A Shared Passion: Caring Together at The Hickman
July 31, 2024
Have you ever found a place to work that you love so much that you want to recruit those you know and love to work there, too?
Read Part Three here.
Over the past few months, we’ve shared how The Hickman is one of those places; its close-knit atmosphere attracts employees who want to stay. Dozens of employees—pairs of parents, children, sisters, aunts, nieces, and grandchildren from nearly every department—have made The Hickman their home away from home, a testament to how much working here not only feels like family but is family. We invite you to join us as we continue sharing their stories, turning our attention now to the fourth installment in our Family Affair series: the story of our Executive Director, Toni Kelly, and her daughter, Erin.
Toni, a nurse by profession, traces her time at The Hickman back to 2018 when she was Director of Resident Services, just as the new Jeanes Building opened. Fast forward a couple of years, Toni moved into her current role as Executive Director, and life as we knew it came to a halt as we entered the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the health and safety of our residents have always been a top priority, it took on an all-new meaning in 2020. The way the staff and residents pulled together to navigate such challenging circumstances highlights one of Toni’s favorite aspects of working at The Hickman: our tight-knit community that encourages learning and growth.
The Hickman is much smaller than other retirement communities in the area, a characteristic that allows employees to get to know one another and develop professionally. As Toni points out, “Our culture here welcomes asking questions, talking about and learning from our mistakes, and collaborating amongst ourselves and with residents and their families.” Toni enjoys the residents, working alongside the team at The Hickman, and seeing them grow—most notably through the HAEP Apprenticeship program offered through Argentum and the Hamilton-Ryker Apprenticeship programs. These programs provide hands-on training and professional development opportunities for individuals pursuing careers in healthcare and senior living.
This focus on learning was key in Toni’s realization that The Hickman would be a fantastic fit for her daughter, Erin, to gain valuable hands-on experience in direct care while pursuing a degree in nursing at the University of Tampa. In her time at The Hickman, Erin has developed skills that are essential to nursing before even getting into the clinical work in her degree program—further solidifying her decision to become a nurse at a point in her schooling when many of her peers start to question whether or not they’ve chosen the right career. The Hickman is, in fact, home to several local nursing students and interns seeking that hands-on learning experience to supplement their coursework.
So, what’s it like for mother and daughter to work together? Both Toni and Erin smiled when pondering this question, and their responses further highlighted what makes The Hickman such a special place to work. Toni is proud to watch firsthand as her daughter grows her skill set. “I’ve had both residents and staff come to me to compliment Erin and the work she does here.” Erin shares that by working together, she gets to see a different side of her mom—that of a leader in her element, successfully guiding a team of dedicated and compassionate professionals.