Well Beings

 Tyler sits down with Conner Monks, administrator at Fountain Hills PARC.  Conner talks about the challenges of being a young administrator and the joy that this position brings him.  He talks about management styles and some of the mentors he had that helped him become the excellent administrator he is today.

Tyler sits down with Reed Gunnell, owner and operator of Heritage Lane Behavioral Assisted Living, to tackle the topic of behavioral and mental health care in a residential setting.  Once an administrator for a publicly-traded company, Reed took a leap of faith and dove headfirst into the world of ownership.  Reed illuminates some of the key distinctions between ownership and employment, and gives insights into what has made his venture wildly successful – Both for him and for the residents to whom he provides care and compassion.  There are very few behavioral assisted living communities in Arizona, and not a one like Heritage Lane.  This episode provides a peak behind the curtains of this highly specialized sector, so to speak, and Reed’s years of experience and expertise shine through in his conversation with Tyler.

Tyler sits down with Shana Hudson from ComForCare to talk about the burgeoning Aging Life Care Professional industry.  Shana sheds light on the services Aging Life Care Professionals provide to Arizona’s most vulnerable population and shares a wealth of knowledge about making sure the older people in our lives can access the resources they need.

Tyler sits down with Michelle Page from Caring Senior Transitions to talk about the ins and outs of the placement agent industry.  Michelle talks about the ethics of serving seniors in this capacity, and eloquently illustrates the joys of being a placement agent.  Michelle has years of experience in this industry, and her insight is illuminating, to say the least.  Enjoy Michelle Page’s insight into this important component of long-term care.

Ep. 108.  Tyler sits down with Jon Scott Williams, long-time administrator of Fellowship Square, Mesa, who has spearheaded more innovations than can be enumerated, not just within his community, but within the industry at large.  Jon Scott recounts the evolution of assisted living communities and shares many of the pearls of insight he has gleaned from his many years serving the aging population.  Jon Scott is an administrator’s administrator, so to speak, and his passion for service and love for people shine through in this conversation.

Ep. 107. Tyler sits down with Kaye Baker from Glencroft Center for Modern Aging to discuss the pillars of healthful aging.  Diet, exercise, movement, social connections, and continuous learning all come into the conversation, and Kaye offers key insights into incorporating these fundamentals into our lives as we age.

Tyler sits down with Dorothea Stewart, Administrator for Glencroft Center for Modern Aging’s Assisted Living Communities.  Dorothea distinguishes assisted living from skilled nursing, and discusses the appropriate timing for considering moving a loved one to independent or assisted living.  She then talks about the evolution that Glencroft has underwent to incorporate a holistic approach to care that includes mind, body, and spirit.  To the spiritual element of this equation, Dorothea shares the benefits of meditation, being in nature, and most importantly, loving one another.

Tyler sits down with Deborah Hargrave, MSW, to discuss hospice.  Deborah sheds light on the notion that hospice is a set of services, not a destination, and then elaborates on all the many services that hospice entails.  You will walk away from this episode with a desire to volunteer for a hospice agency, no doubt.

Tyler sits down with Melissa Henak, Elder Care Advisor for JacksonWhite, PC.  Melissa describes her role as an Elder Care Advisor and outlines what folks can do when confronted with a health crisis that necessitates long-term care.  Melissa shares her insights on ALTCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program that covers the cost of long-term care for qualifying individuals, and strongly conveys that help and hope is available for everyone.  Melissa’s core values shine through, and it is always a true delight speaking with somebody whose primary purpose in life is to love God and love others.  Melissa will inspire and impress you, without a doubt.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Buffy Lloyd-Krejci, One of the foremost authorities on infection prevention and control in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.  Dr. Buffy, as she is affectionately called, is a frequent contributor and interview source for national and trade press concerning infection prevention and control and mitigation, and she recently authored Broken:  How the Global Pandemic uncovered a nursing home industry in need of repair and the heroic staff fighting for change.  Dr. Buffy shares insights gleaned from decades of working in infection prevention, and offers solutions, not just at a macro-level, but at a micro-level, what we as consumers of long-term care can do to mitigate infectious diseases in long-term care settings.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Joel Steinberg, Board Certified Addictionologist, whose practice serves the greater Cleveland area.  Dr. Steinberg talks about opening one of the country’s first methadone clinics and illuminates how medication-assisted-treatment (MAT) can be an integral component to recovery from opiate use disorder.  Dr. Steinberg explains how addiction works and provides a hopeful perspective on our ability to overcome the opiate epidemic, despite the failings of the war on drugs.  It is never too late to change, and this conversation provides a framework for successfully overcoming opiate use disorder.

