Meet the dedicated leaders behind NHC Kennett's award-winning success

NHC Healthcare of Kennett has been honored with the NHC Missouri Region Center of the Year Award for the second year in a row.

“I'm very proud,” said Administrator Jessica Bader. “I believe last year was the first time NHC Kennett had ever won it.”

The company was judged on a variety of areas including mission core outcomes, operational performance, patient satisfaction, and worker satisfaction.

Bader continued, “It was, indeed, an honor. We have the right leaders in the right places, from dietary management, nursing management, social workers, and recreation.”

Bader has a long history with NHC Healthcare.

“My grandmother started as Director of Nursing when I was two years old, so I grew up at NHC.”

Bader began her career with the company right out of high school as a CNA.

“I went to nursing school and stuck with NHC,” she said. “I took over as Director of Nursing when my grandmother retired in 2016.”

In 2020 she was offered the role of Administrator.

NHC Nursing Director Aaron Chase also shared on his history with company and the honor of receiving the award.

“None of my family had any medical background,” said Chase. “I thought I was going to be a rock star. I didn't want to go to college. I wanted to tour the world. I'm a musician.”

Chase continued, “I was 17 years old, working at Wise factory ten hours a day making nothing.”

“I had a friend, at the time, that was a CNA here and told me they were looking for CNA's,” he said. “I tried it and NHC certified me through their program.”

“I went on to LPN school, NHC put me through it and I reached RN,” Chase stated. “I've been here ever since. I started when I was 18 and I'm 40 now.”

“I'll retire here,” he added. “It's been a great career choice. I wouldn't change it and I don't regret it.”

Chase provided, “I have a military background, so I'm extremely big on team building, not independence,” he said. “It's not just one person that does everything.”

Chase continued, “The nursing department, the dietary department, and housekeeping, we have so many departments that work together.”

“When 2020 hit we had to come together with staffing crisis, the pandemic crisis, and everybody was scared,” he added. “We had to come together and figure out how to help people in our community that needed us.”

Bader stated, “We have one common goal. That's to provide exceptional care.”

Chase agreed sharing, “NHC is real big on patient centered care. The patient is always the focus.”

“It's all about them,” he added. “Our patients aren't numbers to us. We look at each individual and what they need to be successful. We have a great rehab to home program. That's one thing that sets us apart.”

Aside from the Region Center of the Year, NHC won many other awards.

“We had a very successful year,” Bader stated. “Just about every department won some type of award.”

Awards included Center of Excellence for the nursing department, food nutrition service of the year, and partner development, among others.

Bader shared, “Ashley Cole, she's our dietary manager, she took on that role about two years ago, and she won our Rising Sun award.”

“Brandy McNabb won the Positive Media Award,”Bader said. “Our families love that because those that live a distance can't be here everyday, but Brandy makes it a point to try and get everyone on our Facebook page,” she added.

Chase reiterated, “It makes us so proud.”

Bader concluded, “We are constantly building a positive culture, we have 20 promises that we follow. Every single day we go over one of those promises.”

“You can flourish here,” said Chase.