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Your Voice Holds the Power to Make a Big Difference
If you’ve ever been told your voice does not matter, it was a lie. Your voice is one of the most important things you will ever have. We’ve all been told to stand up for what we believe in, and that we are capable of achieving great things. But how? No one blatantly tells us what to say or how to use our voice to make these things come to fruition. Even though mastering the skill of taming your tongue can be a daunting task, if used correctly, your voice can change minds, make waves, and revolutionize our industry.
Your voice is a vehicle that, when used with passion, can drive truth to power. Our industry is facing many challenges causing stress to owners, caregivers, and residents. The ability to attract and retain talent has become increasingly difficult, staffing acuity and ratios are askew, and the financial issues plaguing our industry are painfully obvious. We have a mantra at Tobin. If you bring in a concern, bring in a solution. So, that’s exactly what happened. I used my voice, in the form of a letter, to position our industry’s concerns directly to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), who has the power to make significant changes.
Because of my boldness to speak up, I was awarded an audience with the Administrator of CMS Seema Verma, who reports directly to President Trump, and her team of officials responsible for executing policy changes in long-term care. In our meeting, we were able to communicate industry concerns that were collected from various organizations and executives. Verma’s team was not only engaged and responsive, but also demonstrated positive feedback regarding providing industry solutions, as well as working closely with Tobin moving forward.
We are blessed to live in a nation that encourages us to speak up about what we believe. As citizens of a free nation, we have a duty to begin the conversation of change and open doorways that allow others’ voices to be heard. Rather than using excuses, I encourage you to speak up and speak out. Your voice matters and it deserves to be heard. Never forget, you have an advocate in Tobin.
About Peg Tobin
For more than three decades, countless people have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and transformational power of Peg’s leadership and development events. An author and international speaker, Peg has consistently inspired executive level employees in long-term care.
My concern is with regulatory agencies determining quality care while stifling innovation. Instead of serving our customer, the resident, we serve the government by spending our resources on appeasing them to struggle for a dollar. I pray the day when we partner with those who find value in what we do verses the battle to close us down.