The following is an excerpt from the Christian Horizons’ fiscal year 2022 annual report. Click here to read the full report.
By Jennifer Knecht, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Leaning into Christian Horizons’ strategic vision, our sales, marketing and foundation teams worked this past year to best understand market potential, the wants and desires of a new generation of older adults, and how we can foster inspiration for faithfully living into a mission as One CH.
Our focus began with the important groundwork of understanding how our mission, vision and core values relate to the work we do. Across the organization, our teams create extraordinary experiences and see firsthand the impact our communities and services have for older adults and their families in helping them to grow and thrive.
There is great potential for our mission, vision and values to tell more of our story to the greater community and foster excitement in our internal team. Under the guidance of a cross-collaboration team of board members and Christian Horizons’ leaders, we initiated lively discussions to retool these very important cornerstone principles. Working alongside our board of directors and chief officer colleagues, we are excited to unveil Christian Horizons’ refreshed mission, vision and core values to reflect the next chapter of service in empowering the older adults we are called to serve. Words matter. Our promise is to make these words meaningful for our associates and those we serve.
In meeting a new generation of older adults, we knew important work had to be done to ensure we’re best meeting the needs and desires of the Baby Boomers while ensuring short- and long-term viability of our campuses. Working in tandem with operations and our executive team, we took a comprehensive view at each campus and begun the work in retooling neighborhoods, services, care levels and more.
Some of the improvements meant updated finishes and features for our independent offerings and introducing new ways of reaching potential residents and area older adults. I like to use the term “repositioning” when talking about this process. These tweaks help us better connect with our markets and help even more older adults thrive in mind, body and spirit.
Open and clear communication is a pillar of our work and essential in responding to the pandemic and new initiatives. We’ve dedicated our team to ensuring associates, residents, families and donors are well informed of important matters, including ever-changing regulations from our state and federal regulatory bodies.
It wasn’t all regulations this year. We were pleased to create the first issue of the Gratitude Journal, a comprehensive peek into our mission in action across communities and services. This journal, sent to donors, partners and residents, reminded us all that we have a lot to be grateful for.
Across our industry, we’ve seen many changes over the lsat few years and experienced times where we had to be sharply reactive to the climate around us. This year, I saw that light at the end of the tunnel and opportunities for us to begin to be more thoughtfully responsive and intentionally strategic in the initiatives we’ve taken on. It’s an exciting time here at Christian Horizons!
As a faith-led, person-first organization, Christian Horizons is in service to a mission of empowering older adults in mind, body and spirit through faith-led service. Based in St. Louis, Mo., the organization owns and operates a portfolio of seven life plan campuses and five stand-alone older adult communities offering a mix of independent, assisted and supportive living; memory support; long-term healthcare centers and short-term rehabilitation. The organization also serves older adults through Safe Haven Hospice in central Illinois; Senior Care Pharmacy Services; and New Horizons PACE® (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) in St. Louis, Mo.