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Most people think they know what a nursing home is, but they’ve never heard the voices inside.
The quiet moments of compassion. The stories of resilience. The people who show up, not just because it’s their job, but because it’s their calling.
Brought to you by Majestic Care, Hearts of Excellence shares what it truly means to live and work in long-term care. Through real, unscripted conversations with our care team members, leaders, and resident families, we reveal what excellence looks like in action, and, most importantly, why it matters.
Behind every resident is a family who wants to know they’re cared for. Behind every caregiver is a heart that chose this work for a reason.
Long-term care isn’t the end of the story. It’s just the beginning.
[00:00:00] Justin Lai: When I was in high school, I, I wrestled and, you know, coach has us doing pushups, but he, he's there like doing them with us. But he's like, "You know, I would never ask you guys to do anything I am not willing to do myself." And so like at a young age, kind of learning what leadership really means, you know, and that really shaped what my image for what a good leader is
[00:00:24] Chelsey Gheyara: Justin Lai is the executive director at Majestic Care of Bloomington, and he leads by one rule. He won't ask anyone on his team to do something he isn't willing to do himself. He started in long-term care in 2020 in the business office side, right in the middle of pandemic chaos. He then moved into operations, where he built a reputation for steady, servant-style leadership and some of the best survey results around.
[00:00:54] I can't wait to get into that. Today, he's telling us what that rule actually looks like on the floor and why he thinks the executive director's job is to set the tone for everyone else. Justin, welcome to The Hearts of Excellence.
[00:01:08] Justin Lai: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:01:09] Chelsey Gheyara: I'm so excited that you're here today.
[00:01:11] Justin Lai: Yeah, me too. Me too.
[00:01:12] I'm stoked to be here right now.
[00:01:13] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. Good. And we were just talking, this is your first podcast, and- Yeah ... I'm so excited. It's gonna be great. All right. Well, let's go ahead and just dive in today, shall we?
[00:01:24] Justin Lai: Yeah, let's do it.
[00:01:25] Chelsey Gheyara: All righty. Okay, so this is something I'm very excited for our, our listeners to hear about.
[00:01:31] Um, you've said you've never... You'd never ask someone to do something you're not willing to do yourself. Where does that rule come from, um, and what does it look like in practice on a hard day?
[00:01:45] Justin Lai: Yeah, for sure. So, um, where it came from is actually when I was in high school, I, I wrestled, you know. Um, and there was, you know, one, one practice in particular that I remember, you know, clear as day now, you know, like 10 years later, however, um, where we're just...
[00:02:04] It is the end of practice. We are dead tired and, you know, coach has us doing pushups. Like, you know, you know, I wasn't keeping count, but it was probably, you know, a... It was probably a million. But he, he's there, like, doing them with us, you know, and I'm-
[00:02:17] Chelsey Gheyara: Whoa.
[00:02:18] Justin Lai: Yeah, and this, this really, like, sticks out to me, 'cause he, he goes...
[00:02:20] He- and he's shouting, you know, like, as, like, a high school wrestling coach would, you know. But he's like, "You know, I would never ask you guys to do anything I am not willing to do myself." You know, and so, like, at a young age, kind of learning what leadership really means, you know, and, um, that really shaped what my image for what a good leader is, is, you know, someone who's not going to ask their, you know, um, subordinates of some- to do something they're not willing to do themselves.
[00:02:49] So to me, that's what, you know, asking, you know, asking my team to do something, I'm also willing to do the same thing. Same thing with things like attendance, you know. If I get upset at, you know, one of my team members for showing up late to a meeting, but I show up, you know, at 9:30 when our morning meeting's at 9:00, what kind of leader am I to expect something that I'm not able to uphold myself?
[00:03:14] So that's kinda where it came from, and that's kind of how I practice it. In, in leadership.
[00:03:20] Chelsey Gheyara: Wow.
[00:03:21] Justin Lai: Yeah.
[00:03:21] Chelsey Gheyara: What a great example to follow from your coach. Mm. You know, looking back on that, just that type of mentorship as well. I mean, look at, look how it stuck with you still to this day. Absolutely. Like, truly being in the trenches, doing it alongside, um, the others is, is really, really cool.
[00:03:39] Um, what's a moment where staying level-headed mattered more than anything else you could have done as a leader?