Tyler sits down with Sarah Sjostrom, MNS, RN, ANCP-BC, the Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Harvard Medical School Affiliate, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center about something we all have plenty of these days, stress.  They talk about stress in all of its manifestations, and illustrate how healthy stress-management not only mitigates against deleterious effects, but also strengthens us as individuals and provides a unique and powerful grown opportunity.  Being “stressed out” is sometimes worn as a badge of honor, but this physiological response can set a series of additional physiological responses into motion, all of which are equally detrimental and preventable.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Yvette Erasmus, Psyd. Lp, to discuss compassion-based healthcare, and how non-violent consciousness supports health and healing.  They discuss the feedback loop between spirituality and science,  and identify universal principles found in the wisdom traditions can guide our ethics and behaviors.  Dr. Erasmus draws a strict dichotomy between co-creative, collaborative systems and domination systems and illustrates how the latter breeds shame, blame, guilt, and fear, even if only unintentionally.  Enjoy.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Karl Steinberg, MD. HMDC, CMD.  Dr. Steinberg speaks with Tyler about his tenure as the President of AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute & Long-Term Care Medicine, before taking a deep-dive into Advance Care Planning, including Advance Directives and POLST Forms.  They discuss the bioethics of VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking, and then liven things up with a discussion on Dr. Steinberg’s practice of bringing his dog to work.  Enjoy.

Tyler sits down with long-time friend, Timothy Jindra, LMHC, of Utah band, High Mountain Soulto celebrate the release of a new EP, released by Tim’s Band, High Mountain Soul.  Tim and Ty talk about writing and producing music, and then contrast playing music with offering counseling as a licensed therapist.  Tim spent years working at Cirque Lodge, one of the nation’s premier substance abuse rehabilitation facilities, and he shares the perspective he gained working with those afflicted with Substance Abuse Disorder.  They go on to discuss alcoholism, addiction, and the impact that substances have on the brain.  Time flew in this episode, but the two agreed to return for Part II, leaving this episode to be continued for now.  Enjoy.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Carla Cheatham, nationally renowned speaker and  author, to talk about mindful self-awareness and emotional resiliency.  Dr. Cheatham brings up a therapeutic modality, Internal Family Systems  (IFS), and she coaxes Tyler to discuss his research in and experience  with IFS. The two talk about the benefits of retreating from the demands  of modern society, both through daily meditation and intermittent  self-retreats. This episode offers a roadmap for self-care that you  won’t want to miss.

Tyler sits down with Lin Sue Cooney, former Arizona newscaster turned  Director of Community Engagement with Hospice of the Valley. Lin shares a  personal experience with a family member that ultimately inspired her  to join the organization. Along with providing people comfort and  dignity at the end of life, Tyler and Lin talk about other resources  Hospice of the Valley provides for the local Arizona community.

Tyler sits down with Rebecca Doyle Executive Director, Care Coordination Post-Acute at Banner Health

Tyler sits down with Courtney Fischbeck, Nursing Home Administrator, South Mountain Post-Acute

Tyler sits down with Scott Petty, Executive Director at Desert Blossom Health & Rehab

Tune in January 2022 for new episodes!

