Adapting with compassion

When Iva Jo Awerman was hired as a receptionist at Shoal Creek Rehabilitation Center in Crestview, Florida last year, nobody knew that a global pandemic was on the horizon. Because of her passion for the job, and her great adaptability, she has nimbly taken on many additional roles of the front office during a unique time period.

According to Shauna Lisenby, the regional director of business office services, “Iva Jo is dedicated to her position, her care center, her team, and her residents.” Iva Jo said that she has always enjoyed doing office work, but her job at Shoal Creek offers more opportunities to her than some of her previous workplaces, and she has jumped in wherever she can to help out.  It’s a perfect setting for Iva Jo, who told us that she “loves learning all the time, interacting with people, and staying busy.”

Iva Jo said that her job requires compassion, which guides her behavior each day. When she works at the front desk, residents or patients come to visit with her. She said that sometimes communication can be difficult, and you need to take extra time and write stuff down for the patients. She also demonstrates compassion in her interactions with residents’ family members. According to Lisenby, “family members have commended Iva Jo and her ability to keep them informed when they call in the center, especially during this time of uncertainty. Iva Jo’s compassion puts the families at ease, and residents call just to talk with her as part of their daily routines.”

Iva Jo’s professional and personal successes seem to stem from her ability to roll with any changes that come her way. She said that on some days, she comes into work with a plan for how the day should progress. She has learned that many days don’t go as planned, and the work will still be there tomorrow. Similarly, she has learned to go with the flow in her personal life. She moved to northern Florida in 2010 to temporarily assist her son with his daughters. Ten years later, she is still nearby, and she couldn’t be happier. Iva Jo is a wonderful example of how a person can thrive through change when they are guided by their core values.