[00:03:46] Justin Lai: Absolutely. So I'm gonna go ahead and reference another leader that- Yeah ... I've had in my life before I took an ED role, and that was actually my first ED in long-term care. When I was on this team, we always knew, "Hey, it's gonna be okay," you know?
[00:04:00] And for, for a while, I never really understood, like, okay, h- how is there this, like, level of calm, you know? And so this, this ED eventually got promoted into a different role, and we had an interim. And I remember so vividly that very first survey that we had, um, after he had left. The team was panicked. You know, we, we were looking around like, "Oh my gosh, what do we do?"
[00:04:24] You know? And it's like w- looking back, I'm like, we didn't have that leader who, you know, set the tone for everyone else, who, you know, was like, "Okay, state's here in the building. This is, this is what we have to do. This is what we need to prepare for the day. This is what we need to be ready to do- Mm
[00:04:40] today." It's that temperament. It's that cool, calm, collect- So I carry that with me, 'cause life or death happens in- Mm ... this business, of course. Yeah. You know, so when we have state in the building, when we're having a code, for example, we cannot panic, 'cause that- Right ... kind of lets, um... That's where we lose control.
[00:04:58] And it start, it starts with, you know, the ED, the DNS, you know, whoever's, you know, leading that situation. You know, um, so yeah, I, I... It's really important that, you know- We go in and attack issues with a level head and don't, you know, spike emotionally or-
[00:05:17] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ...
[00:05:18] Justin Lai: physically, emotionally, however, you know, so.
[00:05:21] Chelsey Gheyara: I think it was Simon Sinek, I don't know if you've ever heard of Simon Sinek.
[00:05:26] Um, he's a thought leader, however, w- he had a podcast and at one point he said, um, "Leaders determine the weather." Mm-hmm. So, you know, are we bringing dark and stormy and rainy and cloudy, or are we bringing- Absolutely ... sunny and calm and, um, yeah, it's really kind of that, as a leader, being that thermostat of your- Mm-hmm
[00:05:45] entire building of, you know, always knowing what, what the, what the temperature is and keeping it- Yeah. Yeah ... cool and everything like that.
[00:05:52] Justin Lai: Just setting the tone for f- yeah, the rest of the day,
[00:05:55] Chelsey Gheyara: you know. Absolutely. All righty. This is great. Um, how do you make sure everyone on your team is working towards the same goal, that every resident, you know, lives the best life they possibly can?
[00:06:08] Justin Lai: Yeah. Yeah. So as far as getting the whole team to work towards the same goal, I think it's important for everyone to know what the goal, what the mission- Mm ... really is. You know, um, it's actually one of the things I really love about Majestic is, you know, we have a very clear set goal. Any time we're on, like, the organizational updates or anything, everybody is repeating it.
[00:06:30] It's, you know, that we want to be a nationally recognized... or nationally recognized as the premier healthcare provider. You know, and it's, it's really great that, you know, we set that mission and we make it clear because, you know, you can visualize it, you can imag- you can, you know, um, imagine what that looks like, and then you can take steps towards, um, meeting that goal, meeting that mission.
[00:06:55] So, like, at the building level, every orientation, I always tell all our new staff, you know, no matter what department it is that you work in, you know, whether it's dietary, housekeeping, um, direct care, you know, even our receptionist, we all have the same goal, the same mission. And that's to make sure our residents can live the best lives they possibly can.
[00:07:17] May look different for each department, you know, like how we reach that or what... how we reach that goal in each department. You know, for housekeeping, your EVS, you know, we're ensuring that we have a clean, safe environment for our residents. For dietary, it's that, you know, we're pushing nutritious, uh- delicious meals for our residents and, you know, even, you know, for our f- front desk clerk, you know, setting a environment where visitors and people who need to be there know where they need to go so that ultimately, you know, it all comes together where- Yeah
[00:07:53] we're all doing our own roles that look completely different from everyone else, but we're all working towards the same goal. Yeah. And that's our residents, you know, h- being in this environment that we have all played a part in setting up, uh, to ensure their health and, um, you know, s- mental, spiritual, uh, physical health.
[00:08:15] So.
[00:08:15] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah, that's amazing. What made you wanna get into this field?
