August 21, 2025 • 20 mins
Joshua Wagner, Divisional Director at Aviata Health Group and Senior Vice President of the Florida Health Care Association, shares his journey from aspiring physician to healthcare leader and how embracing his purpose transformed his career trajectory.
• Born and raised in Florida, began in pre-med before discovering his calling in health services administration
• Brings over a decade of leadership experience across healthcare organizations, including Millennial Healthcare, Clear Choice Healthcare, and Aviata Health Group
• Currently oversees business development and leadership development initiatives for Aviata’s 58 facilities
• Serves as Senior Vice President for the Florida Health Care Association and has held multiple leadership roles on its Executive Board, including Treasurer and Secretary
• Advocates for early involvement in professional associations to build influence and drive change
• Recognizes Florida’s unique position as a leader in healthcare quality due to collaborative providers and supportive legislation
• Applies a 30-60-90 day improvement plan to help struggling facilities elevate operations and care standards
• Leverages healthy competition to engage teams and improve outcomes for residents
• Encourages forming employee-led engagement teams that strengthen workplace culture and ownership
• Credits his grandfather’s influence and a pivotal lunch with a CCRC CEO for sparking his passion for long-term care
• Expresses gratitude to industry colleagues for their mentorship and partnership in advancing quality care
Subscribe to the Let’s Get Comfy Podcast for more conversations with healthcare leaders driving positive change in long-term care.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode of let's Get Comfy was brought to you by
Evolutionary Healthcare.
Caring is what we do.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to another episode of the let's Get Comfy
podcast.
I'm your host, norman Harris,the CEO of Comfort Measures
Consulting.
I have a wonderful guest withme, a leader in the healthcare
industry and a long-term carejourneyman as well, and I always
start, I guess, allowing themto introduce themselves, and, to
my right, I have.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I have Joshua Wagner.
I am with Aviata Health Groupand also I'm an executive board
member, senior vice president,with the Florida Healthcare
Association.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yes, sir, Thank you for taking time out of your day
to come join the platform man.
It means a lot to me.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
I'm excited to be here, norman, really excited,
yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
So, josh, we're going to start this with you
personally, right?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Tell us where you're from, your hobbies, what you
enjoy doing, okay so I'mactually a Florida boy, born and
raised yes, sir Grew up inMerritt Island, florida, so born
at Cape Granaver Hospital backin Brevard County, cape Granaver
.
Yeah, so I'm, this is my homestate, so that's where I'm from.
But just, you know, grew uphere, went to school here,
stayed here, work here.
(01:08):
You know it's just been greatso, but you know it's, you know
it's a great state to live in.
It's been a great state to livein.
It really helped, you know,develop me.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yes, sir, what led you into healthcare?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So honestly, like I've always kind of wanted to be
in healthcare, I actuallywanted to go to school to be a
doctor, and look how well thatturned out.
So when I went to school myfirst degree was like degree
path was molecular microbiology,which was the pre-med path back
at UCF, and just organicchemistry too was the hardest B
I've ever gotten in my entirelife.
(01:40):
So that's kind of went there.
And then I honestly got achance to talk to a lot of
physicians and hospitals andstuff like that and really just
the changing nature of healthcare.
And so you know, I don't thinkI'd rather be on the business
and advocacy side, and so I kindof switched to health services,
administration, and the rest ishistory.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Rest is history.
So now you're a leader inFlorida, if you would tell us.
Just give us, if we're in theelevator, together we go into
the 50th floor.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Tell us just the last 10 years of your professional
journey, right?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
So last 10 years, so most recently with Aviati Health
Group for a little under a yearnow.
Prior to that I was withMillennial Healthcare and they
operate in kind of centralFlorida and I've been with them.
I was doing like seniorexecutive director kind of
helping with running facilitybut also help oversee other
facilities, which was good.
Prior to that, With ClearChoice Healthcare through COVID,
(02:31):
spent some time with them inOrlando at Conway Lakes for a
long time and that wasdefinitely an experience because
just the whole COVID time waswith them.
Well, yeah, Everything likethat.
So it was crazy.
It was definitely crazy, butthat's kind of like with the
companies that I've been withand then with Florida Healthcare
Association, just really beenkind of growing up in the ranks
from being with committees,committee chair running the
(02:52):
annual conference committee,getting on the executive board
and it's just been a whirlwindand it's been awesome it really
has been A true servant leadertoo, so you've always been
involved, and just to see thetrajectory and how you grew is
very inspiring to a lot of otherleaders in long-term care.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
If you had a message to share with a future long-term
care professional just someonestarting out their career what
would you say to them?
So?
Speaker 1 (03:16):
get involved.
Like you know, we're loudestwhen we do it together.
Do it together, like when we,when we go together and we do
the lobby Wednesdays and we do,you know, inviting the, the
representatives and the statesenators to come to our centers
and um, and everything likethat's.
That's when we're the last andthat's what we really can make a
big, big impact on um, doingstuff for our residents, for our
staff, you know, and reallymaking sure that our care
(03:38):
centers are getting what theyneed and um.
So get involved and ask, askfor help.
You need help.
Ask Florida Healthcare's here.
You got people outside of yourcompanies even that you can
offer assistance.
Like I always tell them getinvolved early.
Like you don't have to be onthe executive board to get
involved.
