourage you to continue practicing hand washing measures as well as social distancing from others. We all need to do what we can to protect the well-being of the residents at most risk in our Community.

Additional Resources:
State of Montana COVID-19 Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Information

March 19, 2020-

At Immanuel Living we are committed to providing a safe environment for our residents, their families, and our staff. It is natural to be concerned about the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and in an effort to keep you all updated with the ever changing environment, we have developed this webpage where current updates will be posted.

This website will be updated daily with the most recent information from our Immanuel Lutheran COVID-19 Response Team, and features a form which allows you to ask questions, and receive a response from a qualified member of our clinical team.

At this time, we do not have any cases of coronavirus, and we are ever vigilant and remain on high alert to stay educated on this disease, and the precautions we need to take should it present itself. We will continue to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local and state health departments, and by our highly qualified and experienced Immanuel Living Clinical Team. 

Although faced with a challenging and ever-changing environment, we will continue to do what we feel is best for our residents and staff, to avoid the spread of this pandemic to our campus. It is our mission and ministry to provide an environment of support and loving care, and we intend to do just that, no matter the circumstances. We appreciate your ongoing support during this time, and look forward to a future, free of this pandemic.

If you have any questions regarding COVID-19 and Immanuel’s preparedness plan, please complete the below form and a member of staff will touch base with you shortly.

by Vanessa Perez

KALISPELL, Mont. — Millions of COVID-19 vaccines have made their way around the country to people in the 1A and 1B group. But it’s not the same story at for residents at Immanuel Living in Kalispell.

The facility says a timeline showed they would get their first shipment from CVS in late December, and the second one was scheduled for mid to late January.

But it’s almost mid-January, and officials say residents won’t get their first vaccination doses until Saturday.

Immanuel Lutheran says the delay has something to do with CVS’s mile radius cap.

“A gentleman from CVS told me there were 102 buildings that they had contracted with that were 75 miles in their furthest CVS, and so I think we fell through their planning cracks,” Immanuel Living chief operating officer Carla Wilton said.

We reached out to CVS and haven’t heard back yet.

The Flathead City-County health officer says since pharmacies are a federal partner. The department doesn’t have much information.

“They’re literally requisitioning the vaccine right from the feds,” Flathead City-County Health Department chief health officer Joe Russell said.

Wilton says long-term care residents at The Retreat at Buffalo Hill and Skilled Care Center will be vaccinated first.

A group of four CVS workers will go from room to room and vaccinate the residents. She says there will also be a common room for staff to get their vaccinations.

The assisted and independent living residents and staff will be vaccinated the following Saturday.

“It’s been frustrating getting the clinic scheduled, for sure. It felt like it took longer than it should have,” Wilton said.

Wilton says 179 Immanuel Lutheran residents have signed up to be vaccinated so far. They’ve had one resident say no.

Click here to watch the news feature and read the full article.

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Rebecca Timis

406-253-1842 or: rtimis@ilcorp.org

Immanuel Living Certified as a Great Place to Work®

KALISPELL, MT – Great Place to Work Institute has honored Immanuel Living with certification as a Great Place to Work. Great Place to Work, an independent research and consulting firm, evaluated more than 60 elements of team members’ experience on the job. These included employee pride in the organization’s community impact, belief that their work makes a difference, and feeling their work has special meaning. Rankings are based on employees’ experiences, no matter who they are or what they do.

“Immanuel Living has a culture all its own, centered around our ‘Immanuel Spirit’ which guides staff in all ways to better serve our residents,” Jason Cronk, President and CEO of Immanuel Living says. “Our rich history of diversity, hard work, and economic vitality, partnered with a constant focus on improvements and a heart for others has truly made our community feel like family. For this, we are truly blessed.”

“We applaud Immanuel Living for seeking certification and releasing its employees’ feedback,” said Dr. Jacquelyn Kung, of Great Place to Work’s senior care affiliate Activated Insights. “These ratings measure its capacity to earn its own employees’ trust and create a great workplace for high performance.”