[00:08:20] Justin Lai: My whole family works in healthcare. You know- Yeah ... my, my sister's a nurse. Uh, both my parents are lab techs.
[00:08:26] Chelsey Gheyara: Nice.
[00:08:27] Justin Lai: Uh, my aunt is an optometrist, you know. Um, we were all kind of pushed early on, like me, my siblings, my cousins, you know, like, "You guys sh- you know, if you, if you can, healthcare is a very rewarding, you know, field."
[00:08:41] And so me, I wanted to study the business side of things- Nice ... you know. Um, and so I decided to major in healthcare management and policy. You know, and to be completely honest, I had no idea what that was gonna- Yeah ... actually, you know, mean when I wrote that down as my major in college- Yeah ... right? So, um, but, you know, over time, um, you know, I really grew to, um, love what I do.
[00:09:09] You know, uh, my first job was in the business office and, um, I essentially, my primary job function there was to apply for Medicaid for-
[00:09:19] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ...
[00:09:20] Justin Lai: those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford their care.
[00:09:22] Chelsey Gheyara: Sure.
[00:09:22] Justin Lai: And, you know, it really opened my eyes to how much of a barrier it can be to get healthcare for some people and, you know, kinda helped shape my personal mission to really try to help those who need care to get excellent care, you know.
[00:09:39] And so that, um, that was really why I s- decided to stay in long-term and, uh, long-term care and, you know, the path that led me down to eventually becoming an ED. So...
[00:09:50] Chelsey Gheyara: That's really, really cool. Well, obviously, we love our industry and love being in, um, senior care and long-term care. And, you know, that's one of the beautiful things about this podcast, is we get to tell all of our listeners maybe that aren't even in long-term care, 'cause we, we do have many listeners on here that may be in healthcare leadership, but maybe it's in the acute care setting, right?
[00:10:11] And, um, there is a space and a place for everyone, um, and it's just so rewarding. So that's awesome. Your first year in long-term care was in 2020, um, while you were in the business office side. What was it actually like learning this industry in the middle of that complete chaos?
[00:10:32] Justin Lai: Yeah. So I definitely think my career, my outlook on, uh, long-term care may have looked completely different had I done this, you know, a year, two years prior to COVID ha- starting.
[00:10:46] I remember, you know, I did my orientation, you know, in June of 2020 in a hazmat suit, basically. You know, like, we're, we're in the conference room-
[00:10:56] Chelsey Gheyara: I'm just picturing that right now. Like, you in a hazmat suit.
[00:10:59] Justin Lai: Yeah, yeah. Oh my
[00:11:00] Chelsey Gheyara: gosh.
[00:11:01] Justin Lai: So, like, we gowned up, had the N95 on, face shield, even, like, sh- shoe coverings, everything, you know.
[00:11:07] And so I, I remember that day specifically, you know, I was like, "What did I get myself into?"
[00:11:14] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:11:14] Justin Lai: You know? But, like- You know, my first year in long-term care looked so different, because we were all asked to do a lot of different things. Yeah. Out- You know, being in the business office, you know, I never envisioned how involved I would be on the floor.
[00:11:33] Yeah. But, you know, at that time, we were asked to- Mm-hmm ... do a lot more than, you know, just collect insurance and, you know, yeah, collect... W- We did a lot more than billing, you know? You know, there were days, there were days where we were helping with room moves. There were days we were helping, you know, pass trays.
[00:11:52] Um, you know, really anything and everything that, because, you know, staffing was a problem. Mm-hmm. You know, one day you might come in and, you know, three managers are out with COVID. I really did kind of become a jack-of-all-trades- Mm ... during that time, where my official title, you know, w- was, like, that I worked in the business office, but truly, like- Wow
[00:12:15] there was just so much more that we were doing. Um, and, you know, had I started in 2019 or 2018, maybe I wouldn't have had that viewpoint, but it really did shape, you know, that, for me, that- No, I, I work in healthcare. I, I am here to do whatever it takes to make su- sure that, you know, our residents get the care that they need.
[00:12:37] Um, and it's not just, I, I'm not just in this box, this is what I do. No, they're, the box basically was broken down and-
[00:12:45] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah, the walls fell down and you had to step out of the box.
