Tonja Myers works to keep residents safe while weathering budget cuts, staffing losses
by Heather Lea in Business Pulse magazine
Like many health care leaders, Christian Health Care Center’s Tonja Myers has had her hands full during the pandemic — not just with mandates and safety protocols, but also with ensuring the safety of the elderly individuals in her care. And CHCC’s executive director did all this while juggling budget cuts and industry-wide staffing shortages.
Though the long-term care center received some funding related to COVID-19, Myers and her team were still forced to carefully monitor budgets, adjust staff and make other changes to continue operations — all while revenue declined and the cost of doing business increased.
“I don’t sell anything anyone wants to buy,” she said, “but when our services are needed, I want to make sure people have the best possible experience.”
The only locally held, nonprofit skilled nursing facility in Whatcom County, CHCC provides patient-centered skilled nursing services, therapeutic rehabilitation, and long-term, 24-hour nursing care.
“We consider it an honor to serve and to share life with the people entrusted
to our care,” Myers said.
Sharing life with long-term care residents means providing enriching activities such as gardening and community bicycle trips and helping them maintain connections with friends and family. When visitation was paused at all long-term care centers during the pandemic, CHCC purchased additional iPads and coordinated video visits so residents could stay in touch with loved ones.
Myers received a degree in therapeutic and outdoor recreation from
Eastern Washington University in 1984. She became an administrator in training, then tested for her nursing home administrator license in 1988, serving eight years at her first facility in Aberdeen. She moved to Bellingham in 1996 to work in long-term care, eventually taking the administrator position at CHCC in 2015.
Her proudest career achievement has been keeping CHCC residents protected during the pandemic.
“I am a team builder and have a talent for surrounding myself with smart, capable and dedicated people,” Myers said. “I have been able to lead organizations in providing truly exceptional care, even during extreme challenges, and that success lies with my team.”
CHCC, founded in 1956, employs 150 full-time and 40 part-time Whatcom locals. The care center’s mission is to provide skilled health care with compassion and love in Christ’s name. Notable awards and recognitions for CHCC include: the Dr. Herbert Shore Outstanding Mentor Award; Best Performance in Nursing from LeadingAge Washington; the Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll; and multiple years as the best assisted living facility in Lynden, as voted by readers of the Lynden Tribune.
The care center is a clinical site for Whatcom County nursing programs, and it offers an employer-funded nursing assistant certification class for those looking to start a career at CHCC.
Myers is involved in many local organizations, including Aging Well Whatcom, Bellingham Bay Rotary, the Western Washington University Palliative Care Institute and Washington Health Care Association. She enjoys acting and has participated in shows at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. She personally supports Whatcom Hospice, Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth, Bellingham Music Club and Animals as Natural Therapy.
“I thoroughly enjoy this area,” Myers said. “Whatcom County locals are honest and gracious with their feedback, even during trying times. I look forward to more years of exploring how CHCC can better serve our community.”