by Bobby Anderson, RN, Staff Writer
Samantha Jewell is the director of operations for 4SManagement.
It’s been her official title at Callaway Nursing Home in Sulphur for some time now.
But for more than 30 years, the driving influence behind Callaway was always her late father, Sam Jewell.
“Dad was just really easy to work for. He just wanted the job done. He didn’t micromanage and he valued the resident and kept them No. 1 in his book,” Samantha said of father, who passed earlier this year. “When they took the building, (mom) was pregnant with me. They valued their people. People in small towns want to stay family-owned it’s a comfort that it’s not a big corporation. That’s what I’m doing as their only child to continue (the tradition).”
Closing in our four decades now, the Jewell family has poured into not only the residents of the 86-bed facility specializing in residential care, but the staff as well.
Jewell sees a multitude of familiar faces – several have been at Callaway for more than a decade – when she enters the building. (STORY CONTINUES BELOW)
“We are really blessed with a lot of anchor team members,” Jewell said, noting a current need for nursing as well as CNA and CMA team members for both nights and weekends. “Our staff is excellent. Our nursing assistants are so good with our residents. I appreciate that and it takes special people. It’s our nurses, our dietary staff our housekeepers – they all work together to put the resident first.”
Resident council meetings drive decisions inside Callaway, with feedback coming in all forms.
“We truly put value into what they say,” Jewell said.
From there, Jewell’s staff puts the wheels into motion.
“I have to lean on my directors of nursing here,” said Jewell, who also perates another home in Seminole. “Both of our directors are really down to earth, just good people who have good management over their department. They set the standard. They talk to their people. And that means a lot.”
Just a few weeks ago, Jewell noticed how hard Callaway’s director of nursing worked to promote spirit week throughout the residence. As a reward, the staff secretly decorated and repainted her office as a special thank-you.
It all unfolded in from of Jewell, without her direction or prodding. Just a pure and simple outpouring of appreciation from coworker to coworker.
Jewell pauses when asked about how she sees her role in all of this.
It’s obvious she’s passionate about not only her residents but her staff.
She struggles to put into words how deeply invested everyone is in one another.
“It’s just what I was taught. You just take care of people,” Jewell said, fighting back tears. “Dad used to send people to school and I still send people to school. It’s not just the residents, you take care of staff. The decisions we make put food on peoples’ tables and that’s very important to us and to me.”.
Jewell has had the distinct pleasure of watching staff grow in their careers.
A new employee enters and begins to blossom, wanting to further their skills.
Her facility has nurse buddies that train staff members onsite to gain their certified nursing aide certificate.
“I just wrote a check today for a lady to take her CNA test,” Jewell said. “We work with Workforce (Oklahoma)- an excellent resource for us – they help us with CNAs and certified medications assistants.”
She recalls a recent conversation with an assistant director of nursing who approached her about a staff member who asked if Jewell would consider paying for her to attend LPN school.
“You know what, if she works that hard and works her way up, my dad would be so mad if I didn’t do that for her,” she said. “Those are the best checks to write. I love it. I don’t really bat much of an eye. They’re there doing the work, caring for our residents. Why would I not take care of them?”
In that way, the Jewell family will continue to grow inside the halls of Callaway.
Follow Callaway Nursing Home on FACEBOOK at: https://www.facebook.com/people/Callaway-Nursing-Home-Sulphur-OK/100063754495065/