Like some of my fondestmemories are working on the
committees and learning moreabout how this profession works
(03:59):
and the things to do and how todo it and from there, kind of
building your building blocksand go up from there and, you
know, move up from committee tocommittee chair to region VP, to
, you know, getting on theexecutive committee and you can
do it all and it's just, it'srewarding because you really
feel like you're giving back.
You know, you're able to seejust the things we do and the
voices we have and the impact we.
(04:20):
It kind of trickles back downto the centers and it's just
amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Right.
So in your opinion and if youwould share with the audience,
is what makes Florida a greatplace for retirement, but also a
great place for care.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Okay Well, number one , the weather Weather yeah, it's
beautiful and the state's justa beautiful state.
But I think really you, justbecause there's, you know, first
off, I think really you justbecause there's, you know, first
off, I think you have somecompassionate providers here,
especially in our space, in thelong-term care space, there's
people that just you know,either whether they're
transplants or whether they havegrown up here or lived here for
(04:55):
a long time, they're passionateabout taking care of people and
really making sure that thecare they're getting is quality
and amazing care, you know, andit doesn't say there isn't
hiccups in the world, but, likeyou know, we're people taking
care of people, you know.
So it's always revolving, tryingto get better, trying to reach
that perfection that we'll neverreach.
But you know that's what it is.
But you know, when you havethat, and then you have the
(05:15):
providers who go to the statelegislature and say, hey, we
want to provide the best qualitycare, help us do that.
And then the legislature says,sure, let's do that and create
that gold standard that we gotgoing now that other states are
copying because they're seeinglike holy cow, look at this,
look what the state of Floridais doing.
We're leading in so manydifferent metrics in quality and
(05:36):
I really think that you havegreat leadership in the Florida
Healthcare Association.
You have great leadership inthe state legislature and the
state government, and then youhave great leaders and the
providers that are around thestate.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
All right, thank you, that's actually really good.
That's a good answer.
Yeah, uh, and now you just saidthat off the top of your head.
I did so, aviana.
Am I pronouncing it correct?
Aviana aviana aviana healthcareyeah, uh, you're leader with
Aviata Healthcare.
Yeah, tell us about theorganization.
What's unique, what stands outas a company as a whole?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so Aviata a lot of the buildings and centers in
Aviata are the old consulatehealthcare buildings and some of
the other smaller ones thatwere kind of broken off
throughout.
And you know, we had our CEOand COO, nathan Freund, and Ami
Dagan.
They came in and wanted tostart something here, and so we
were able to get 58 buildingsaround the state to create this
(06:31):
and we started as Aspire HealthGroup, yes, and then had a
little snafu with the name andstuff.
There's another company outthere that has the name Aspire.
That wasn't too pleased,because I do like the new logo
too.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I love the new logo too.
Yeah, me too.
I love the new logo.
Yeah, but we changed to Aviata,just to you know.
So there's no issues with themand with us.
But the parent company is stillAspire Health Group out of you
know, out of the Northeast, butAviata.
But yeah, I'm not going to lie,I like the colors a little
better too.
The black and gold, I like it.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
I'm a UCF person, so Construction for health.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, that's right.
You hit a line or you canfinish too.
You can, yes.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So effective strategies and implementation in
long-term care.
And I want to do a scenariohere.
Okay, as a leader in healthcare, if you had a facility
struggling right with AviataHealth Group right, you took
over a new facility.
You purchased a new facilityRight, you guys are growing.
What do you guys process inregards to when you actually
(07:26):
purchase a facility from aclinical improvement standpoint?
Speaker 1 (07:30):
So a lot of it's going in and just kind of, you
know, going in and seeing what'salready there.
You know you want to see whatwe got going on.
Do we have the right systems inplace?
Are we doing the things we needto do on a daily basis?
And, honestly, do we have theright people in the right
positions?
Sometimes, you know, sometimesthere's a little disruption that
has to be made, whether it'sfrom the top down to the bottom
(07:50):
up, either way, or both sideseven, and you really got to just
evaluate it and you can't justgo in there and make a knee-jerk
decision and hope it's going tofix it, like you have to spend
the time.
I'm a big believer in the 30,60, 90 day kind of process.
You know you kind of observeand watch for 30 days, 60 days,
you start to put some new stuffin the 90 days, hey, we're here,
(08:11):
let's start making the changeskind of stuff.
And I think Aviata does a goodjob of that.
You know we took over somestruggling buildings that you
know had some quality issues andyou know it's going to take
time.
You know the the group itself,the company itself, has only
been around less than two years.
Wow, from Aspire to Aviata evenwith the name changes less than
two years.
So there's a lot of stuffthey've achieved in two years 58
buildings.
You ain't lying, that's a bigship to turn.
Big ship, big ship to turn.
(08:32):
So it's a lot, but you canalready see where there's some
positive improvement going andyou know we got buildings that
are leading the way, that arefour, and we're one star, and
now moving up twos and threes,and it's huge.
And it starts with quality.
It always does, and that'swhere there's a huge focus on
the quality and the clinicaloutcomes that we're providing,
making sure the care that weneed to give those residents is
the correct care.
(08:53):
That's the biggest thing.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yes.
So, josh, I'm telling you, youcome off very competitive, oh
right, Very competitive.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So are you competitive.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I'm very competitive, all right.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I don't like to lose.
Give me an example.
It doesn't have to beprofessional related.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
So I grew up playing sports a lot, what's more.
So I played baseball, football,basketball, ran track, played
soccer a little bit as well.
You got the J oh I used to Usedto.