About Immanuel Living

Immanuel Living is a not-for-profit, Life Plan Community offering residential living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care in Kalispell. Operating since 1957, Immanuel Lutheran services nearly 300 older adults and employs nearly 300 employees. Immanuel remains committed to its philosophy of providing a faith-based environment to enrich the lives of older adults. For more information or to view current job postings, please follow us on Facebook, contact 406-752-9625 or visit our website at: https://ilcorp.org

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through its certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes outstanding workplace cultures and produces the annual Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work For®” and Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small & Medium Companies, industries and, internationally, countries and regions. Through its culture consulting services, Great Place to Work helps clients create great workplaces that outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, retention and stock performance.

Learn more at Greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

December 30, 2020

We unfortunately can confirm that a second resident of Immanuel Living (IL) has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The resident, a 69-year-old female tested positive on December 24, 2020, and passed away at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on December 28th, 2020.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this tragic time. This is a reminder to all of us at Immanuel Living – our staff and our residents – of the very serious nature of this virus, and need for all of us to remain vigilant to protect those who are most at risk.

The Lodge at Buffalo Hill welcomes a new Resident Care Coordinator, Tammy Miciewicz. Mrs. Miciewicz began her career as a certified nursing assistant at Immanuel Skilled Care Center 36 years ago. She spent most of that time as the recreation coordinator for the Bratsberg Memory Care Service. In 2017, she was called to develop the recreational programming for The Lodge and has been overseeing the program as the recreational coordinator since opening.

Creating moments of joy all day long is an essential part of memory care. The Lodge staff works as a close team, which is essential for residents to thrive. “They may not remember exactly what was done but they are going to remember the feeling and the mood can stay with them throughout the day,” Mrs. Miciewicz notes.

“The reason we have such a successful memory care program is because the staff provide individualized programming for each of our Lodge residents. We try our best to have group activities that everyone wants to participate in but we also provide one to one programs according to resident needs,” Mrs. Miciewicz continued. We are so glad that Mrs. Miciewicz is bringing her extensive expertise to this role.

Rachel Meidinger, Social Media and Communications Marketing Specialist

rmeidinger@ilcorp.org

406-752-9625

Tammy Miciewicz, Resident Care Coordinator for The Lodge at Buffalo Hill

Press Contact: Rachel Meidinger, rmeidinger@ilcorp.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KALISPELL – Immanuel Living Names Tammy Miciewicz Resident Care Coordinator of The Lodge at Buffalo Hill.

Mrs. Miciewicz began her career as a certified nursing assistant at Immanuel Skilled Care Center 36 years ago, but spent much of that time as the recreation coordinator for the Bratsberg Memory Care Service. In 2017, she was called to develop the recreational programming for the new assisted living memory support service, The Lodge at Buffalo Hill, and has been overseeing the program as the recreational coordinator since opening.

“Mrs. Miciewicz brings over 30 years of experience supporting residents with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. As long as I’ve worked with her, it’s clear her focus has always been creating moments of joy for residents, every single day. Immanuel is lucky to have such a compassionate person with a wealth of knowledge and understanding in this field,” said Hannah Brown, Director of Resident Services.

“I am very excited to take on this role and continue my journey with memory support at Immanuel Living,” said Mrs. Miciewicz.

About Immanuel Living

Immanuel Living is a not-for-profit, Life Plan Community offering residential living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care in Kalispell. Operating since 1957, Immanuel Lutheran services nearly 300 older adults and employs nearly 300 employees.  Immanuel remains committed to its philosophy of providing a faith-based environment to enrich the lives of older adults.  For more information please contact 406-752-9625 or visit our website at www.ilcorp.org/.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Rachel Meidinger-Social Media & Communications Marketing Specialist

rmeidinger@ilcorp.org

406-752-9625

KALISPELL—Immanuel Living has received a Green Restaurant Certifications for its dining services across campus. The Claremont restaurant at Buffalo Hill Terrace received its Level-One Certification in September, with dining services at Immanuel Skilled Care Center receiving the certification this month. These certifications acknowledge the sustainable practices and various processes implemented to reduce environmental impact factors.

By recycling paper products, aluminum and glass, and composting food scraps (60 tons per year), Immanuel Living has significantly reduced its environmental impact. In addition to recycling, the kitchen teams provides reusable napkins and avoids Styrofoam products.

