Joining us on this episode of Rethink, the Skilled Nursing News podcast, is Eric Palm, Chief Growth Officer at Provider Partners Connect Care. At 35, Eric is part of a new generation of health care executives shaping the future of long-term care with a blend of innovation, empathy, and real-world experience. Provider Partners Connect Care is a value-based care organization focused exclusively on long-term care. Its High-Needs ACO REACH program is a purpose-built value-based care solution created...
Jun 30, 2025•31 min
In this episode of Rethink, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Zach Cattell, newly appointed President and CEO of Cardon & Associates, a second-generation, family-owned company operating 20 senior living communities and affiliated health care services throughout Indiana. With a background in health care law and public policy, Zach brings more than two decades of leadership experience in long-term care, regulatory strategy, and value-based health care innovation. Cattell discusses Cardon’s achi...
Jun 23, 2025•40 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Dr. Robert Russell, Chief Medical Officer for Majestic Care. Russell touched on survey changes set to take effect, shared his thoughts on the legal decision concerning the federal staffing mandate, and shared why he thinks embracing technology is key to meeting an evolving clinical landscape. Tune in now!
Apr 25, 2025•33 min
Joining us on today's episode of RETHINK is Jessie McGill, Senior Curriculum Development Specialist of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing, or AAPACN, which represents more than 20,000 post-acute care nurses and professionals. In this interview, Jessie discusses the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing program, provides the ins and outs of how this program is progressing, and lays out the strategies and tools that SNF leaders can use to be successful.
Mar 26, 2025•29 min
In this episode of Rethink, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Keith Persinger, CEO of Provider Partners Connect Care, about how providers can navigate the evolving skilled nursing payment landscape and capitalize on value-based care. Persinger also explains how Provider Partners Connect Care’s High-Needs ACO REACH program helps long-term care operators and physicians enhance care, reduce hospitalizations, and share in financial rewards—without added risk or complexity.
Mar 11, 2025•29 min
Bernie McGuinness, CEO, Journey Skilled Nursing by Skilled Nursing News
Mar 10, 2025•40 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Aimee Middleton, chief operating officer at the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, one of the largest non-profit providers of senior care and services, including skilled nursing. The Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Good Samaritan Society has 200 locations in 17 states currently. Middleton spoke about ongoing staffing challenges and how her organization is countering these through technology-based efficiencies and creative workforce solutions th...
Feb 24, 2025•37 min
Bob Lane, Director, Long-term Care & Senior Living, Forvis Mazars by Skilled Nursing News
Jan 16, 2025•19 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Barb Clapp, CEO of Dwyer Workforce Development, which has been training and placing workers in partner nursing homes – a footprint that is fast growing. Since the program’s inception in 2021, Dwyer Workforce Development has trained around 6,000 CNAs, according to Clapp.
Jan 15, 2025•24 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Rick Matros, CEO of Sabra Healthcare REIT. Matros, who has served as CEO for Sabra since May 2010, discussed the challenges in skilled nursing financing, why Medicaid rates are expected to remain high through 2025, and the REIT’s focus on innovative providers along with tech pilots to enhance operations.
Dec 06, 2024•36 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Neil Pruitt, chairman and CEO of PruittHealth, which has been expanding and diversifying at a steady pace with more facilities and new services lines, and no plans to downsize. “We always say we don't sell. We buy and we build,” he told Skilled Nursing News.
Oct 30, 2024•30 min
The next episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available! In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Clifton J. Porter II. Clif very recently was tapped by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living to be its next president and CEO starting this fall; he currently serves as the association’s senior vice president of government relations. He expressed excitement to put unique solutions in front of policymakers as part of his new position, while also refl...
Jul 29, 2024•55 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Derek Prince, president and CEO of HMG Healthcare. HMG oversees 37 post-acute care facilities across Texas and Kansas. Derek is one of the Texas operators leading the American Health Care Association’s lawsuit against federal agencies, seeking to rescind the staffing rule. Derek has also served as a board member for the Texas Health Care Association since 2005. Subscribe to the Rethink Podcast to be notified when new episodes are released. Listen...
Jun 21, 2024•20 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Michael Bailey, president and CEO of American Health Partners. Mike discusses the company’s growing TruHealth division, a proactive team of nurse practitioners and physician assistants providing coordinated care at the bedside, and other top-of-mind challenges to the sector including survey changes and the finalized federal staffing mandate.
May 10, 2024•25 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Eran Arden, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at RESTORE-Skills, which recently launched a new platform to enable skilled nursing operators to improve efficiency, make data-driven decisions, and enhance productivity. Arden, who began his career in digital marketing in Israel, says that in the “post PDPM world,” nursing home operators must foster collaboration between skilled nursing teams; using data to form a unified view of the patient proces...