It's been a while since I've,like my son, schools me now.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
What player in the NBA would you compare your?
Speaker 1 (09:29):
game to.
That is a really good question.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Derrick Fisher, Steph Curry.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I'm a scrapper.
I'm a scrapper.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I'm a scrapper, richard Jefferson.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Probably Like.
I like to get the like.
I'm going to go get the looseball.
I'm going to go do the hardfoul.
Who's this like that?
I'm trying to christine.
Yeah, that's not a bad name.
Like that, that's not a badperson.
Yeah uh artist yes, artist yeahthat's probably a good one.
Like I'm gonna do that, that'sI'm a scrapper.
Like I'm not.
I'm not the biggest guy, wasn'tthe tallest guy?
Plus you know, plus my skincolor, skin cover.
You gotta make up a little.
(09:57):
Can't jump aside, can't jumpaside.
But um, but no, you, you gottado that kind of stuff so.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
So how do you do you in actually being competitive?
How do you incorporate that inyour leadership style?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
So for me it's you know, I look at it as you know,
you always want to.
There's friendly competitionwith your sister facilities.
We'll say so there's all thatfriendly competition and you
always want to be the best, Ifeel like, because if you are
the best, you're delivering thebest care, and that's kind of
how I look at it.
So I kind of look at it thatway.
Um, the metrics that we usefrom cms as well as from the
(10:30):
state of florida for the qualitystuff, you know, looking at
that, because what I always sayis, especially with employees,
to really dial it down for them,like guys, like if we do these
things, the incentive for thepay for the residents to make
sure we can give them evenbetter care, is there yeah and
so I use that a lot and theythey get that.
They understand that.
They can say, oh, so if we give, like, amazing care, we can get
(10:51):
more back for our residents sothey can get more stuff and
exactly, and that's kind of what.
I kind of dial it down for thema lot, uh, and then you know
what's?
What's great is, I feel, likehealth care itself.
There's a lot of competitivepeople.
You just got to find your staffmembers and you kind of put them
in charge of things and be likehey, you're in charge of this.
And, like you know, I always dolike an employee engagement
team where the team, the actualstaff members, run it.
(11:13):
I'm just there for moralsupport and make sure they're
doing the stuff, but I let them,I want them to have ownership
in that and there, and you know,then engage in culture, because
everybody can find problems andissues.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Oh yeah, who's going to join the team?
Right, the fun squad takecommittee.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Join those committees .
Right the change.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Exactly, and oftentimes they create those
competitions like hey, unit aversus unit B, about you know,
the less falls, or or the whocan be the cleanest rooms, or
whatever it can be.
You know, and we even do funthings like wheelchair.
We'll do wheelchair races orwe'll do who can make a bed
faster and stuff like that, ormake the cleanest bed or
whatever.
Can I bounce a quarter off thatthing?
You know?
(11:52):
See, that's how it is.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
I knew you were a competitive man.
Yeah, heck, yeah.
So this show is definitelyabout speaking to the caregivers
, sharing knowledge andresources, definitely.
So if you had a message one, doyou have a personal story to
share regarding caregiving, butalso a message to families and
caregivers out there today.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
So yeah, so I actually I kind of grew up in
this industry.
I actually didn't think I'd behere.
Like I said, I wanted to be adoctor initially and actually my
job, um, after college, was ina hospital.
I worked in hospitals anddidn't want to do this.
My grandfather did this, uh,for many, many years when I was
growing up and he ran assistedliving, he ran nursing homes, he
(12:34):
ran independent livingfacilities as well.
So I grew up running aroundthese places.
I'm like I don't need to dothat.
No, no, no.
And um, really, I was in thehospitals and just, it's like,
it's very, it's not personal.
It felt, you know, it's cold,it's sanitary, you know kind of
thing.
And my grandfather said, well,he always wanted to push me
toward that.
And he said, hey, come talk tothis guy that I know and I was a
(12:57):
didn't know who it was.
He set up a lunch for me and itwas a CEO of a company that had
CCRCs in Florida.
And it was just lunch, itwasn't a job offer, it wasn't
anything else.
And he said, no, he kidded, mygrandfather didn't show up, it
was just me and that CEO.
And he was like hey, he goes.
I hear you're interested indoing something different.
(13:19):
And I said, yeah, I actually am.
And he spent the next two-hourlunch talking about the things
his company did, the residentsin his plate in his centers and
his communities and just thewonderful things they can do,
and it literally it kind of lita fire a little bit and it
really sparked something.
He said, hey, if you're reallyinterested, he goes.
You know, next that goes thenext following year, we're gonna
(13:41):
have an AIT opening up.
And I said, why not?
And I did it and just fell inlove, like, just felt like I.
I remember my first week inthis in the skilled center was
just a whirlwind, but it was somuch fun, it was just a blessing
and it's um, it's not somethinglike I said I thought I would
ever do, but it just um, I foundmy passion.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
You find your passion .
Speaker 1 (14:03):
And it was just.
It's amazing and I getemotional talking about it, but
it's just.
You know it's cool.
You connect your purpose withyour passion.
I do, I do, man.
That's what it is.
That's a big thing, it's great,that's a big thing it took me.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I really believe I did that at the age of 34.
So I'm a little later, yeah, Inthe game of connecting my
purpose with my passion.
Definitely, getting up in themorning.
It's not a pain to go to work.
I mean, of course, we'd ratherbe billionaires, billionaires,
of course.
But even those individuals work, yeah, they do.
