Pictured, left to right, are: Greg A. Vital, Morning Pointe Senior Living co-founder and president; Bebe Kennedy, vice president of Clinical Services for Morning Pointe; and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living co-founder and CEO.
Two associates in the Chattanooga area received Morning Pointe Senior Living’s 2024 Exceeding Expectations Awards for outstanding service in different categories on Wednesday evening.
Morning Pointe Senior Living presents eight Exceeding Expectations awards at its annual conference each year, recognizing the most exceptional of its associates in varying roles. The conference was held in Chattanooga, where Morning Pointe Senior Living is based.
Charles Stephens, maintenance director at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga Assisted Living, won the award for Maintenance and Housekeeping, and Bebe Kennedy, RN, vice president of Clinical Services, won for Morning Pointe’s Home Office.
Mr.
Stephens has worked at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga for three years. He is known for doing all his tasks with detail and a fine sense of humor. He sets residents at ease from the day they move in and often jokes around with them. Residents reach out to Mr. Stephens for any assistance, and he helps out at other communities and at regional events. In addition, he engages with the male residents at the community to do woodworking projects, including making puzzles.
“Charles is unlike any other maintenance director,” said Michelle Baker, executive director. “He has the great ability to complete his tasks with such detail, but does it with a fantastic sense of humor. He takes great pride in the community and always makes sure that it presents well.”
“The award means a lot – it was totally unexpected, but it’s nice to be appreciated,” Mr. Stephens said. “What keeps me coming back is the residents, taking care of them. They become not only your parents, but your grandparents.”
Ms. Kennedy joined Morning Pointe in January 2023 and has led the company through multiple clinical advancements, including rolling out a more comprehensive clinical assessment for residents, switching all communities to electronic medical records (eMAR), starting up a brand new medication aide class in Tennessee and navigating changing senior living regulations in Kentucky. She has also set up a new clinical training program for directors of nursing.
During the awards dinner, Ms. Kennedy was praised for her clinical knowledge, experience, personability and excellent decision-making skills.
“Bebe takes nursing standards and professional practice to a higher level of excellence,” said Rob Pollard, senior vice president of operations at Morning Pointe Senior Living. “Bebe is not only an amazing leader, but a kind and compassionate individual. She is the embodiment of what a great leader should be.”
“I was shocked but very appreciative of those who nominated me,” said Ms. Kennedy. “We have such a good team, and it’s a joy to be around them every day. We all have the same love for our residents.”
Greg A. Vital, president of Morning Pointe Senior Living, said, “Honoring the excellence of our associates is a priority for us as an organization. Charles and Bebe, along with countless others, not only keep our communities operating smoothly, but also, most importantly, make a difference for our senior residents and their teams. We deeply appreciate these associates’ dedication and look forward every year to presenting these awards."
Pictured, left to right, are: Greg A. Vital, Morning Pointe Senior Living co-founder and president; Charles Stephens, maintenance director at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga Assisted Living; and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living co-founder and CEO.