A winning pair

Jason Hoglen and Xavier Hawkins are the director and assistant director of nursing at Gateway Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Lenoir, NC. Together, they have achieved great things at Gateway. We recently learned from Dale Spangler, Executive Director at Gateway, that Jason was selected as “Boss of the Year” and Xavier “Best Nurse” by the people of Caldwell County.

Besides being at the top of their games, Jason and Xavier have a lot in common. Both Jason and Xavier have advanced their careers while working at Gateway. They both started as floor nurses when they first came to Gateway, and through furthering their education in nursing, Jason has earned his RN and bachelor’s degree, while Xavier has earned her LPN.

Both Jason and Xavier love their jobs and their co-workers. Xavier mentioned that she appreciates the family atmosphere at Gateway, and that she is also very comfortable in sharing her concerns with Jason, and knows that they can work through tough issues together. This makes perfect sense, because Jason said his goals are to “make sure the residents have a great day and that the staff have all the support I can give.” Jason went on to say that he wants to make sure his staff is being rewarded by being treated well.

Xavier mentioned the hardest part of her job is when residents decline in health. Xavier found it particularly challenging when one of her residents was the mother of a co-worker, Kerry. Xavier had the heart-breaking experience of letting Kerry know that her mother was about to pass away.

When asked about Consulate’s Core Values, Xavier mentioned that compassion is necessary to work in this field, because you have to understand what is best for the resident. Both Xavier and Jason mentioned that integrity is also crucial to work in the field. Jason said that “if you make a mistake, you need to own up to it and learn from it.” He said that sometimes people are afraid of telling the truth, but it is essential for improvement and growth. With this strong commitment to Consulate’s Core Values, we know that this duo and their team will continue to achieve excellence at Gateway.