(14:32):
So they stay busy, they do.
I'm going to start a littledrama here on the show.
Oh, a little drama, a littledrama, okay, all right, and this
may have a little backlash onyou all right here on the show
today.
Okay, three shout-outs, anddon't say I want to give all my
team members a shout-out.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Fair enough Three shout-outs.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yes sir.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Okay, and could it be my company, or anybody, anybody
, anybody.
Yes, sir, okay.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
I'm personal, because then I don't want to offend
your family or anybody like that.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So let's stay professional.
Three shout outs.
I will give a big shout out,especially right now, to Tom
Parker and Toby Philpott.
Yeah, just the work they do.
I've been blessed to be, youknow, hand in hand with them and
really see the things they dobehind the scenes.
And it is amazing work thatthey, what they do and how they
step up for our centers, for ourpeople, for our residents, and
(15:24):
they just do a bang up job.
And this year was a tough lift.
It was a tough lift this yearand they got it done.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I think Tom told me he's about to participate in
like a 100-mile run or somethinglike that.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Oh, yeah, he always does that kind of thing.
I'm like, what 100 miles?
You talk about beingcompetitive, that boy is
competitive, Jesus Christ.
But no, the two of them aregreat.
I will for my company, AviataJust an amazing, amazing
clinician, Just being like Ididn't know her well until I
joined the company and justtalking to her and getting to
(15:54):
know her and the people aroundher and the things she has done
and like just how well-respectedshe is.
She is a rock star, is all I cansay.
Deb Mack yeah, Deb Mack, she'sgood people too, Just a fun time
, fun person to be around.
Good people too, Just a funtime, fun person to be around.
But she's great and just alwayswilling to lift people up and
just build good teams and findthe right people for the right
(16:15):
places and that's just great.
I'll see if I can do one more.
Norman, I'm actually going tosay you, my friend, Really I am
like I remember when you starteddoing this and I heard about it
and I was like podcast, yes,sir, I was like who.
But when I more thought aboutit I was like that's an amazing
thing for us to do.
How else?
How a better way with how muchpeople?
How many podcasts are out thereabout everything under the sun?
But there really wasn't one forus, and you're really taking
(16:38):
that by the horn and reallyrunning with it.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
And I think it's amazing.
And when you told me there wasan opportunity, I said oh yeah,
he's going to be on the show atthe front of healthcare, for
sure.
And so I told Kristen Knapp.
I said I want him on the showfor sure.
So it really feels good to havepeople champion that and
actually publicly embrace it too.
Because I get a lot of peoplewalking by, you know coming.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I love what you do.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
That's fine, I love it, I accept it all.
Please continue that too.
But just the embracing andthose likes and shit.
I never been a social mediaperson Right, so now I'm like
fading into, like, oh man, theydidn't like my post now.
So now I'm like becoming thissocial media, watching those
things now.
So it does mean a lot and Ichallenge the audience out there
(17:25):
.
You know, subscribe to the show, tune in.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yes, I the audience out there, you know.
Subscribe to the show.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Yeah, tune in.
Yeah, I know, in most timesleisure time myself included I
like to watch funny things.
Of course I know it.
I'm sitting there on the couchwith my daughter watching TikTok
little kid funny videos RightFor an hour, and they like to
watch people eating.
I say why you want to hearpeople crunching and smacking,
for you know, but I alwayschallenge people to tune in to
things that will actuallybenefit you.
(17:49):
You hear from experts thatactually journey through health
care that you don't typicallyhave access to, right, and I
heard one of my mentors told meshe said tune into what you want
to turn into.
That's a great saying.
I said that.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
I did that too.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And that changed a lot of the landscape of what I
listen to in the car.
Now, right, those things Tuneinto what you want to turn into.
So I want to be able to preparemy family from a healthcare
situation.
Right, I want to be that personin my family that people can
call and say, hey man, mama,going through this, can you help
me?
Right, you can be that personin your family.
You can have your family aheadof the game, knowing the power
(18:26):
of attorney, having thatsituation, your mom, health
insurance, where a SocialSecurity card is, those type of
questions you can have answersto it now.
And that's what I wanted to dofor a community because, as you
know, in skilled nursing, peoplego and sit with admissions or
social services and they don'tknow where to start.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
And they have no idea what's going on and it's not
clear, like you said, it's notHaving an advocate like you
doing that and really can get it, boil it down to the people is
it's huge, it really is and it'sand it's.
And having someone who canreally help us bridge that gap
and really kind of change theculture and change the mindset
of how we, the things we do inour profession, is amazing.
Right, we're always looking forthose people and you're one of
those people.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Moment thank you.
You are my friend.
Thank you so Final words as wewrap up today.
Final words yes sir.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Just, you know it's been a great conference already.
Yes, sir, it's going to.
You know we got a couple daysleft.
I feel like every year we dobigger and better here and it's
amazing.
It's beautiful too.
Oh yeah, the Hyatt, the Hyattfun.
We can get all these peopletogether.
It's like old home week, it'slike a reunion, you know, at the
time alumni coming back um iswhat it is, and it's just so
(19:30):
much fun to get everybody hereand you get your passion back.
I feel like a lot because sooften we get I feel like we go
through the every day of thesurveys and you know the the
difficult things we have to gothrough, because we're
oftentimes we get people whatthe the worst part of their
lives right and you know, andwe're the ones that have to
build them up, and I feel likecoming back here and getting
with the people that you workwith hand in hand every day kind
of gives you that fuel back toreally get that fire going again
(19:51):
.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
And then it's a year or two.
