A word from Our CEO – Planning for the best, prepared us for the worst

Dawn Mondschein

The Villager, 2020

Back in 2016, Central Baptist Village was steeped in strategic planning for our future. It was an exciting exercise—five years later, CBV would be turning 125 years old! So, we reexamined our past, assessed our strengths and weaknesses and asked tough questions about our future. What did CBV need to do to continue its mission for decades to come? In response, we created a detailed strategy to address any weaknesses and strengthen our foundation to prepare CBV for the prosperous years ahead.

We determined our path to future success rested on four pillars: Culture & Relationships, Technology & Innovation, Operational Excellence and Memory Care Expertise. Over the next four years, we fortified each pillar, one program and initiative at a time. Little did we know, our strategic plan would support us through the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Our commitment to Culture & Relationships attracted top talent and inspired growth in our volunteer and donor bases. The CBV community, fully committed with a heart to serve, is easily the most critical part of our survival during the pandemic. The deep sense of care for, and commitment to, our residents and one another provided the discipline needed to fight COVID-19, day in and day out.

Our groundwork in Technology & Innovation resulted in multiple efficiencies and built an infrastructure that would become a lifeline throughout the pandemic. Thanks to our investment in Wi-Fi expansion, digital entertainment and communications systems, we have the technological backbone to support distanced activity programming, remote meetings and hundreds of virtual visits with loved ones.        

As luck would have it, our attention to Operational Excellence over the past 4 years also prepared us in unanticipated ways. Financially, we closed a budget deficit and addressed long overdue frontline wages. We liquidated assets and were poised to make capital improvements just before the shutdown. Our strong financial position not only enabled us to acquire ample PPE and supplies early on, but also allowed us to make a bold decision to close our doors to new admissions. Even more fortunate, our goal to maintain our 5-star quality rating led us to overhaul our infection control program beginning in 2018. This meant our clinical team was increasingly attuned to infection prevention long before the novel coronavirus appeared.

In these times of uncertainty, our core values continue to guide us and illuminate the way. The pandemic was not the future we envisioned, but thanks to the time and consideration we gave the strategic plan, CBV was braced for the current storm and well positioned to preserve CBV’s legacy: Inspired by Faith, We Serve and Celebrate Seniors.

I remain immensely grateful to God and to the entire CBV family for their strength and compassion throughout this unimaginable time. As we begin CBV’s 125th anniversary celebration, we thank you—our extraordinary community of heroes and champions.