The Hearts and Soles of Healthcare

It’s Nurse’s Week, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to honor the heartfelt contributions we see every day from the caring hands of our nurses! They offer our amazing residents kindness, compassion, and healing every day while putting miles of steps beneath their feet. Saying that we’re grateful is an understatement. In truth, we couldn’t do it without them!

We’re using Nurse’s Week 2024 to praise our fantastic staff and highlight the opportunities available for nurses who choose to work in senior living with us at Edgewood. There continues to be a strong need for nurses, and that trend is rising each day.

To help meet the rising need for more nurses, Edgewood offers incentives from time to time, such as educational reimbursement programs that can help personal care staff and nurses further their education. This opportunity allows the staff to continue to become more specialized while Edgewood helps with the costs associated with those courses.

 

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A Journey into Healthcare

 

Some folks choose nursing because it’s their true calling, or for some, it’s a family affair. For Monica Lund, it was both! Monica is one of the nurses who has utilized Edgewood’s employee education grant program to further her education. Before coming to Edgewood, she found great joy in caregiving. For 14 years, Monica worked at her in-home daycare.

She wanted to continue growing as a caregiver, so she started working as a PCA or personal care assistant at Edgewood in Blaine, MN. It didn’t take long before she wanted to make an upward shift.

She took advantage of the opportunity to complete Edgewood’s reimbursable CNA course. Monica took the course and became a CNA with us, and that motivated her to keep going further…

Once grant funding was available to advance her education, she enrolled in the LPN program at Anoka Technical College. With the available reimbursement opportunity from Edgewood and state and federal resources, Monica earned her LPN degree without incurring any out-of-pocket costs!

 

“Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses… we must be learning all of our lives.” –Florence Nightingale

Monica has continued utilizing Edgewood’s educational grant funding opportunity to advance her education and career—she’s studying to become a registered nurse as we speak!

Helping others and growing as a caregiver and professional nurse was a total win for Monica, and that comes as no surprise because nursing runs in her blood. Her mom has been a nurse her whole career and is currently the director of nursing at a healthcare facility. When Monica was young, she accompanied her mom to work, where she enjoyed playing board games and cards with the residents.

 

There’s Always Room for More!

The need for nurses continues to grow, and we hope that programs like reimbursement and educational grants will continue to fill these important roles. It’s our honor to help staff reach their goals while they continue to support the residents who call Edgewood home.

We hope you will join us in celebrating the contributions of the folks you know this Nurse’s Week. If you or someone you know is an excellent candidate to work in a fantastic environment with opportunities for advancement and additional education, check out our open positions by clicking here.  Happy Nurse’s Week to all of our heroes in scrubs!

Edgewood Healthcare Announces New Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President of Senior Living

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Release

Contact: Robert J. Ford, Jr.

Title: President Edgewood Healthcare

Phone: 701-738-2000

(Grand Forks, N.D.) Edgewood Healthcare has promoted Brendan Weidler as the new Chief Operating Officer of Senior Living.

“I am pleased to announce the promotion of Brendan Weidler as the new Chief Operating Officer of the Senior Living Division for Edgewood Healthcare. This is a well-deserved promotion following a history of excellence, support, and quality care for both our residents and staff. Brendan is a proven leader who has had a positive impact on multiple levels of the company, and he will continue to be instrumental in the growth and success of Edgewood. We are thrilled to offer him this promotion,” said Ford.

 Before becoming Chief Operating Officer, Weidler was Edgewood’s Chief Nursing Officer and Executive Vice President, providing clinical oversight for the care delivered across all 64 Edgewood communities. As CNO, Brendan used his incredibly well-rounded skill set to play an instrumental role in operational, financial, and leadership initiatives.

Professionally, Weidler started his career in nursing in the Intensive Care Unit at a level II trauma center in central North Dakota. Brendan was later promoted to Hospital Supervisor and ran their Acute Inpatient Rehab Unit. In that role, he recognized the benefit of a robust continuum of healthcare delivery on the post-acute side of a patient’s healthcare journey. Weidler joined the Edgewood Healthcare team in 2017 and has been instrumental in starting and operating two successful Home Health, Hospice, and Outpatient Therapy Programs in Minot and Bismarck, ND, and served as CaringEdge’s Regional Vice President.

Weidler grew up in Velva, ND, where he was active in athletics and Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended Minot State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while playing college football and serving as team captain for two seasons. Brendan, his wife, Beth, and their four young daughters, Hayes, Haddie, Lou, and Libby, now call Bismarck, ND home.

 About Edgewood Healthcare

Edgewood Healthcare is the leading operator of senior living communities in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest. Since 1992, Edgewood has been committed to helping seniors stay as independent as possible, for as long as possible, with well-trained staff members in communities designed for residents to receive various living and care options. Edgewood owns and/or operates more than 60 independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities with over 4,100 beds in seven states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho) and employs 3,300 people. Edgewood Healthcare’s corporate offices are at 402 Demers Avenue, Suite 200, Grand Forks, N.D.

Edgewood Healthcare Announces New Chief Nursing Officer & Executive Vice President of Senior Living

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Release

Contact: Robert J. Ford, Jr.

Title: President Edgewood Healthcare

Phone: 701-738-2000

(Grand Forks, N.D.) Edgewood Healthcare has promoted Colleen Schneider as the new Chief Nursing Officer and Executive Vice President of Edgewood Senior Living.

“It is with great excitement that I am announcing the promotion of one of our very best. Since she began her work with Edgewood, Colleen has made a tremendous impact, going above and beyond to ensure our residents’ health, safety, and well-being. She is also an exceptional leader and mentor to our staff. We’re thrilled that Colleen continues to help create such a positive senior living experience for our residents and staff,” said Ford.

Colleen Schneider joined Edgewood in 2013 as the Clinical Services Director at the Alexandria community. In this role, she found her passion to promote safety and a commitment to excellence in quality care. In 2015, she became the Executive Director in Alexandria and then transferred to Edgewood Sartell as Senior Executive Director in 2020. In 2022, Colleen returned to her clinical roots as the Regional Nursing Director for Minnesota. In this role, she supported, coached, and mentored others on various levels within the clinical services team.

Colleen received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from North Park University in Chicago. Before working at Edgewood, she had 15+ years of healthcare experience as an RN in long-term care and memory care. Colleen lives in the Alexandria, MN, area with her husband, Doug, and has two grown children, Chloe and Gabe. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, being involved in church activities, and playing pickleball.

About Edgewood Healthcare

Edgewood Healthcare is the leading operator of senior living communities in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest. Since 1992, Edgewood has been committed to helping seniors stay as independent as possible, for as long as possible, with well-trained staff members in communities designed for residents to receive various living and care options. Edgewood owns and/or operates more than 60 independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities with over 4,100 beds in seven states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho) and employs nearly 3,300 people. Edgewood Healthcare’s corporate offices are located at 402 Demers Avenue, Suite 200, Grand Forks, N.D.