So it's like your rejuvenation.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Exactly, to finish the year Exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Thank you again, sir, for joining the platform.
Thank you.
I'm so happy to have you.
Thank you to our sponsorsEvolutionary Healthcare, high
Regency, here in Orlando,wonderful, here in Orlando,
wonderful and, most of all,florida Healthcare Conference
and Trade Show Tune in to thenext episode.
Thank you, thank you, all right.
Thank you, sir man you killedthat.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Thanks, man.
This episode of let's Get Comfywas brought to you by
Evolutionary Healthcare.
Caring is what we do.
This episode of let's Get Comfy was brought to you by
Evolutionary Healthcare.
Caring is what we do.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to another episode of the let's Get Comfy
podcast.
I'm your host, norman Harris,the CEO of Comfort Measures
Consulting.
I have a wonderful guest withme, a leader in the healthcare
industry and a long-term carejourneyman as well, and I always
start, I guess, allowing themto introduce themselves, and, to
my right, I have.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I have Joshua Wagner.
I am with Aviata Health Groupand also I'm an executive board
member, senior vice president,with the Florida Healthcare
Association.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yes, sir, Thank you for taking time out of your day
to come join the platform man.
It means a lot to me.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
I'm excited to be here, norman, really excited,
yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
So, josh, we're going to start this with you
personally, right?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Tell us where you're from, your hobbies, what you
enjoy doing, okay so I'mactually a Florida boy, born and
raised yes, sir Grew up inMerritt Island, florida, so born
at Cape Granaver Hospital backin Brevard County, cape Granaver
.
Yeah, so I'm, this is my homestate, so that's where I'm from.
But just, you know, grew uphere, went to school here,
stayed here, work here.
(01:08):
You know it's just been greatso, but you know it's, you know
it's a great state to live in.
It's been a great state to livein.
It really helped, you know,develop me.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yes, sir, what led you into healthcare?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So honestly, like I've always kind of wanted to be
in healthcare, I actuallywanted to go to school to be a
doctor, and look how well thatturned out.
So when I went to school myfirst degree was like degree
path was molecular microbiology,which was the pre-med path back
at UCF, and just organicchemistry too was the hardest B
I've ever gotten in my entirelife.
(01:40):
So that's kind of went there.
And then I honestly got achance to talk to a lot of
physicians and hospitals andstuff like that and really just
the changing nature of healthcare.
And so you know, I don't thinkI'd rather be on the business
and advocacy side, and so I kindof switched to health services,
administration, and the rest ishistory.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Rest is history.
So now you're a leader inFlorida, if you would tell us.
Just give us, if we're in theelevator, together we go into
the 50th floor.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Tell us just the last 10 years of your professional
journey, right?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
So last 10 years, so most recently with Aviati Health
Group for a little under a yearnow.
Prior to that I was withMillennial Healthcare and they
operate in kind of centralFlorida and I've been with them.
I was doing like seniorexecutive director kind of
helping with running facilitybut also help oversee other
facilities, which was good.
Prior to that, With ClearChoice Healthcare through COVID,
(02:31):
spent some time with them inOrlando at Conway Lakes for a
long time and that wasdefinitely an experience because
just the whole COVID time waswith them.
Well, yeah, Everything likethat.
So it was crazy.
It was definitely crazy, butthat's kind of like with the
companies that I've been withand then with Florida Healthcare
Association, just really beenkind of growing up in the ranks
from being with committees,committee chair running the
(02:52):
annual conference committee,getting on the executive board
and it's just been a whirlwindand it's been awesome it really
has been A true servant leadertoo, so you've always been
involved, and just to see thetrajectory and how you grew is
very inspiring to a lot of otherleaders in long-term care.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
If you had a message to share with a future long-term
care professional just someonestarting out their career what
would you say to them?
So?
Speaker 1 (03:16):
get involved.
Like you know, we're loudestwhen we do it together.
Do it together, like when we,when we go together and we do
the lobby Wednesdays and we do,you know, inviting the, the
representatives and the statesenators to come to our centers
and um, and everything likethat's.
That's when we're the last andthat's what we really can make a
big, big impact on um, doingstuff for our residents, for our
staff, you know, and reallymaking sure that our care
(03:38):
centers are getting what theyneed and um.
So get involved and ask, askfor help.
You need help.
Ask Florida Healthcare's here.
You got people outside of yourcompanies even that you can
offer assistance.
Like I always tell them getinvolved early.
Like you don't have to be onthe executive board to get
involved.
Like some of my fondestmemories are working on the
committees and learning moreabout how this profession works
(03:59):
and the things to do and how todo it and from there, kind of
building your building blocksand go up from there and, you
know, move up from committee tocommittee chair to region VP, to
, you know, getting on theexecutive committee and you can
do it all and it's just, it'srewarding because you really
feel like you're giving back.
You know, you're able to seejust the things we do and the
voices we have and the impact we.
(04:20):
It kind of trickles back downto the centers and it's just
amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Right.
So in your opinion and if youwould share with the audience,
is what makes Florida a greatplace for retirement, but also a
great place for care.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Okay Well, number one , the weather Weather yeah, it's
beautiful and the state's justa beautiful state.
