WellSpire, a partnership of WesleyLife and Genesis Health System

12/02/2024

Today, we are delighted to welcome Chelsey Killean to her new role within WesleyLife!

Chelsey, executive director of Fieldstone of DeWitt, a WellSpire Community since that community's opening in 2022, recently was promoted to executive director of WellSpire, a partnership of WesleyLife and Genesis Health System, and The Summit of Bettendorf. She begins her new role today as Kelsey Mays steps in as administrator at Fieldstone, with Chelsey continuing to be closely involved with the community.

Chelsey has been a key component of WesleyLife’s expansion into the Quad Cities, having first been promoted to administrator of Westwing Place when WesleyLife partnered with Genesis Health Systems to form WellSpire. She was again promoted upon Fieldstone's opening, and with Chelsey at its helm, the community has become a well-respected provider of assisted living, memory support, and health care services as well as an important part of the Clinton County business landscape.

We are eager to witness all the good that Chelsey will bring to our beautiful community in Bettendorf, which serves the Quad Cities with all levels of living, from independent and assisted living to short-term rehabilitation, memory support, and long-term care. Congratulations and all the best in your new role, Chelsey!

11/28/2024

On this Thanksgiving Day, we are grateful not only to the individuals whom we are honored to serve, but to the 2,000-plus team members throughout WesleyLife who serve them with compassion, warmth, dedication, and joy — and always with an eye toward the four pillars on which WesleyLife was founded: excellence, well-being, heritage, and innovation.

We are thankful, today and always, that you have chosen to work for WesleyLife — and we extend a special note of thanks to team members who are working today so that our residents and clients can enjoy the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

11/27/2024

Earlier this week, WesleyLife's president and CEO, Rob Kretzinger, sent a Thanksgiving greeting to the organization's 2,000+ team members, and we thought it might serve as a holiday inspiration to all of you as well. Read it in the link below. May your Thanksgiving celebrations be blessed!

https://hubs.li/Q02ZDQl00

11/18/2024

Welcome!

Nikki Kroeger joins WesleyLife today as human resources information systems analyst. She comes to us from Casey's, where she spent the past six years in a similar role. Nikki will work out of our organizational headquarters in Johnston.

We're glad to have you with us, Nikki!

11/16/2024

Welcome, new leaders! Krista Van Hooser-Perin, director of organizational learning for WesleyLife, hosted orientation for new leaders earlier this week. We are delighted to welcome these knowledgeable, experienced individuals to our organization!

They are, from left: Hanna Zevenbergen, Halcyon House-A WesleyLife Community in Washington; Caleb Pline, Park Centre-A WesleyLife Community in Newton; Malinda Dodd, The Summit of Bettendorf; Ken Johnson, Brio of Johnston, a WesleyLife Community; Amanda McNeely, Park Centre-A WesleyLife Community; Julie Christensen, Network Support Center in Johnston; Kelsey Goff, Hearthstone-A Ministry of WesleyLife in Pella; Jason Dunlap, Edgewater-A WesleyLife Active Life Community in West Des Moines; Krista Adams, Network Support Center in Johnston; Matthew Weltzin, Edgewater-A WesleyLife Active Life Community in West Des Moines; and Mandi Evanson, Troy Porter, and Allie Johnson, all Network Support Center in Johnston.

11/12/2024

Happy 28th work anniversary this week to our president and CEO, Rob Kretzinger! As we mark this milestone, please take a look in the link below at the story we posted in 2021 to commemorate his quarter-century anniversary. We're grateful every day for Rob's leadership!

https://hubs.li/Q02X_tly0

11/11/2024

In honor of Veterans Day, WesleyLife Meals on Wheels client and retired United States Air Force veteran Laura tells her story in the link below: "There was no bigger honor than to represent my country"

"I would have given my life for anyone I served with" - on this Veterans Day, Meals on Wheels client Laura tells the story of a unique, accomplished life.

11/04/2024

Our communities are committed to creating opportunities for the people who reside in them, but their desire to do good doesn't stop at the door. Fieldstone of DeWitt, a WellSpire Community, is planning to make Thanksgiving more joy-filled for residents of DeWitt and Clinton County by collecting donations for the DeWitt Referral Center's food pantry.

If you live in the area and wish to contribute, help Fieldstone "stuff the turkey" by bringing non-perishable food items to the Fieldstone front-entrance concierge desk by Wednesday, November 20. Thank you!

10/31/2024

Lifelong learning is a critical component of intellectual and emotional well-being. If you don't know about the holiday of Diwali, celebrated today, take a moment to learn about this special day observed by more than a billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists around the world.

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India. It’s also widely celebrated in Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and other countries with large South Asian populations. Homes, businesses and public spaces are lit up with diyas, or oil lamps made from clay, and fireworks displays are common. People gather with their families, enjoy special holiday meals and snacks, and exchange gifts.

Diwali marks the triumph of light over darkness, and of good over evil. Though Diwali traditions vary according to region and religion, the myths and historical stories behind the holiday share themes of justice and liberation.

