Empowering through education

Melissa “Mitzi” Dunn started her career as a receptionist in an oral and maxillofacial surgeon’s office. That job ignited her passion for healthcare and she moved on to billing, became a CNA, studied to become a registered nurse, and has worked bedside for over ten years. In June 2019, she happily landed at Lakeside Oaks Care Center in Dunedin, Florida, where she started out as a unit manager. She was quickly  promoted to Assistant Director of Clinical Services (ADCS) because of her passion for creating a positive environment in the care center. 

According to the executive director of Lakeside Oaks, Chasmin Snyder, “Mitzi is enthusiastic about her work and takes pride in everything she does.  She is always smiling and making the staff smile.” Mitzi told us that she loves to be a part of the amazing team at Lakeside Oaks. She enjoys patient care and said that the strong teamwork at the care center always makes a hard day easier.

When we asked Mitzi about the challenges of her job, she said that of course, appropriate staffing is essential. The correct staffing allows residents to get the best care and it’s also important for keeping the staff members happy. Also, because Mitzi loves hands-on patient care, she sometimes struggles with not delivering the care herself. She has turned that urge into the productive habit of constantly educating staff on ways to do things even better. This point was emphasized by Chasmin Snyder, “Mitzi is always the first one to jump in and lend a helping hand when staff need her.  She is passionate about empowering the staff through education and making learning fun for them.”

Mitzi is a true champion of Consulate’s core values. “Mitzi is passionate about resident care and making sure that all residents are happy and well taken care of,” said Snyder in her nomination of Mitzi. In talking with Mitzi, she touched on all of the core values. She explained how she demonstrates integrity by “doing the job to the best of my ability, for myself, not to impress others.” She added “I take care of patients the way I would take care of my mother, or how I would like to be taken care of myself.”

Snyder said, “Mitzi performs new hire orientation and does a great job in making new employees feel welcome.  She gives them the tools they need to be successful.” We are so thankful to have Mitzi as part of the Consulate family. She is a delightful model of Consulate’s core values, and is generous about teaching others to provide care in the best way possible.