But I think really you, justbecause there's, you know, first
off, I think really you justbecause there's, you know, first
off, I think you have somecompassionate providers here,
especially in our space, in thelong-term care space, there's
people that just you know,either whether they're
transplants or whether they havegrown up here or lived here for
(04:55):
a long time, they're passionateabout taking care of people and
really making sure that thecare they're getting is quality
and amazing care, you know, andit doesn't say there isn't
hiccups in the world, but, likeyou know, we're people taking
care of people, you know.
So it's always revolving, tryingto get better, trying to reach
that perfection that we'll neverreach.
But you know that's what it is.
But you know, when you havethat, and then you have the
(05:15):
providers who go to the statelegislature and say, hey, we
want to provide the best qualitycare, help us do that.
And then the legislature says,sure, let's do that and create
that gold standard that we gotgoing now that other states are
copying because they're seeinglike holy cow, look at this,
look what the state of Floridais doing.
We're leading in so manydifferent metrics in quality and
(05:36):
I really think that you havegreat leadership in the Florida
Healthcare Association.
You have great leadership inthe state legislature and the
state government, and then youhave great leaders and the
providers that are around thestate.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
All right, thank you, that's actually really good.
That's a good answer.
Yeah, uh, and now you just saidthat off the top of your head.
I did so, aviana.
Am I pronouncing it correct?
Aviana aviana aviana healthcareyeah, uh, you're leader with
Aviata Healthcare.
Yeah, tell us about theorganization.
What's unique, what stands outas a company as a whole?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so Aviata a lot of the buildings and centers in
Aviata are the old consulatehealthcare buildings and some of
the other smaller ones thatwere kind of broken off
throughout.
And you know, we had our CEOand COO, nathan Freund, and Ami
Dagan.
They came in and wanted tostart something here, and so we
were able to get 58 buildingsaround the state to create this
(06:31):
and we started as Aspire HealthGroup, yes, and then had a
little snafu with the name andstuff.
There's another company outthere that has the name Aspire.
That wasn't too pleased,because I do like the new logo
too.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I love the new logo too.
Yeah, me too.
I love the new logo.
Yeah, but we changed to Aviata,just to you know.
So there's no issues with themand with us.
But the parent company is stillAspire Health Group out of you
know, out of the Northeast, butAviata.
But yeah, I'm not going to lie,I like the colors a little
better too.
The black and gold, I like it.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
I'm a UCF person, so Construction for health.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, that's right.
You hit a line or you canfinish too.
You can, yes.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So effective strategies and implementation in
long-term care.
And I want to do a scenariohere.
Okay, as a leader in healthcare, if you had a facility
struggling right with AviataHealth Group right, you took
over a new facility.
You purchased a new facilityRight, you guys are growing.
What do you guys process inregards to when you actually
(07:26):
purchase a facility from aclinical improvement standpoint?
Speaker 1 (07:30):
So a lot of it's going in and just kind of, you
know, going in and seeing what'salready there.
You know you want to see whatwe got going on.
Do we have the right systems inplace?
Are we doing the things we needto do on a daily basis?
And, honestly, do we have theright people in the right
positions?
Sometimes, you know, sometimesthere's a little disruption that
has to be made, whether it'sfrom the top down to the bottom
(07:50):
up, either way, or both sideseven, and you really got to just
evaluate it and you can't justgo in there and make a knee-jerk
decision and hope it's going tofix it, like you have to spend
the time.
I'm a big believer in the 30,60, 90 day kind of process.
You know you kind of observeand watch for 30 days, 60 days,
you start to put some new stuffin the 90 days, hey, we're here,
(08:11):
let's start making the changeskind of stuff.
And I think Aviata does a goodjob of that.
You know we took over somestruggling buildings that you
know had some quality issues andyou know it's going to take
time.
You know the the group itself,the company itself, has only
been around less than two years.
Wow, from Aspire to Aviata evenwith the name changes less than
two years.
So there's a lot of stuffthey've achieved in two years 58
buildings.
You ain't lying, that's a bigship to turn.
Big ship, big ship to turn.
(08:32):
So it's a lot, but you canalready see where there's some
positive improvement going andyou know we got buildings that
are leading the way, that arefour, and we're one star, and
now moving up twos and threes,and it's huge.
And it starts with quality.
It always does, and that'swhere there's a huge focus on
the quality and the clinicaloutcomes that we're providing,
making sure the care that weneed to give those residents is
the correct care.
(08:53):
That's the biggest thing.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yes.
So, josh, I'm telling you, youcome off very competitive, oh
right, Very competitive.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So are you competitive.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I'm very competitive, all right.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I don't like to lose.
Give me an example.
It doesn't have to beprofessional related.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
So I grew up playing sports a lot, what's more.
So I played baseball, football,basketball, ran track, played
soccer a little bit as well.
You got the J oh I used to Usedto.
It's been a while since I've,like my son, schools me now.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
What player in the NBA would you compare your?
Speaker 1 (09:29):
game to.
That is a really good question.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Derrick Fisher, Steph Curry.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I'm a scrapper.
I'm a scrapper.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I'm a scrapper, richard Jefferson.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Probably Like.
I like to get the like.
I'm going to go get the looseball.
I'm going to go do the hardfoul.
Who's this like that?
I'm trying to christine.
Yeah, that's not a bad name.
Like that, that's not a badperson.
Yeah uh artist yes, artist yeahthat's probably a good one.
Like I'm gonna do that, that'sI'm a scrapper.
Like I'm not.
I'm not the biggest guy, wasn'tthe tallest guy?