Tyler speaks with Francois Beausoleil, founder of the Empathic Leadership.  Francois has journeyed a full and interesting life, starting as a musician for Cirque de Soleil, and then working his way to become a Non Violent Communication Trainer and Empathic Coach.  Early on, Francois found that despite accomplishing his external goals, something was missing – He was just plain unhappy.  Being a resourceful man, he sought coaching and almost immediately fell in love with the self-development tools that would ultimately become his life’s work.  Francois brought this work into the long-term care center earlier this year, and he is already seeing tremendous success with his clients.  Tyler and Francois dive into the best practices that Francois has developed for increasing compassion and wellness, and, guess what?  These are practices in which we can all engage with a little intentionality.  This is a fun one!

Tyler sits down with Dr. David Yetman, professor and Emmy-award winning media presenter, who currently hosts the hit PBS series,  In the Americas.  Dr. Yetman brings the insights he has gleaned from his world travels to bear on the topic of wellness.  He shares his opinions on healthful living, and contrasts the wellness practices in which we engage in the United States with those practiced in other cultures.  Dr. Yetman stresses that social roots and friendships are integral to our wellness, both individually and collectively.  As a bonus, Dr. Yetman gives Tyler travel suggestions.

Tyler sits down with Dave Voepel. His second appearance on Well Beings. The pair discuss recent federal and state legislation that has impacted the long-term care landscape, they then meander into talking about grapes for wine versus grapes for jelly. The episode wraps up when the mic is turned over to Dave to interviews Tyler, wherein they chat about the types of issues associated living to 130 years old.

Tyler sits down with Polly Dithmer, founder of La Luz Circles.  La Luz is not art class and it is not therapy, it is a healing modality that exists in that liminal space in between these two things.  Put very simply, Polly started La Luz Circles early on in the pandemic as an interdisciplinary approach to deal with hard things.   With a background in both psychology and art, Polly has a unique perspective that lends itself nearly perfectly to her work.  Art is cathartic and we are all artists, whether we know it or not.  Polly explains that when we drop our expectations about what art “should” look like, we can access previously unchartered territories and release experiences and traumas that we have been weighing us down for our entire lives.

Tyler sits down with Lisa Yeager, MSW, LICSW, CPTR, to discuss Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy.  Psychedelics are making a come-back, only this time in a sacred class of medicines that can offer patients revolutionary experiences and positive neurological transformation.  Lisa describes a variety of psychedelic medicines, but devotes much of the conversation to Ketamine Treatment, as this particular drug is the only psychedelic that is currently legal.  Lisa holds space for Tyler to share his Ketamine experience, and then offers insight and wisdom to help Tyler properly integrate his experience in a non-ordinary state.  As her imparting words of wisdom, Lisa invites all of us to be curious, a cure-all that costs us nothing but our attention.

The amazing Paige Hector returns to talk about grief and mourning, as they relate to our arduous transition into a post-pandemic era.  Shortly after the outbreak of Covid, Paige helped us prepare for the struggles of quarantine by teaching us the principles of emotional resilience.  As we now try to move forward, Paige and Tyler talk about the importance of making space for mourning as a means by which to not just “return to normal” as the pandemic diminishes, but to undergo posttraumatic growth and return to something better than the old “normal.”  Paige is a delight, and this episode is a must for those who are ready to move forward with gusto.

Tyler sits down with Sylvia Haskvitz, Registered Dietician and Non Violent Communication trainer, to talk about the interplay between Non Violent Communication and nutrition.  Sylvia addresses the problem that so many of us have, emotional eating, and then unpacks a solution to this problem.  The title to Sylvia’s book, Eat by Choice Not by Habit, is something to which we can all aspire, and Sylvia offers some practical tools to help us progress towards this goal.  Healthful nutrition asks us to be mindful of what we put into our mouths and healthful communication asks us to be mindful about what comes out of our mouths.  This episode shines light on both of these endeavors.

