2017 MNRAAA Annual Report – Board Chair’s and Executive Director Letter

/in , , , , , , , /by
Dear Readers:
Welcome to the 2017 Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging® Annual Report. Bob and I hope you will enjoy reading a few of MNRAAA’s highlights from last year.
Beginning in May, board members and staff participated in strategic planning, facilitated by Aurora Consulting. During the planning process, we revised our mission statement, developed a vision
statement and determined our strategic directions for the next three years (read more about Strategic Planning here).
Due to the expansion of the Return to Community initiative, we hired several additional staff and outgrew our space in the Mankato office. Fortunately, we could move our conference room to a space across from our office and use the vacated space for staff.
We said good-bye to three of our board members: Amy Wilde, Jane Baldwin and Dr. Tim Bachenberg. Their insight and dedication to improving the lives of older adults and caregivers will
be missed.
Even though we know we’ll encounter challenges during 2018, we look forward to continuing our efforts to provide advocacy, information, resources, and assistance so that older adults can maintain the lifestyle of their choice.
Keep reading if you’d like to learn about additional 2017 highlights. And, if you haven’t joined us on social media or signed up to receive our newsletter, we invite you to go to page three for our contact information.
Sincerely,
Linda Giersdorf, Executive Director
Robert Roesler, Board Chair
Share on:

Welcome New MNRAAA Staff

/in , , /by

Welcome to the fall edition of MNRAAA news. As promised in our last edition, we are taking this opportunity to highlight our newly hired staff. MNRAAA is very fortunate to have hired such a dynamic group of individuals. They come with varied backgrounds and experience, but they all share a common vision – that older adults will thrive in southwest Minnesota.

This edition also includes articles about a variety of topics, including Medicare Open Enrollment and Community Conversations. Please contact us if you have questions or would like additional information on any of the topic areas.

– Linda

Share on:

MNRAAA Annual Staff Retreat

/in , /by

Every President’s day MNRAAA staff come together to recharge, reconnect and participate in staff training. This year our all-staff training was held at Key Largo on February 20, 2017 in Slayton, MN. In the morning, we spent time discussing some recent “Theory of Change” work we are doing with Aurora Consulting as well as our upcoming plans to do strategic planning. We completed a “Continuity of Operations Plan” exercise, took staff photos and enjoyed a wonderful lunch provided by Key Largo.

Thad Shunkwiler, Assistant Professor at Minnesota State University in Mankato, was our afternoon speaker. He presented information on how mental health issues impact the lives of those we serve. He also provided information and useful tips on helping consumers resolve complex issues over the phone. Staff found his presentation insightful and interesting. We wrapped up the day by giving out some humorous staff awards and sharing a laugh with each other. We are already starting to plan for next year’s retreat.

Robin Thompson, Information & Assistance Director

Share on:

Staff Announcements

/in , /by

The Senior LinkAge Line® continues to be instrumental in helping to provide comprehensive non-biased counseling to Medicare beneficiaries. This is particularly important each year during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7). This fall the Senior LinkAge Line® contact centers once again hired seasonal employees to handle Medicare-related calls during this time.

MNRAAA hired Roger Elmquist, Wayne Johansen and Donna Appel as temporary seasonal employees to work in the Mankato office and Helen Brinks in the Slayton office. All three in the Mankato office have worked for us in the past and we feel fortunate they were all willing to return this year. This is Helen’s first year as a temporary staff person in the Slayton office. They all received extensive training on both Medicare and Medical Assistance, the internet tools necessary for documentation and the protocols for answering calls through the Senior LinkAge Line® system. On October 1st they started on the phones and their work will conclude the third week of December.

The addition of the seasonal staff across the state has been successful in being able to handle the increased call volume and has helped to decrease the call wait time for consumers. In the past, many of the MNRAAA seasonal staff stay on as volunteers after their temporary positions end. We appreciate their help and enjoy the time we get to spend with them each year.

Congratulations to Jamie Lanners (Program Developer) and her husband Galen on the birth of their daughter, Ariana Lynn – 7 lbs 1 oz, 20 inches long. She was born on September 7.

Share on: