Owen Hammond

Cascadia Healthcare LLC, a Boise based skilled nursing operator and development company, announced today that it will break ground on two new Transitional Care Facility developments beginning in the summer of 2016.Cascadia’s projects will be state-of-the-art, 99-bed Transitional Rehab and skilled long-term care focused facilities. Each of the Facilities will be comprised of three distinct buildings consisting of nearly 52,000 total square feet. One side will have up to 30 private rooms with private baths and showers. The facilities will provide residents with cutting edge rehab gyms. Included in the design will be separate occupational therapy areas uniquely designed to simulate a homelike environment. These gyms will ensure residents are ready to safely transition back to their prior living arrangements. Another wing will boast 30 semi-private rooms with private showers and open and inviting living spaces where residents can thrive in a community setting. First class activities and dining spaces will allow the residents the maximum quality of life experience, while providing all necessary care. At the heart of these developments will be a state of the art service building delivering restaurant style food, hospitality style cleaning services and accommodations and nearly 5,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor open and innovative therapy space.
Cascadia’s principals have a wealth of experience in the industry, with a mission to “Be a Force for Good” in delivering quality outcomes in community based settings. “We see an industry that is currently operating in severely outdated 50 to 60-year-old frameworks. Most new construction is focused on the “skilled only” rehab market. This reality leaves the long term care population underserved within the new space. Our intent is to focus on both long term care and transitional, caring for each segment with dignity and individualized services while raising the bar for care within our local communities,” President & CEO Owen Hammond said in describing Cascadia’s driving focus.
In addition to the slated developments, Cascadia is actively looking at opportunities to develop and operate, within Idaho and throughout the western states. Hammond noted that, “The team at Cascadia is looking to utilize the unique combination of our experience, and strength as operators and developers to transform industry norms. We can’t think of a better place to start than our home state of Idaho.”
“Our two developments will bring nearly 250 skilled jobs to the Treasure Valley over the next few years, not to mention the jobs that will be created during the construction phase of these facilities,” said Owen Hammond in regards to the impact of this announcement on job creation in the valley.
About Cascadia Healthcare LLC
Cascadia Healthcare is a skilled nursing operator and development company that looks to both build state of the art skilled nursing buildings and acquire, lease and or manage existing skilled nursing operations in states west of the Mississippi. For more information on Cascadia Healthcare LLC., visit the Company’s website at www.cascadiahc.com.

At about this time three years ago, we had just finished eating dinner as a family and my wife looked at us with her famous raised eyebrow stare and asked, “Does anyone know what this weekend is?” Immediately a reply came from my son Blake, who was about eight at the time, “It’s Danger Weekend!”. Fearing for his safety and the rest of us, I quickly intervened and said, “that’s right kids, for everyone who FORGOT that it’s Mothers Day this weekend, it IS Danger Weekend! Good thing we are already prepared, as I gave them my own-patented double raised eyebrow; shielded from mother; go along with it if you want to live look directed back at the kids.

Like most people, Mothers Day is the time to reflect on your individual relationship with your mother. Most, if not all of us, in some way, have been influenced by our mother; make sure you take the time to let her know how much she really means to you. Avoid the pitfalls of a Danger Weekend, pick up some flowers, write a note of gratitude, join the kids in an hour long craft fair making mothers day cards or simply say the words that mothers crave the most, “I love you Mom”.

It is not who you want to be, but whom you decide to be every day, in every action and in every gesture given or not given that defines you as a person. There is still time to prepare, take the time to make the call, send the card or drop off the flowers to the woman that has meant so much to you and undoubtedly help mold you into the person you are today. Happy Mothers day, to all the mothers this coming weekend!

Owen Hammond

Throughout my years of leadership experience, nothing has served me more and never have I reaped so much than by instilling trust and empowering my team members to make a difference. This is not always easy, but it must be present to ensure lasting change and it is crucial to the process. It is not always easy allowing someone to do an important task, especially if you think you can do it better. This is where a lot of people fail.  They feel they need to go it alone, do it all themselves so it is done to their exacting specifics. Not only will this lead you to frustration, stress and burnout, but it is less effective. A better practice is to determine tasks that are not absolutely essential to you doing them and seek out partners eager and willing to engage in these tasks. Seek guidance, solicit feedback and encourage your team members to own it. Check in, provide encouragement and praise when needed, do not be afraid to share your thoughts, but avoid overbearing. This can be difficult, but with constructive feedback, trust and a clear vision you will be amazed at how willing and capable your partners are of doing a great job.

Principle 3: As the momentum starts to build more people get engaged and excited about the process. A potential pitfall occurs when then zeal and excitement morphs into iterations of the vision and, even though well-intentioned, things begin to stray and dilute your original vision. Have the guts to protect and preserve the integrity of your now blooming vision. Redirect well-intentioned ideas and thoughts into alignment with the core vision. Help the team see that the strength of any vision is in its simplicity. There will always be those who simply do not see what you see, and or do not agree with the direction. Do not let this discourage you, my best ideas have always come from devils advocates pushing and prodding at the kinks in our vision.

As you encounter push back, take time to listen and understand where they might be coming from. Use the feedback to strengthen your message, build your vision, and with precision execute on it. When asked to make a decision on anything vital, my initial thought is always: “Does this get us closer to our vision or our goal?” If by saying yes, it does, then proceed, if not, I would graciously pass. From the simple decisions of one ply or two, to the décor colors and even the vendors that you bring on, every decision can either strengthen your vision or dilute it. Have courage to stand up for not only what your vision is today, but also how it will be in years to come. Even a slight variation now, given time, can morph into something unrecognizable down the road.

Remember that people “buy in” in phases. First responders jump in right away and actively participate in the development of the vision. Then there are the safety seconds who want to believe, but are cautious and reserved until they feel it is a safe endeavor and that your intentions are pure. Lastly you will have the ones that probably were in disbelief initially but over time fall to peer pressure and join in. Make no mistake, some of these hold outs can and often will be your long-term champions for the cause, while others will probably move on.

There is no substitute for hard work and dedication to your goals, but without these keystone principles you could be in for a rough go. Employees seek leadership, direction, passion and fortitude to accomplish what is set out before them. Empowering your employees to be involved in creating and executing a vision can be an intoxicating experience if you can fight through the let down and trials that will always come up in the process. Teaching your partners to focus and follow through with your plans will not only help create loyalty and committed partners, it will also ensure lasting culture and results. Leadership can be very rewarding if executed with the right vision, empowerment of your employees and partners and with the guts to stick through it and stay true to your original goals.