Tyler sits down with Melanie Sears, RN, MBA, PhD. to discuss her book, Humanizing Healthcare, in which Dr. Sears talks about her efforts to implement Non-Violent Communication in healthcare.  They talk about some of the injustices that Dr. Sears witnessed over the course of her impressive career, along with a very important solution that Dr. Sears offers to the healthcare community.  Dr. Sears also happens to be a certified non-violent communication trainer, so she illuminates the components of NVC and offers a primer on how to bring a healthier form of communication into your relationships.

Tyler sits down with his partner, Elder Law attorney, Eric Macdonald. They discuss Elder Law, the area of law they both practice in, as well as the process of how they help clients qualify for long-term care benefits in Arizona. They give real life examples of cases they have worked on as well as the steps one can expect when they work with our Elder Law team here at JacksonWhite Law.

Tyler  sits down with Brigham Curran, Administrator at Haven of Phoenix, to  discuss the challenges and rewards that attend life in a skilled nursing facility, whether as a resident, an employee,  or a manager.  Brigham offers a peak into what it has been like to surf  the wave of Covid-19 in a long-term care unit, and offers a forecast for  things to come on the pandemic front.  Brigham shares his philosophy on building a work-family, and gives insight on  strengthening relationships and developing camaraderie.

Tyler sits down with friend, Nigel Santiago, to discuss Nigel’s path to healthcare, along with the twists and turns that Nigel has taken since starting his career.  Nigel has worn many hats in the field of long-term care and he currently holds an ownership stake in newly launched, Vincero Healthcare.  While Nigel’s story is the context, discussion points range from intentionality, awareness, planning, and personal growth.  Nigel and Tyler open up and talk about the routines and rituals in which they engage to be the best version of themselves.

Tyler sits down with BJ Miller and Rebecca Adelman to discuss what is coming to be known as the Adelman-Mettle Alliance. BJ is a renowned palliative care physician who draws upon his personal experiences and world view to bring his practice to the forefront of the medical community.  Rebecca is an attorney who brings her specialties in defense and risk management to the world of long-term healthcare.  Rebecca and BJ work together on a unique alliance whose primary concern is reducing suffering.  The group dives into the nascent alliance’s initiatives and goals and ultimately circles around to conclude that compassion is at the heart of it all.

Tyler speaks with hospice worker, author, speaker, and social activist, Scott Janssen, about end-of-life transpersonal experiences.  Scott has devoted much of his life to hospice, and has witnessed first-hand a number of Near Death Experiences and After Death Communication.  Scott opens up about his article that the Washington Post recently published, and shares his belief that a common thread of love connects all of humanity.  Scott and Tyler talk about life-changing moments that have the potential to forever alter the course of a person’s destination.

Tyler’s daughter, Autumn was feeling down and out so she came to work with dad.  She sits down behind the mic to give a kid’s perspective of school-life during the pandemic.  Short and sweet, perhaps the sweetest episode yet.

Pillars of Health Series: Sleep. Tyler brings Dr. Eric Udell from Arizona Natural Health Center back onto the show for a recurring special on the “Pillars of Health.”  Tyler and Eric talk about the second pillar of health, sleep. Sleep is foundational, in fact, most folks spend about a third of their lives between the sheets.  Dr. Udell talks about sleep through the lens of LGO:  Long enough?  Good enough?  On time?  Each of these questions have to be answered affirmatively for sleep to be optimal, yet most of us look at sleep as the one thing that we can deprive ourselves of when we need a little extra time.  The “sleep when you’re dead” culture is more deleterious than you might expect, and Dr. Udell lays everything out in an understandable and motivational way.  Bottom line is that most Americans are under-slept, and this is more dangerous than most of us care to admit.  Tune in for all-things-sleep, and you will glean an understanding of just how important it is to guard and protect your sleep.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Malcolm Herring, who practiced cardiovascular surgery for more than two decades before turning to a life of service in the Coalition for Physician Well-Being.  Dr. Herring shares stories of hope and patient care, and reminds us how important it is to connect with colleagues not just from the head, but from the heart.

