Crown Pointe Estates in Sioux Center has been recognized by LeadingAge Iowa with the Excellence in the Workplace Award, honoring efforts to strengthen staffing, training, and workplace culture.
The recognition comes after what leaders describe as a multi-year effort to rebuild the facility’s workforce following significant challenges during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Karen Bentsen, Senior Services Officer with Sioux Center Health, says the past several years have required major changes.
At one point, Crown Pointe relied heavily on temporary staffing. Those staff members logged more than 13,000 contract hours over three months, the equivalent of more than two dozen full-time employees.
Since then, leadership implemented a wide-ranging strategy focused on recruitment, retention, and training. That included raising wages for nurses, certified nursing assistants, and medication aides, offering long-term hiring incentives, and restructuring leadership roles.
The facility also expanded its training approach, adding dedicated education staff and refining onboarding expectations for both permanent and temporary employees.
Those efforts have led to a significant reduction in contract staffing. In recent weeks, only a handful of temporary workers have been needed, and more than a dozen contract staff have transitioned into permanent roles.
Bentsen says the shift has had a direct impact on residents.
Beyond staffing numbers, Bentsen says the culture inside the facility has changed noticeably.
She says the transformation required a collective effort across all departments, from nursing and administration to housekeeping and maintenance, all working toward a shared goal of improving care and consistency for residents.
Crown Pointe Estates will be formally recognized at LeadingAge Iowa’s annual conference in May in Altoona.
The featured photo is courtesy of Sioux Center Health’s website
