OHCA The Oregon Caregiver Spring Summer 2021

The Oregon Caregiver SPRING/SUMMER 2021 www.ohca.com 26 PROFILE LEADER Aubree is the director of operations for Aidan Health Services. In this article, Aubree talks about her early start in the long term care sector and how her passion for senior care has paved her career path. One of the most fascinating aspects of your career is how young you were when you got started. How did it start? I first got started in long term care when I was at Oregon State University. During my senior year, I had to do an internship and I had a professor who knew about Columbia Basin Care. She put me in touch with them and I started my internship there. Then, my internship for Oregon State University turned into an administrator-in-training program. I transitioned directly into the executive director role as soon as I finished my internship. So, you were about 21 years when you became an administrator? It happened really fast because I graduated from Oregon state in 2015 in June. Then, like a week after graduation, I had to do my internship to be able to complete it before the summer term ended. It was about 500 hours, two full months, that I had to complete for OSU. As soon as I completed that, I was employed then by Columbia Basin Care in The Dalles, where I started as an administrator-in-training. I did that for almost six months and then took my test and then transitioned into executive director role. I was there until December 2020, where I transitioned into director of operations for Aidan Health Services. That’s incredible. In your career so far, what has been the most rewarding part of your job? Working with the residents and the staff and their families has been very rewarding. No one story is the same, so being able to interact with all the different individuals who I’ve come in contact with has really left me inspired and that’s why I do what I do. What’s your advice for people who are just starting out and want to begin a career in long term care? I now do a mentorship program through Oregon State University, so I interact with their public health healthcare department and I have met a few individuals. It’s really fun because they’re typically juniors or seniors and it’s interesting to hear their perspective of where they want to go and then talk to them about all the different options. I just keep telling them to take it day by day, moment by moment. Going to school is different right now, it’s all virtual, but this is teaching you something you would have not have otherwise learned. We’re all getting more comfortable in front of the camera or getting more comfortable with social distance, so I just keep reiterating, take it day by day and we’ll get through this. What has this year been like for you? This last year has definitely been a whirlwind. It has taught us how to be nimble in the face of adversity and challenges. I think it has brought everybody together as a team and really brought out a lot of leaders too. Without our floor employees, the CNAs, housekeeping, dietary, and director of nursing, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Everything is definitely a team effort in long term care. They’ve carried a majority of the burden over the last year, so I have a lot of gratitude towards all of them. Aubree Schreiner Director of Operations, Aidan Health Services Without our floor employees, the CNAs, housekeeping, dietary, and director of nursing, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Everything is definitely a team effort in long term care.