WesleyLife is home to team members and residents from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. At Wesley on Grand in Des Moines alone, as many as 20 languages are spoken among team members, and we are grateful for the diversity that makes up who we are as an organization.

If you are celebrating Diwali today, we hope it’s a joyous one for you and yours!

10/26/2024

As we finish out Health Care Quality Week, there's no better time to recognize our clinical leader and her team.

Karie Kesterson-Gibson, former senior clinical quality specialist for WesleyLife, was promoted in 2022 to director of clinical excellence. In the role, Karie oversees, directs, and supports programming designed to enhance care experiences for residents, clients, and families.

In her 13 years with WesleyLife, Karie has served as a skilled clinical leader whose relational capabilities also have enhanced the organizational's culture. She is accountable for maintaining and enhancing a planned, systematic, organization-wide approach to identifying, designing, measuring, prioritizing and monitoring all quality-management activities, including new processes and services. Her scope of work also includes education, training, hands-on participation/leadership, and team development.

Congratulations to Karie and her team for driving the quality clinical outcomes for which WesleyLife is known. Happy Health Care Quality Week to this valued group of individuals!

10/16/2024

It's a big month for WesleyLife — and for anyone who's concerned about the impact of ageism. As we continue to join the American Society on Aging in celebrating Aging Awareness Day, we're sharing facts about ageism to shed light on this issue and its effects on our society, as well as ways we can change perceptions.

Did you know the development of dementia is NOT an expected part of aging? Although the risk of dementia increases as people grow older, it is not inevitable, and many people live into their 90s and beyond without the significant declines in thinking and behavior that characterize dementia.

About one-third of people over age 85 do develop some form of dementia. Occasionally forgetting an appointment or losing your keys are typical signs of mild forgetfulness, which can be a common part of normal aging. Nevertheless, talk with a doctor if you have concerns about your memory or notice changes in your behavior and personality. These problems can be attributed to a range of different causes, some of which are treatable or reversible. Finding the cause is important for determining best next steps.

Stay tuned this month for more facts, suggestions, and positive alternatives to exacerbating stereotypes. Thanks for joining us in this effort!

10/10/2024

As we observe World Mental Health Day, WesleyLife's director of organizational learning is championing an enhanced focus on mental well-being: "My hope is that people will be able to not ignore and walk past someone who needs mental or emotional assistance."

Read the story in the link below!

In honor of World Mental Health Day, WesleyLife announces a new organizational focus on the mental well-being of our team members.

10/09/2024

It's Ageism Awareness Day, an opportunity to draw attention to the impact of ageism in our society and talk about ways we can change the cultural landscape. Our movement at WesleyLife is to revolutionize the experience of aging, so we're proud to join forces with the American Society on Aging to lead the charge to blast stereotypes in our greater communities and beyond. When we all work together, we can !

Watch this page throughout October to learn why Ageism Awareness Day — and everything it encompasses — should matter to YOU. Start by learning more in the link below.

As WesleyLife joins the American Society on Aging in observing Ageism Awareness Day, we're spreading the word about just what constitutes ageism and how to join the fight against it.

06/16/2024

Whether you're looking at him today from across the table, on a computer or phone screen, through a window, or in your mind's eye from years ago, may you always regard and remember your father in a way that brings you the greatest joy.

Happy Father's Day to our residents, clients, team members, and friends. Our prayers are with you for the kind of day that lets you know how loved and valued you are!

06/06/2024

Now that's commitment.

Storms and flash-flooding the last few weeks have wreaked havoc in Iowa, including in the eastern part of the state, where Fieldstone of Dewitt, a WellSpire Community, is located. The daughter of Nancy Wheeler, a housekeeper at Fieldstone, posted this photo of her mother earlier this week with the caption:

"Fieldstone, you have one dedicated team member! My mother had to walk quite a ways in deep water early this morning to make it to her car for work. I would be blessed to be half the woman my mother is. She’s truly the BEST."

We do our best at WesleyLife to ensure team members feel valued - and Nancy clearly knows how much her presence matters to the residents she serves. Thank you, Nancy, for your dedication. We're grateful you are safe, and grateful you are a part of Fieldstone and WesleyLife.

(Please note: Although Nancy was familiar with flooding in the area, crossing water - especially in an unfamiliar area - is not always a safe choice. Before you cross, check for current, and for bubbling that can indicate electric involvement.)

02/25/2024

We are proud of our campuses’ connections with the greater communities in which they are located. At Crosstown Square, a WellSpire Community in Silvis, Illinois, Donna, a friend of the campus, popped in last week to entertain residents on the piano while they enjoyed lunch. We love that our relationships and impact don’t stop at our four walls!

01/09/2024

Residents and team members at The Summit of Bettendorf kicked off the new year in unique style: with their very own gala celebration that looked a lot like a "senior prom"! They enjoyed Champagne and delicious snacks, played music of a variety of genres from a variety of decades, and danced the night away. What a way to celebrate, connect, and ring in the New Year. Happy 2024 from The Summit!