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At their summer meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi Health Care Association (MHCA) members elected C. W. “Tripp” Francis of Madison and Eric Holland of Fulton to second consecutive terms as president and vice president, respectively.

Established as a trade association in 1953 and now claiming some 219 members, MHCA is Mississippi’s oldest and largest association of nursing homes, personal care homes, and other long term care facilisties. MHCA is the state affiliate of the American Health Care Association.

Members also re-elected: secretary Chance C. Becnel of Jackson and treasurer Aundrea D. Fuller of Birmingham, Ala.

“This association has been growing stronger each year with the support and efforts of each member,” Francis said. “We truly try to live our mission: Leading the way in long term care through the passion of our members.”

Others elected to the Board of Directors — representing state geographic areas I through VI (http://www.mshca.com/nursinghome.htm) — are Mark Clay of Columbus; William H. Thompson of Cordova, Tenn.; Bruce Kelly of Natchez; Craig Robinson of Gulf Breeze, Fla.; Reita Hall of Tupelo; Bobby Beebe of Ridgeland; and past presidents Steve Delaney of Jackson, Thomas E. Hill of Greenwood, and Ken Beebe of Ridgeland.

More than 500 individuals who work in long term care and assisted living businesses discovered an “exciting revolution of culture change” at the 2007 convention and trade show, said guest speaker Steve Holland, a long-time state representative who chairs the House Public Health Committee. He noted members’ progressive and innovative campaign to make the industry better.

The MHCA-produced “Culture Change in Long Term Care” video is available online at http://www.mshca.com/default.htm.

Association executive director Vanessa Phipps Henderson describes the culture change that’s already well underway statewide: “Long term care facilities and assisted living centers resemble nothing remotely conceived 30, 20, even 10 years ago. The staffs are different — representing a wider array of health specialists, including social workers, activity therapists, and chaplains — and better trained than ever before. Nurses and certified nursing assistants, particularly, are much better educated and bring more skills to the workplace.”
Residents are very different, too, added Henderson, whose knowledge base includes two decades experience in health facilities licensure and certification. “Today’s long term care resident requires skilled nursing care,” she said. “The residents do not live in nursing homes because their families need a place to ‘park’ them. They’re usually older and more frail than we saw years ago. At the same time, their desires for dignity, choice, and comfort have driven their service providers to change the way they conduct business. Facility owners and staff want their residents to be safe, optimally healthy, and happy.”


August 2007

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