Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2023 Women of Distinction honorees daily from July 5 to Aug. 15. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.

Dubbed a “culture ambassador,” Izabella “Izzy” Wells is passionate about showing respect for residents. Her philosophy is simple and straightforward: “Seniors have lived and paid their dues.” 

Wells wants them and their families to be able to know that by coming to her place of work, they will be taken care of. “I don’t want anyone regretting that they brought their loved one here,” she says.

Wells began her caregiving career early, working as a nursing home activity assistant during high school. She served as a CNA while working toward her nursing degree at Olney Central College.

While working her way up the skilled nursing ladder to her current position as director of nursing, Wells learned that “patience is everything,” and she tries to instill that message to every member of her 20-person team of certified nursing assistants and registered nurses.

Amid the staffing challenges in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wells worked at sister facility Ridgeview Health and Rehab Center and ensured that the facility had proper RN coverage every day. Another one of her initiatives was to bring in a nurse to fill the Minimum Data Set position, performing federally mandated assessments of each resident’s functional capabilities and health needs.

Wells also reminds her staff often that they do not work in a “minimum care” facility and sets the expectation that the staff go above and beyond in their efforts to provide for those in their care. To help her team better understand residents’ needs, she also spends time teaching staff about clinical issues, so that they know what to look out for.

The result of all of these efforts at Ridgeview was that staff turnover dropped 12% while Wells was director of nursing there. 

She plans to pursue additional training to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, with a focus on geriatric mental health.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.