Full circle

If you ask Tracie Seward how long she has been at Envoy of Lawrenceville, in Lawrenceville, Virginia, her initial answer will be two years. But after you talk to her a bit longer, you find that this director of clinical services (DCS) has deep roots in the community and in the care center. In fact, Tracie attended high school within walking distance of the care center. After she became a registered nurse twenty years ago, her first job was at Envoy of Lawrenceville, where she served as a night shift supervisor.

Tracie did leave Envoy of Lawrenceville for many years, and during that time she worked as a nurse in a variety of other healthcare settings including cardiac services and travel nursing. In 2015, Tracie found herself back in the Lawrenceville community, teaching the CNA program at the very same high school she attended, and where her daughter was currently attending. Sure enough, the clinical rotations for her CNA students were down the hill at Envoy of Lawrenceville!

While Tracie and her CNA students were immersed in the care being delivered at Envoy of Lawrenceville, Tracie developed a bond with the DCS and the entire nursing team at the care center. One day, Tracie received a call from the DCS, Christy, saying, “Don’t you want to be my assistant director of clinical services? The nurses here love working with you.” Tracie said yes, and as it turned out, Christy soon took another position in the company and Tracie became the DCS at Envoy of Lawrenceville.

Caring for residents has been especially challenging during COVID-19 because families can’t visit their loved ones. Tracie’s compassion shines through when she says that it’s important that everyone knows that the residents “still have people who care in place of their family and friends outside the care center.” She tells her staff “It’s your time to go in and be everything for the residents.”

“Tracie is an impeccable leader” was the opening line of her CHIRPs nomination. Tracie’s advice for great leadership is to trust your team. She said that she had to learn to delegate, and keep herself from going back and doing the work herself. As a result, whenever she receives accolades, Tracie gives all the praise to her team, saying “I’m so proud of them, I’m honored to be part of THEIR team.”

Tracie is passionate about the care center and the entire community. In her free time she serves on the local school board and also as a youth minister. She said that “Whatever door God opens, I walk through.” She prays that she will be at Envoy of Lawrenceville until her retirement, which will be a long way off. Tracie is currently shadowing an administrator with the goal of becoming an executive director. Thank you Tracie, for your selfless service, and for coming full circle in your career path.