Plus you know, plus my skincolor, skin cover.
You gotta make up a little.
(09:57):
Can't jump aside, can't jumpaside.
But um, but no, you, you gottado that kind of stuff so.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
So how do you do you in actually being competitive?
How do you incorporate that inyour leadership style?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
So for me it's you know, I look at it as you know,
you always want to.
There's friendly competitionwith your sister facilities.
We'll say so there's all thatfriendly competition and you
always want to be the best, Ifeel like, because if you are
the best, you're delivering thebest care, and that's kind of
how I look at it.
So I kind of look at it thatway.
Um, the metrics that we usefrom cms as well as from the
(10:30):
state of florida for the qualitystuff, you know, looking at
that, because what I always sayis, especially with employees,
to really dial it down for them,like guys, like if we do these
things, the incentive for thepay for the residents to make
sure we can give them evenbetter care, is there yeah and
so I use that a lot and theythey get that.
They understand that.
They can say, oh, so if we give, like, amazing care, we can get
(10:51):
more back for our residents sothey can get more stuff and
exactly, and that's kind of what.
I kind of dial it down for thema lot, uh, and then you know
what's?
What's great is, I feel, likehealth care itself.
There's a lot of competitivepeople.
You just got to find your staffmembers and you kind of put them
in charge of things and be likehey, you're in charge of this.
And, like you know, I always dolike an employee engagement
team where the team, the actualstaff members, run it.
(11:13):
I'm just there for moralsupport and make sure they're
doing the stuff, but I let them,I want them to have ownership
in that and there, and you know,then engage in culture, because
everybody can find problems andissues.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Oh yeah, who's going to join the team?
Right, the fun squad takecommittee.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Join those committees .
Right the change.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Exactly, and oftentimes they create those
competitions like hey, unit aversus unit B, about you know,
the less falls, or or the whocan be the cleanest rooms, or
whatever it can be.
You know, and we even do funthings like wheelchair.
We'll do wheelchair races orwe'll do who can make a bed
faster and stuff like that, ormake the cleanest bed or
whatever.
Can I bounce a quarter off thatthing?
You know?
(11:52):
See, that's how it is.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
I knew you were a competitive man.
Yeah, heck, yeah.
So this show is definitelyabout speaking to the caregivers
, sharing knowledge andresources, definitely.
So if you had a message one, doyou have a personal story to
share regarding caregiving, butalso a message to families and
caregivers out there today.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
So yeah, so I actually I kind of grew up in
this industry.
I actually didn't think I'd behere.
Like I said, I wanted to be adoctor initially and actually my
job, um, after college, was ina hospital.
I worked in hospitals anddidn't want to do this.
My grandfather did this, uh,for many, many years when I was
growing up and he ran assistedliving, he ran nursing homes, he
(12:34):
ran independent livingfacilities as well.
So I grew up running aroundthese places.
I'm like I don't need to dothat.
No, no, no.
And um, really, I was in thehospitals and just, it's like,
it's very, it's not personal.
It felt, you know, it's cold,it's sanitary, you know kind of
thing.
And my grandfather said, well,he always wanted to push me
toward that.
And he said, hey, come talk tothis guy that I know and I was a
(12:57):
didn't know who it was.
He set up a lunch for me and itwas a CEO of a company that had
CCRCs in Florida.
And it was just lunch, itwasn't a job offer, it wasn't
anything else.
And he said, no, he kidded, mygrandfather didn't show up, it
was just me and that CEO.
And he was like hey, he goes.
I hear you're interested indoing something different.
(13:19):
And I said, yeah, I actually am.
And he spent the next two-hourlunch talking about the things
his company did, the residentsin his plate in his centers and
his communities and just thewonderful things they can do,
and it literally it kind of lita fire a little bit and it
really sparked something.
He said, hey, if you're reallyinterested, he goes.
You know, next that goes thenext following year, we're gonna
(13:41):
have an AIT opening up.
And I said, why not?
And I did it and just fell inlove, like, just felt like I.
I remember my first week inthis in the skilled center was
just a whirlwind, but it was somuch fun, it was just a blessing
and it's um, it's not somethinglike I said I thought I would
ever do, but it just um, I foundmy passion.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
You find your passion .
Speaker 1 (14:03):
And it was just.
It's amazing and I getemotional talking about it, but
it's just.
You know it's cool.
You connect your purpose withyour passion.
I do, I do, man.
That's what it is.
That's a big thing, it's great,that's a big thing it took me.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I really believe I did that at the age of 34.
So I'm a little later, yeah, Inthe game of connecting my
purpose with my passion.
Definitely, getting up in themorning.
It's not a pain to go to work.
I mean, of course, we'd ratherbe billionaires, billionaires,
of course.
But even those individuals work, yeah, they do.
(14:32):
So they stay busy, they do.
I'm going to start a littledrama here on the show.
Oh, a little drama, a littledrama, okay, all right, and this
may have a little backlash onyou all right here on the show
today.
Okay, three shout-outs, anddon't say I want to give all my
team members a shout-out.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Fair enough Three shout-outs.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yes sir.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Okay, and could it be my company, or anybody, anybody
, anybody.
Yes, sir, okay.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
I'm personal, because then I don't want to offend
your family or anybody like that.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So let's stay professional.
Three shout outs.
I will give a big shout out,especially right now, to Tom
Parker and Toby Philpott.
Yeah, just the work they do.