Apr 30, 2024•17 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Nicole Pretre, president and CEO of Cedar Community, a 5-campus community with skilled nursing. Nicole says that while often overlooked, employee surveys have turned out to be turnover busters. While time intensive, they have been effective tools, alongside other workforce initiatives, in allowing clear communication and addressing employee needs to the point that agency use at Cedar Community has been drastically reduced. Listen to the episode t...
Mar 28, 2024•19 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Jerald Cosey, senior health care expert and owner of J. Cosey Speaks, who served as operational leadership development director for American Senior Communities until September 2023. Jerald, a senior care veteran, says nursing home operators must "rehydrate and motivate" their staff through leadership development, reigniting purpose while investing in skill set growth fro management. All the while, the nursing home space should work hard to rebuil...
Jan 03, 2024•43 min
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Kent Rodgers, president and CEO of CarDon & Associates. Kent discusses CarDon’s 90% occupancy on average across its 19 buildings, all while acquiring a pharmacy and diving into the I-SNP world with Optum, and reaching an “equilibrium” between its labor retention and agency use.
Nov 14, 2023•48 min
Lynn M. Hood, CEO, Principle LTC by Skilled Nursing News
Oct 30, 2023•22 min
Leslie Campbell, COO of Touchstone Communities by Skilled Nursing News
Sep 25, 2023•45 min
Tom Coble, President & CEO, Elmbrook Management Company by Skilled Nursing News
May 12, 2023•33 min
Stuart Lindeman, President and CEO, Mission Health Communities by Skilled Nursing News
Feb 27, 2023•29 min
Joel VanEaton, EVP, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, Broad River Rehab by Skilled Nursing News
Jan 30, 2023•43 min
The 52nd episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. Operating 152 facilities across seven states, the Providence Group strongly believes the best decisions are made at the local level. Each of Providence Group’s facilities have their own unique needs, along with the other health care providers across the care continuum in each respective market. That means being deeply integrated into each individual community is crucial, according to CEO Jason Murray. It’s a model that has been replicat...
Nov 22, 2022•32 min
The 51st episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. The skilled nursing industry won’t likely see material, system-wide change until the sector’s stakeholders including CMS, operators, payors, as well as residents and their respective advocacy groups, can get on the same page. That’s according to Focused Post Acute Care Partners CEO Mark McKenzie. The industry is ever evolving, he said, and while subtle improvements and strides will likely occur — like the move to private rooms — big cha...
Nov 09, 2022•49 min
The 50th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. In an industry fraught with headline risk – and still in the national spotlight – the future of skilled nursing will be wrapped up in words. Namely, the term “nursing home.” Deke Cateau, CEO of Georgia nonprofit operator A.G. Rhodes, says the term will become obsolete, but populations will still need to have communities where individuals can no longer be taken care of at home, or in an assisted living setting. It’s all part of redefinin...
Oct 14, 2022•40 min
The 49th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. Providing a family oriented company culture where the benefits of a corporate system and organization still exist has been a differentiator for Pearl Healthcare, as the nursing home operator continues to grow throughout its regional footprint. Starting in 2018, Pearl Healthcare acquired a majority of its six facilities in the last year. Pearl doesn’t take a cookie cutter approach to operations as every facility and market has different ...
Sep 28, 2022•37 min
The 48th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased Covid-19 guidelines earlier in August, many let out a sigh of relief. But as the nursing home industry toils its way through operational recovery amidst a staffing shortage, leaders in the space can’t help but wonder when their turn will come to lessen some of the restrictions put in place more than two and a half years ago. That must be step one, according to Carespring CE...
Sep 02, 2022•37 min
The 47th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. With an eye to the future, SanStone Health & Rehabilitation is embarking down two different but parallel paths toward bolstering its workforce. The first is a focus on internal growth and the creation of succession plans for SanStone employees. That planning led Jennifer Robinson to the role she is in today as company president. The second is a focus on getting young people introduced to the skilled nursing sector as soon as possibl...
Aug 19, 2022•48 min
The 46th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available. There are a lot of things that keep Michelle Delker up at night. Ongoing workforce challenges are the obvious one, but the CFO of Mission Health Communities also thinks about state-level reimbursement and the ever changing regulatory requirement landscape. Despite the host of challenges facing skilled nursing providers, Mission Health is not sitting idly by, according to Delker. The Florida-based operator has invested more than $1 milli...
Jul 18, 2022•29 min
