For 14 years, Steve Reves rolled up to a Kansas tire factory and methodically crafted rubber wheels in a somewhat isolating environment.
“It was just me and a machine putting tires together,” Steve says.
He didn’t think of switching jobs until a shoulder injury forced him to consider alternative employment.
Steve’s high school experience, working as a nursing home dietary aide, led him to check out opportunities at Good Samaritan Society – Wamego.
“Definitely not where I pictured myself but it’s where I should have been a long time ago,” Steve says about his new career.
Hired on as nutrition and food services manager more than two years ago, Steve believes he’s found his calling.
“I never knew how much of a people person I was until I got this job,” Steve says.
Leading a team cooking several meals a day for more than 50 residents, it’s important to pay attention to every detail.
“It’s a lot more than just food,” Steve says. “It’s building relationships. It’s making sure they’re getting a proper diet and nutrition.”
Food can be medicine. For residents living in long-term care, each meal is also a major highlight. It’s a chance to get out of their room and socialize with their friends and neighbors.
“I like to make sure the residents are getting exactly what they want. Whatever it takes to do that, that’s what I’m going to do,” Steve says.
Intentional care provides comfort
When Sonia Paz Torres helped her dad Hiram Torres move to the location, she was worried about his dementia affecting his health.
“Didn’t want to go out. He didn’t want to eat. He was very angry,” Sonia says.
Sonia points out that “in two years, everything has changed. He participates in activities. He goes out for every meal. It has been amazing, the transformation.”
Each meal plan is specific to each resident.
“Hiram is a blast. He’s from Puerto Rico and so much fun,” Steve says.
For Hiram, Steve sends Sonia the menu each week so she can select what she knows her dad will eat. After losing a few pounds, he’s now gaining weight. She says Steve also goes out of his way to check in with Hiram in the dining hall and his room.
“He doesn’t do his job – he goes above and beyond what he needs to be doing,” Sonia says. “‘Thank you’ doesn’t cover what I would love to tell him.”
That effort comes naturally to Steve. He loves his residents and passes along that passion to his food and nutrition services team.
“Doesn’t even feel like a job. It feels like extended family. Being home away from home, taking care of people and being around people you love, that’s very rewarding,” Steve says.
Care like that is comforting to Sonia, who says not every long-term care center is this reliable.
“You have to hope that they are treating him well,” Sonia says about Hiram. “I have peace of mind that if I’m here, if I’m not here, he’s going to be taken care of.
“The people in here have been amazing how they have worked with him.”
National Ever Forward Leader Champion
Steve’s positive influence on residents and teammates is why he’s this year’s National Ever Forward Leader Champion for Good Samaritan.
“He understands that everything he does impacts the whole facility,” administrator Angie Barber says.
Angie adds Steve has “set the example for everyone else. You show us every day what good leadership looks like.”
Director of nursing Amy Davis says Steve “truly comes in to do his job because he loves it and it shows.”
Resident Lynda Morris looks forward to seeing Steve every day and thinks he’s a special presence.
“He could work at any restaurant he wants but he chose here,” Lynda says.
Known as an introvert and somewhat quiet, Steve is praised for the time he spends getting to know residents and their preferences.
“He’ll be out there in that dining room talking to residents making sure whatever they need, they are going to get. It’s just the culture of that facility there in Wamego,” says Randy Fitzgerald, Good Samaritan vice president of operations in the region.
Receiving the leader award is a great honor, according to Steve.
“It made me feel very warm and happy,” Steve says. “I was beyond humbled. It was something I never thought I’d win.”
When asked what makes a great leader, Steve reveals it’s the ability and willingness to listen to others. He credits his team with coming up with great ideas that impact residents every week.
“He’s very calm. You ask him about anything, he listens and thinks about it,” cook Krista Cowan says.
After just a few years at Good Samaritan, Steve thinks it’s very much where he belongs.
“I just love this place. I love working for Good Sam. I love working here in Wamego,” Steve says. “A dream come true.”