I've been blessed to be, youknow, hand in hand with them and
really see the things they dobehind the scenes.
And it is amazing work thatthey, what they do and how they
step up for our centers, for ourpeople, for our residents, and
(15:24):
they just do a bang up job.
And this year was a tough lift.
It was a tough lift this yearand they got it done.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I think Tom told me he's about to participate in
like a 100-mile run or somethinglike that.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Oh, yeah, he always does that kind of thing.
I'm like, what 100 miles?
You talk about beingcompetitive, that boy is
competitive, Jesus Christ.
But no, the two of them aregreat.
I will for my company, AviataJust an amazing, amazing
clinician, Just being like Ididn't know her well until I
joined the company and justtalking to her and getting to
(15:54):
know her and the people aroundher and the things she has done
and like just how well-respectedshe is.
She is a rock star, is all I cansay.
Deb Mack yeah, Deb Mack, she'sgood people too, Just a fun time
, fun person to be around.
Good people too, Just a funtime, fun person to be around.
But she's great and just alwayswilling to lift people up and
just build good teams and findthe right people for the right
(16:15):
places and that's just great.
I'll see if I can do one more.
Norman, I'm actually going tosay you, my friend, Really I am
like I remember when you starteddoing this and I heard about it
and I was like podcast, yes,sir, I was like who.
But when I more thought aboutit I was like that's an amazing
thing for us to do.
How else?
How a better way with how muchpeople?
How many podcasts are out thereabout everything under the sun?
But there really wasn't one forus, and you're really taking
(16:38):
that by the horn and reallyrunning with it.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
And I think it's amazing.
And when you told me there wasan opportunity, I said oh yeah,
he's going to be on the show atthe front of healthcare, for
sure.
And so I told Kristen Knapp.
I said I want him on the showfor sure.
So it really feels good to havepeople champion that and
actually publicly embrace it too.
Because I get a lot of peoplewalking by, you know coming.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I love what you do.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
That's fine, I love it, I accept it all.
Please continue that too.
But just the embracing andthose likes and shit.
I never been a social mediaperson Right, so now I'm like
fading into, like, oh man, theydidn't like my post now.
So now I'm like becoming thissocial media, watching those
things now.
So it does mean a lot and Ichallenge the audience out there
(17:25):
.
You know, subscribe to the show, tune in.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yes, I the audience out there, you know.
Subscribe to the show.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Yeah, tune in.
Yeah, I know, in most timesleisure time myself included I
like to watch funny things.
Of course I know it.
I'm sitting there on the couchwith my daughter watching TikTok
little kid funny videos RightFor an hour, and they like to
watch people eating.
I say why you want to hearpeople crunching and smacking,
for you know, but I alwayschallenge people to tune in to
things that will actuallybenefit you.
(17:49):
You hear from experts thatactually journey through health
care that you don't typicallyhave access to, right, and I
heard one of my mentors told meshe said tune into what you want
to turn into.
That's a great saying.
I said that.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
I did that too.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And that changed a lot of the landscape of what I
listen to in the car.
Now, right, those things Tuneinto what you want to turn into.
So I want to be able to preparemy family from a healthcare
situation.
Right, I want to be that personin my family that people can
call and say, hey man, mama,going through this, can you help
me?
Right, you can be that personin your family.
You can have your family aheadof the game, knowing the power
(18:26):
of attorney, having thatsituation, your mom, health
insurance, where a SocialSecurity card is, those type of
questions you can have answersto it now.
And that's what I wanted to dofor a community because, as you
know, in skilled nursing, peoplego and sit with admissions or
social services and they don'tknow where to start.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
And they have no idea what's going on and it's not
clear, like you said, it's notHaving an advocate like you
doing that and really can get it, boil it down to the people is
it's huge, it really is and it'sand it's.
And having someone who canreally help us bridge that gap
and really kind of change theculture and change the mindset
of how we, the things we do inour profession, is amazing.
Right, we're always looking forthose people and you're one of
those people.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Moment thank you.
You are my friend.
Thank you so Final words as wewrap up today.
Final words yes sir.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Just, you know it's been a great conference already.
Yes, sir, it's going to.
You know we got a couple daysleft.
I feel like every year we dobigger and better here and it's
amazing.
It's beautiful too.
Oh yeah, the Hyatt, the Hyattfun.
We can get all these peopletogether.
It's like old home week, it'slike a reunion, you know, at the
time alumni coming back um iswhat it is, and it's just so
(19:30):
much fun to get everybody hereand you get your passion back.
I feel like a lot because sooften we get I feel like we go
through the every day of thesurveys and you know the the
difficult things we have to gothrough, because we're
oftentimes we get people whatthe the worst part of their
lives right and you know, andwe're the ones that have to
build them up, and I feel likecoming back here and getting
with the people that you workwith hand in hand every day kind
of gives you that fuel back toreally get that fire going again
(19:51):
.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
And then it's a year or two.
So it's like your rejuvenation.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Exactly, to finish the year Exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Thank you again, sir, for joining the platform.
Thank you.
I'm so happy to have you.
Thank you to our sponsorsEvolutionary Healthcare, high
Regency, here in Orlando,wonderful, here in Orlando,
wonderful and, most of all,florida Healthcare Conference
and Trade Show Tune in to thenext episode.
Thank you, thank you, all right.
Thank you, sir man you killedthat.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Thanks, man.
This episode of let's Get Comfywas brought to you by
Evolutionary Healthcare.
Caring is what we do.
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