If you went missing today…would your boss look for you? Most people would probably answer, “No.” They would never expect their boss to organize their co-workers to search for them and definitely couldn’t imagine everyone tirelessly investigating their disappearance for days-on-end until they were found. But believe it or not, Amber Eklund is a fearless leader who did just that.
Amber is the Executive Director of Consulate Health Care’s Kenwood View Health and Rehabilitation Center in Salina, KS. When she learned that one of her CNAs never made it home after working the overnight shift, she quickly organized a search.
Amber established a calling tree to help solicit any available information from the care center’s caregivers, organized a walking group that would trace her employee’s steps home, searched the town high and low in her personal car, and contacted the local newspaper, which she convinced to place missing person ads. After several long, worried, and tiring days, and thanks in large part to the search efforts coordinated by Amber, the M.I.A. CNA was found! And only a few days later, she was able to return to work and was immediately embraced by the joyful and relieved Consulate family that worked tirelessly to help find her.
If you were to ask the caregivers of Kenwood View Health and Rehabilitation Center what kind of leader Amber is, they would tell you she is more than just a leader. She is a friend, a confidant, and a reliable and passionate person who embodies all of Consulate Health Care’s Core Values. Even in stressful times, her “caring and compassionate heart” shines brightly, and she is always “a tireless source of positivity and can-do attitude.” Naturally, and with great pleasure, Amber was nominated for Consulate’s most prestigious Core Value award – the ACE award. To be nominated for Consulate Health Care’s ACE award, an employee must be nominated for each of the five Core Values within one year. Each Core Value nomination is also reviewed by a board for authenticity before being awarded. Amber met all of these criteria.
Consulate’s Core Values of Compassion, Honesty, Integrity, Respect and Passion are the foundation of the organization’s mission statement of, “Providing Services with Our Hearts and Hands.” The program is designed to recognize and honor those employees who go above and beyond their regular daily tasks – and that is exactly what Amber did. We are honored to recognize her for her caring demeanor, commitment to her staff and responsibilities, both on and off the clock, and for her contributions to both her care center and community. Congratulations Amber!
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