Tyler sits down with Sarah Maxwell, Board Certified Music Therapist, to explore music therapy and all of its benefits.  In so many ways, every one of us is organically a “patient” of music therapy.  Sarah validates this notion, but proceeds to illuminate all of the many ways in which music is used in clinical and therapeutic modalities to change the way we see the world.  In short, Sarah shows us how music heals us, without regard to the ailment.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Kendrick Johnson, board certified family physician and lifestyle medicine specialist. In this episode, the discussion is centered around the healthcare system, and the question of, if medication isn’t the answer, what is? Dr. Kendrick believes it’s lifestyle. They talk about the distinction of burnout and moral injury as it relates to systemic change as well as individual change. They also shed light on opportunities the healthcare industry could make to shift from the treatment model, to a preventative one.

Pillars of Health Series:  Mindset – Part II.  Tyler and Dr. Eric Udell from Arizona Natural Health Center are back discussing part II of Mindset in the “Pillars of Health,” episode series. In this episode, Tyler and Dr. Udell discuss how beliefs can contribute, limit, or shape one’s reality. They also talk about habits, being present, heart intelligence and conclude the episode with examples of how to add a gratitude practice to your daily routine.

Pillars of Health Series:  Mindset – Part I.  Tyler brings Dr. Eric Udell from Arizona Natural Health Center back onto the show for a recurring special on the “Pillars of Health.”  Tyler and Eric talk about the first pillar of health, mindset.  Mindset is not only essential to tackling the remaining six pillars of health, but also provides health and wellness benefits in its own right.  Today is Part one of a two part series on mindset, in which Dr. Udell shares his insight on why mindset is essential to success, illuminates mindset’s capacity to reduce a litany of physical ailments, and differentiates between a fixed and growth mindset.  Lots of great stuff in here, and this is just Part I.

Tyler sits down with Ashley Swinson, MSW, LCSW, owner of TIDE Associates, PLLC. In this episode of Well Beings, the discussion is centered around several different themes Ashley has observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tyler and Ashley discuss “self-sustainability in a pandemic,” and surviving a prolonged season of suffering. Not only do they unpack the “problems” or themes that have been observed, the two, also offer solutions to these ongoing issues.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Carla Cheatham, nationally renowned speaker and author, to talk about mindful self-awareness and emotional resiliency. Dr. Cheatham brings up a therapeutic modality, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and she coaxes Tyler to discuss his research in and experience with IFS. The two talk about the benefits of retreating from the demands of modern society, both through daily meditation and intermittent self-retreats. This episode offers a roadmap for self-care that you won’t want to miss.

Tyler sits down with Brent Cope, President of Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, to talk about the future of healthcare in the United States.  They talk about conflicting goals within the healthcare system, and ways in which to avoid burn-out in a milieu with high demands and even higher expectations.  Brent offers insight on balancing work-commitments with home-life that could help many find homeostasis, even in a troubled time.

Tyler sits down with Dr. Eric Udell and Dr. Danite Haller from Arizona Natural Health Center to discuss a holistic and natural approach to wellness.  The doctors provide an overview of important pillars of health, and will likely be back to take a deeper dive into each pillar.  Take this opportunity to learn from two of Arizona’s most renowned naturopathic doctors, and you will walk away with a deeper understanding of wellness, health, and some of what it takes to make yourself the best version of yourself.

Well Beings, a podcast that provides a platform for dedicated healthcare workers to tell stories of hope, inspiration, and humor.

Tyler sits down with Lin Sue Cooney, former Arizona newscaster turned Director of Community Engagement with Hospice of the Valley. Lin shares a personal experience with a family member that ultimately inspired her to join the organization. Along with providing people comfort and dignity at the end of life, Tyler and Lin talk about other resources Hospice of the Valley provides for the local Arizona community.

Well Beings, a podcast that provides a platform for dedicated healthcare workers to tell stories of hope, inspiration, and humor.

Tyler sits down with Bob Roth.