On Nov. 2, Riverwood Healthcare Center honored 46 employees and retirees who have celebrated milestone anniversaries or retirement in the past year at a special dinner at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge. Their collective years of service total 880 years!
Riverwood CEO Ken Westman opened the program with a warm welcome for the employees and retirees being honored, thanking them for their years of service.
Chief Operating Officer Cindi Baker expressed gratitude for the dedicated people who work at Riverwood. She acknowledged the stress and exhaustion for health care professionals in a time of incredible challenges and changes in the world of health care.
“I want to begin tonight by simply saying thank you,” Baker said. “I am so proud of each of you, and of our entire organization for navigating a continually changing health care environment. Please know how much you are valued and appreciated. I am honored to work alongside every one of you.”
The program focused on celebrating the honored employees individually and included sharing of valued contributions the respective employees have made to Riverwood over the years.
The milestone anniversaries include four Riverwood health care providers who have dedicated 10 or more years to serving the Aitkin County and Garrison/Lake Mille Lacs area communities. They include Dr. Joselito Burgos (20 years); Nurse Practitioners Mary Mapes (20 years) and Lisa Thompson (20 years); and Nurse Midwife Megan Workman (10 years).
Those attending the event included from left, front row: Bonnie O’Neil, Rob Harmon, Dan Schletty, Megan Workman, Jenn Klee and Mary Rea; back row: Jennifer Sloan, Rose Miller, Sara Rian, Mary Mapes, Brenda Burdick, Amanda Sample, Jodie Pratt, Shauna Carlson, Roxanne Molin-Rietveld, Sarah Hirsch, Terri Saxum, Stephanie Jacobs, and Todd Moyer. Not pictured: Katie Gunderson, Pam Jindra and David Kaspari.
Those unable to attend the celebration included Paulie Boyland, Dr. Joselito Burgos, Mee Mee DeRusha, Kathy Duclos, Steve Hammond, Jodi Harwig, Vicky Jacobson, Kathryn Johnson, Lacey Jurek, Amy Kehn, Janesse McMillen, Brooke Mickelson, Amanda Montague, Chris Nelsen, Corrine Nelson, Heather Rikala, Jamie Ruud, Wendy Ryan, Tammy Speed, Char Svoboda, Sheila Teas, Lisa Thompson, Faye Torgerson and Brandon Weimer.