“Over the past few months, I have worked with the Skilled Care Center’s culinary team to implement the same green restaurant standards across campus.  It’s great to have all dining services under green standards now,” said food and beverage director, Andrew Nelson. “As we started the initiative, the culinary team noticed opportunities for cutting waste and processes where we could efficiently prevent waste. We only use bio-degradable paper products, reusable napkins and recycle when possible,” said assistant food and beverage manager, Brian McCann.

The Claremont restaurant and the Immanuel Skilled Care Center kitchen are currently certified as Level-One Green Restaurants. Chef Nelson is working towards a Level Two Certification through future building improvements. “We continue to use bio-degradable products, reduce our overall impact on the environment and we look forward to implementing new environmentally-friendly practices,” said Chef Nelson.

About Immanuel Living

Immanuel Living is a not-for-profit, Life Plan Community offering residential living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care in Kalispell. Operating since 1957, Immanuel Lutheran services nearly 300 older adults and employs nearly 300 employees.  Immanuel remains committed to its philosophy of providing a faith-based environment to enrich the lives of older adults.  For more information please contact 406-752-9625 or visit our website at www.ilcorp.org/.

Immanuel Living has received the 2020 Award of Honor by LeadingAge. The award acknowledges organizations who have provided nationally significant, transformative leadership in aging services by showing compassion, vision, courage and dedication to their missions through their work.

“Every year, we bestow this award on one member who has provided nationally significant, transformative leadership in aging services. This person shows vision, mission, compassion, and courage every day in their communities. This year, in the face of great adversity and overwhelming tragedy, you have all resen to the occasion and demonstrated remarkable leadership and unbelievable courage in what will likely be remembered as the hardest year of your life. Thank you for all you’ve done and that you continue to do. I am proud and honored to call you friends and colleagues,” –Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO of LeadingAge

To learn more about this award and watch Katie Smith Sloan’s video, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Lizzy Sheeran, Immanuel Living
esheeran@ilcorp.org or 406-752-9249

Katy Peterson, Montana Hospital Association
katy.peterson@mtha.org or 406-925-9950

MONTANA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION NAMES IMMANUEL LIVING “BEST PLACE TO WORK”

Immanuel Living Earns Top Honor for Healthcare
Employer of the Year

(Helena, Mont.) – The Montana Hospital Association is pleased to announce Immanuel Living in Kalispell, MT, is the winner of the association’s 2020 Best Place to Work Award for non-hospital healthcare organizations.

The Best Place to Work Award is designed to honor both small and large hospitals as well as non-hospital healthcare organizations that go the extra mile in enhancing employee satisfaction through basic or creative retention strategies. Nominations effectively described improvements that have been made to the work environment, retention efforts currently in place, and how employee work satisfaction has benefited from these improvements. Judging was based on the following criteria:

• Creativity, scope, and implementation of the retention strategy.
• Verifiable outcomes in employee retention.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in raising employee morale through a hospital morale tracking system.
• Potential for applicability in other healthcare organizations.
• Employee references of improved work environment.

“Immanuel Living understands the meaning of teamwork. They go above and beyond to raise employee morale while keeping and attracting top talent,” said Rich Rasmussen, Montana Hospital Association CEO. “We’re pleased to give the team at Immanuel our 2020 Best Place to Work Award.”

Immanuel Living is a nonprofit organization offering independent residential living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care in Kalispell. Operating since 1957, Immanuel Living remains committed to its philosophy of providing a faith-based environment to enrich the lives of older adults.

2020 Best Place to Work Award Nominees were:

• Beartooth Billings Clinic, Red Lodge
• Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center, Big Sky
• Community Medical Center, Missoula
• Holy Rosary Healthcare, Miles City
• Immanuel Living, Kalispell
• Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, Hamilton
• North Valley Hospital, Whitefish
• Roundup Memorial Healthcare, Roundup
• SCL Health Group, Billings
• Vincent Healthcare, Billings
• James Healthcare, Butte
• Luke Community Healthcare, Ronan

The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) is the principal advocate for the interests of members in their efforts to improve the health status of the communities they serve. MHA, in partnership with our communities, will make Montana a “Top 10 Healthy State.” Learn more here.

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