By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
Deriving pleasure from a job can mean different things to different people. For some it’s all about the paycheck, for others it’s about self-sufficiency. Still for others it may be the job title and the prestige that goes with it.
But for Crawford County resident and 1992 Wynford graduate Crystle Taylor Stephenson, job satisfaction doesn’t come from any of those things.
“Every day when I leave work, I feel like I’ve made a difference in someone’s life,” Taylor Stephenson said.
As executive director of The Mansfield Place, a residential living center for senior citizens, Taylor Stephenson and her team make a difference in countless lives every day – be it those who are in their care, in many cases the families of those they serve, as well as those who work for the Enlivant facility that also operates The Carlisle Place in Bucyrus and The DeWolfe Place in Marion.
“It takes a village of people doing the right thing always,” Taylor Stephenson said. “They (staff) really believe in and really follow what the Enlivant mission is.”
Recently, Taylor Stephenson and her team were recognized for a job well done by the organization. Taylor Stephenson and staff received three prestigious awards as given by the Enlivant Southern Ohio Region. They received the Care Perfection Award as a result of their deficiency-free report from last year’s state survey. They were honored as the Community Leadership Team of the Year for 2017; and Taylor Stephenson herself was named the Executive Director of the Year.
“I’m just so humbled by this award,” Taylor Stephenson said. “I was in shock, truly. Every executive director works long, hard hours.”
Regional manager Matt Kessler said the awards received by Taylor Stephenson and her staff are significant in the view of the organization and are only given out once a year at the regional level and are given to those who demonstrate the organization’s mission, vision and culture of care.
“She (Taylor Stephenson) really lives our mission every day,” Kessler said, again emphasizing the relationships Taylor Stephenson has with not only the residents of her community and their families, but her staff as well.
Taylor Stephenson was as eager as she was quick to spread and share the credit for the quality of care at The Mansfield Place with Care Services Manager Kimberly Wilson and the rest of the staff. She pointed out Wilson and she have worked together for years and that the staff is committed to doing what is best for the residents in their care and providing a quality late-life experience for them.
“We (staff) take care of each other and we like to have fun with our residents and their families,” Taylor Stephenson said. She added that that the emphasis has been on effective team building that stresses servant leadership for the senior citizens in their care, as well as the families of the residents.
What perhaps makes the recognition both gratifying and significant is that The Mansfield Place has only been an Enlivant facility since August when it was purchased from another senior living organization. Taylor Stephenson said that she and her staff, right from the outset of the ownership transition, decided to embrace the inevitable changes that would come as a result of working for a different organization.
“This has been a really great experience. Their (Enlivant’s) goal isn’t to be biggest – but to be the best,” Taylor Stephenson said of the philosophy. “I decided from day one we were going to embrace Enlivant because their culture is so fantastic.”
Kessler said that her putting into practice what the organization preaches is readily evident when he visits The Mansfield Place.
“One thing I always notice when I go to Mansfield Place is the emphasis Crystle puts on the relationships with residents,” Kessler said. He added it goes beyond making sure there are enjoyable activities and interaction between staff and residents. He has observed Taylor Stephenson’s temperament when having the difficult conversations with family units that are necessary when involved in the care of seniors.
“That’s something we really value,” Kessler said.
Kessler has been so impressed with The Mansfield Place under the direction of Taylor Stephenson that he sends others from the organization there to observe and to be trained.
“When I have a new executive director, I send them to Mansfield because Crystle has a lot of best practices she shares,” Kessler said. “We want to make that attitude is prevalent.”
Taylor Stephenson graduated from Wynford in 1992 and then attended The Ohio State University. She has been a health care professional for 15 years and in the senior living specialty field for six. She has a daughter, Brooke, who attends Colonel Crawford.
“I feel like it is a real privilege. It’s an honor to serve the lives of our seniors,” Taylor Stephenson said. “These are the ones who have taken care of us. I truly feel like they are the greatest generation.
“I think how blessed I am to be paid what I love to do so much.”