FHCA Recognizes 2015 CNA Essay Contest Winner

Jessica Remmers writes winning submission for statewide CNA Essay Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
June 11, 2015         
CONTACT: Kristen Knapp, APR                                                                  
(850) 701-3530 or kknapp@fhca.org

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Health Care Association is pleased to recognize Jessica Remmers, Certified Nursing Assistant at The Lodge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Ocala, as the 2015 winner of FHCA’s CNA Essay Contest. This annual program is held in honor of National Nursing Assistants Week (June 11-18) and helps to raise awareness about the important role of Certified Nursing Assistants and their contributions to high quality care and quality of life for Florida’s more than 72,000 nursing center residents and patients. Ms. Remmers wrote the winning essay for FHCA’s CNA Essay Contest, drawing from her personal experiences working with residents in long term care centers.

"Florida has some of the finest long term care centers anywhere, and they could not achieve such a high level of excellence without the outstanding work of their extraordinary nurses. We are proud to honor Ms. Remmers for her passion and commitment to caring for Florida’s frail elders,” said FHCA Executive Director Emmett Reed.

Jessica Remmers is a CNA at The Lodge Health and Rehabilitation Center. Administrator Matthew Pederson said she is one of the most amazing CNAs he has ever had the pleasure of working with. “She takes her work very seriously, making sure the residents’ needs are always met,” said Pederson. “She also likes to have fun, and you always see her smiling and laughing.”

FHCA’s 2015 CNA Essay Contest asked Certified Nursing Assistants working in the Association’s 500+ member skilled nursing centers and assisted living facilities (ALF) to submit up to 500 words about their personal experiences surrounding a designated theme. This year’s theme, “CNAs as Caregivers and Communicators,” encouraged CNAs to write about how they have contributed to residents' health and well-being as active members of their center's care team. CNAs are the providers of frontline care to residents – from personal care to end-of-life support. Their active participation on the care planning team ensures a complete picture of a resident’s health status and can help improve the quality of life and overall well-being of the center’s residents.

Ms. Remmers earned a $500 award for her winning entry. Additional winners of the 2015 contest included Second Place Winner Marissa Prins of Life Care Center of New Port Richey and Third Place Winner Lydia Espeut of Hawthorne Health and Rehab of Ocala.  For more information about FHCA’s CNA Essay Contest and to read excerpts of the top three entries, click here.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION
Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is a federation that serves almost 1,000 members and represents more than 500 long term care facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and sub-acute care, short-term rehab, assisted living and other services to the frail elderly and individuals with disabilities in Florida. The mission of FHCA is to advance the quality of services, image, professional development and financial stability of its members. As Florida's first and largest advocacy organization for long term care providers and the elderly they serve, the Association has worked diligently since 1954 to assist its members with continuously improving quality of care and quality of life for the state’s growing elder care population. For more information about Florida Health Care Association, visit [url=http://www.fhca.org]http://www.fhca.org[/url].  

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