2 min read January 2022 — “Social isolation can be just as detrimental to your health as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity, resulting in premature death,” said President and CEO Gerald Stryker of John Knox Village (JKV) in a conversation with Invest:. According to the CEO, who takes weekly 6 a.m. walks where he listens and shares his vision with residents, John Knox Village “is an innovative, vibrant and essential community that’s constantly transforming.” The secret to its adaptability? Intentional leadership and partnerships like the Green House Project, which push the organization to better understand its residents, reassess strategies and navigate crises.
How has John Knox Village approached business in the community over the past year?
This year more than ever, we deeply recognized the power and importance of partnerships. During the midst of the pandemic, JKV was the first community in Florida to enforce mask mandates as well as offer vaccines and boosters. Moreover, we were the first in the state to design and implement a skilled nursing model—the Green House Project—which was pivotal in the management of COVID-19. Unlike most traditional skilled nursing communities, where residents often don’t have a private room, our layout is such that 10 to 12 elders live in a small house, all with individual suites and private bathrooms with a communal kitchen. When the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, our skilled nursing residents were able to isolate and maintain a low infection rate, all from the comfort of their own home. The implementation of technology was crucial in our community during this time, providing a new method for meaningful interactions with family and loved ones. Given JKV’s many features and safety protocols, a move here was (and is) incredibly appealing to those in the market for a transition.
What challenges and opportunities have you faced?
JKV is currently addressing the challenge of how to best help residents thrive at home. Our team is in the process of creating a concept that provides elders with the tools and resources needed to flourish in their personal environments. Our partnerships with Everside Health, Johns Hopkins Healthcare Solutions, and Holy Cross Health have been huge opportunities. In early 2021, JKV was able to welcome its first Center for Healthy Living which operates as an independent healthcare provider, offering convenient and affordable healthcare to residents, no or low-cost healthcare for team members, and select community partners. As believers of a servant leadership-style business model, one of our non-negotiables was to offer in-house healthcare (no co-pay) to employees during their shifts.
We’re ecstatic about the new Aquatic Complex that opened in March, with its two pools, poolside restaurant and pub, court sports, Jacuzzi, and fire pit. This area builds upon the opportunities we have for our residents to socialize and get to know each other better. Across our campus, we have also worked to provide different housing layouts to showcase our care, understanding of the demographic, and focus on personalization—all reasons why we’re so unique. Anyone can have great amenities. Our opportunity is to deliver on the benefits of them. Our award-winning programming is a testament to this.
What strategies have you implemented to manage the impact of the labor shortage?
We’ve given great thought as to why there are so many open positions in the healthcare industry. The pandemic has brought even more stress to an already understaffed industry. With a staggering 75% burnout rate among U.S. nurses and physicians, so many workers face exhaustion from treating those that are ill. With our campus having an incredibly high vaccination rate, we don’t have that same kind of burnout. One of the biggest issues impacting nursing is the lack of educators to train new healthcare workers, paired with balancing salary needs with the rising costs of inflation and the impact of the supply chain.
Our leadership has proactively reassessed livable income levels, compensation and benefits packages, and our process of filling positions with the right people—we’ve since then hired over eighty new employees. JKV talent needs easy access to work, so the team is also looking at offering a selection of staff housing opportunities. We recognize that job satisfaction is not only the salary but a number of other benefits such as free onsite healthcare and mentorship opportunities and are working to make sure our employees are supported across all dimensions.
The purpose is at the forefront of every facet of JKV, so it’s our goal to give staff something to believe in and work towards. Our residents have raised $2 million in scholarship funding for the continuation of employee education. We also partner with an Innovation Charter School that serves kindergarten to sixth grade, so parents can be close to their children. Our goal is to bridge generations and see young adults grow from childhood to elderhood with a healthy understanding of age—a time with so many wonderful chapters and opportunities.
What projects and innovations are underway?
In the coming years, we’re focused on the overall growth and enhancement of JKV. Westlake, a new residential neighborhood that will offer 146 one-to-two-bedroom homes, will be completed in 2024. We have already seen a pre-sale of 110 of those units, exceeding sales goals ahead of schedule amidst the uncertainty of a Covid market. We’re also working with MIT AgeLab to create a satellite incubation lab that will be hosted on the JKV campus, researching innovative products and services for our elders. One of our primary goals is to understand the Longevity Economy—the economic activity driven by the needs and desires of those aged fifty or higher.
What are your key objectives and outlook for JKV in the near term?
The well-being of our residents and staff will always remain our top priority. As a result of the pandemic, our team learned how to best respond to matters of concern with care, wisdom, and efficiency—a crisis plan we want to continue building upon as we move ahead. We are committed to exploring the concept of at-home care and what it entails, as well as tackling the issues that older adults face. JKV will continue to be a community where elders can live, work and play as they embark on exciting new opportunities in the next phase of their lives, and bring new opportunities and advancements to elders on a global scale.
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