Superior Good Samaritan aide travels path to administrator

Construction of the Good Samaratan Society's, Superior, long-term care facility began the fall of 1962. Since then only two staff members have come up through the ranks to become administrators of the facility and only one has been a native of the area. Lori Renz, the daughter of "Lefty" and the late Sandy Bothwell, started at the facility as an aid and assumed adminitrative duties this past year.

Surviving the COVID Pandemic

In March 2020, three years ago, the Center for Disease Control required all long-term care facilities across the United States to close their doors to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The same month, Lori Renz's mother, longtime Brodstone Healthcare social worker, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

At the time, Renz was working full-time at the Superior Good Samaritan and taking classes.

"I quit taking classes and settled in to take care of things here," Renz said.

In October and November of 2020 the COVID pandemic outbreak hit Superior.

"There were some horrible days," Renz said. "Families could not enter facilities to see their love ones. It was before COVID vaccine was available and all but five of the residents contacted COVID. Residents had to stay in their rooms. At times, we were short staff because they also at COVID and were required to stay home for a specified length of time. We worked a skeleton crew. We had to wear personal protective equipment. We lost several residents before the vaccine."

"I was the social worker and had to field all the calls from families. It was a traumatic time for residents, families and staff.

"The Good Samaritan headquarters really stepped up to help us. The senior director from headquarters came and worked the floor for us. She is a nurse. I give them lots of kudos for standing with us!" She said.

Good Samaritan Center, Superior, has had four administrators in two and a half years.

But that has changed. At least, that what the staff hoped and expected when it become official in November that Lori Renz had pasted the state administrator's exam.

"The exam was hard," Renz said. "I don't see how people just out of school past it. My 22 years of experience working at Good Samaritan really helped me."

Renz never aspired to be the administrator, but she has a life long interest in human services.

She graduated from Superior High School in 1980. After graduation, she worked at Good Samaritan as a nurse and med aide for a couple of years.

She then took a position a Mid-Nebraska Individual Services where she worked as an instructor and manager and became a service coordinator for Mid-Nebraska clients.

"The State of Nebraska eliminated my position at Mid-Nebraska, my children were little and I had realized if I was ever going to get a better job I needed to further my education, in three years I completed my two-year associates degree in human service with Central Community College in Hastings taking classes on-line."

For awhile, she worked with home health care at Brodstone and then worked with Brenda Hoskins in the Good Samaritan Activities Department.

With a smile, she said, "It is Brenda's fault I am still here."

A part-time position then opened working under Pat Cleaveland in social services.

"I planned to continue my education, but life got busier. I worked under Pat for several years and when she retired as social services director, I took over her position.

"With mother's encouragement, I began to work on a degree in social work from Nebraska Wesylan in the evening and on-line, but then the pandemic hit and mom's tumor... so I put my social work classes on hold."

Time pasted. After four administrators, Renz believed Good Samaritan needed some stability.

"Kari Miller, the administrator at the time, suggested I become the administrator. I had never given it any thought. I had been here a long time. I had the educational qualifications. The staff gave me lots of encouragement. Our senior director was on board with the idea, so I got a provisional license from the state and began the 640 hours required under a proctor.

"It included monthly reports and for a few months I was doing the work of both the administrator and the social service director.

"I took the job because we have strong management team and lots of long-term staff," Renz said.

Renz hopes she never experiences another pandemic like COVID, but little by little things are better.

Just this week the facility received the Gold Status award from ICAP (Infection Control Assessment and Promotion). To receive the award 90 percent of the residents must be fully vaccinated for COVID.

"I believe 100 percent of our residents are vaccinated for COVID. Their families have been really supportive," Renz said.

She expects in May the facility will once again begin to promote on-site community events.

"Currently we still are required to follow CDC guide lines based on COVID Community Transmission Levels. Masks are still required. The staff is used to them after having had to wear them for so long and it has just been easier to consistently wear them than to change from day to day based level of transmission data."

The biggest challenge currently is staffing shortage.

"Staffing continues to be a huge issue, especially nursing and kitchen staff," Renz said.

The future looks bright for the Good Samaritan, Superior facility.

"It is financially sound. Sanford Health, our parent company, recently announced they have decided to focus on seven states: Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, North and South Dakota and Minnesota. We are in a strong medical community and Superior has lots to offer, something which helps attract qualified staff to the facility.

"Recently some new tenants have moved into our senior living facility. We have room for new tenants in the assisted living and some independent apartments are available.

"Nebraska does not have staffing mandates, but we know we can handle 40 long-term care residents, so that is our limit at this time," Renz said.

For Renz, Superior is home. A 1980 Superior High School graduate, she married Bruce Renz, a local farmer and together they have four children. Their son, Luke, and daughter, Chelsea, work in Austin, Texas. Aaron and his wife, Denise, have returned to the area after retiring from military service and Zach, works locally at a John Deere.