[00:12:48] Justin Lai: Ex- exactly. Exactly. And that really set me up- Yeah ... for, um, for what I do today.
[00:12:54] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:12:54] Justin Lai: So.
[00:12:55] Chelsey Gheyara: That's so interesting. What do you think, you know, earlier you mentioned, you know, we obviously could have never predicted that happening in 2020.
[00:13:05] What do you think, and, like, how do you think it would've been different prior to that? Like, let's say you were coming in in, like, 2019 or 2018. Mm-hmm. Like, just a wild guess. I'm so curious.
[00:13:16] Justin Lai: Well, I think, uh, you know, my first day picture would've been a lot nicer.
[00:13:20] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. Yeah, your, your hazmat suit.
[00:13:22] Justin Lai: Yeah.
[00:13:22] Chelsey Gheyara: Oh my gosh.
[00:13:23] Justin Lai: Um- That's
[00:13:23] Chelsey Gheyara: hilarious ...
[00:13:24] Justin Lai: yeah, but I wouldn't have looked at, you know, at least for that first year or two, you know, h- depend- um, where I would've been a little bit more boxed in that-
[00:13:34] Chelsey Gheyara: Mm ...
[00:13:34] Justin Lai: as far as, you know, this is, this is what I do. I'm- Right ... I'm, I'm business office and, you know, I, I c- probably would not have imagined, you know, that I would be helping to mop a room because our housekeepers are out with COVID or...
[00:13:49] Chelsey Gheyara: When I'm thinking about this, I, a couple thoughts come to mind, but one of them particularly is I remember in that time, um, the role I was in, um, you know, as a business role, and at the time, y- you know, we were short nurses. I was working, um, in post-acute care, and I remember, I'm a nurse by training, so I went home and put my scrubs on and came back in, and I just will never forget my CEO at the time of the hospital, he was, like, staying to help me.
[00:14:18] He's like, "What can I do to help you?" And, you know, I'm passing meds and giving people, you know, shots and whatever, right?
[00:14:24] Justin Lai: Yeah.
[00:14:25] Chelsey Gheyara: And I'm like, "Just pass ice water." Like, like, yes, thank you. But yeah, I mean, to your point, like, I don't, I don't think we would've ever seen that, you know, prior. I mean- Mm-hmm ... of course, you know, our leaders, we all love to help out and do everything we can as we should do, and, you know, like you were saying, like, you just had to do what you had to do to get by and make sure that your patients and the residents are taken care of.
[00:14:50] So it's just a wild time. Um-
[00:14:52] Justin Lai: 100%.
[00:14:53] Chelsey Gheyara: Okay, so you're in your first day, you're in this hazmat suit. Like, just being in that year itself, like, you're basically brand new to this, right?
[00:15:02] Justin Lai: Mm-hmm.
[00:15:02] Chelsey Gheyara: You know, how did that feel?
[00:15:05] Justin Lai: It felt kind of like the rest of the world was feeling at the time- Yeah ... was like, "This is crazy."
[00:15:12] Like, it was just so unimaginable, you know, that a virus could shut the world down. You know, like, h- like, if you had told us that, you know, like 10 years ago, we'd be like, "What do you mean?" You know? Like, that sounds like a sci-fi movie.
[00:15:25] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:15:26] Justin Lai: You know? But, like, there was just so much- Funny ... uncertainty.
[00:15:29] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:15:29] Justin Lai: You know, so much, like, we don't know what's gonna happen. Like, we don't know how... We're, 'cause we were still pretty early in, you know, what we knew about COVID and how, you know, things were changing. And it felt like there were changes happening- Mm-hmm ... every week, every month. You know, like, this is the new guideline.
[00:15:46] No, this is the new guideline. And so, like, we really did have to stay on top of it. You know, for, for us it was like, okay, how can, how can I be a support- Yeah ... you know, to, you know, the leaders, to the, you know, staff here trying to navigate all of this. You know, like, yeah, we were doing, you know, window visits.
[00:16:07] How absurd is that, you know, looking back? So, like, there was a l- sense of absurdity, a sense of... But it really, you know, helped me to kind of just get a taste for, 'cause I, I was involved in everything really, you know. Um, kind of see a lot of different things that I really would not have seen as a assistant business office manager to start my long-term care career.
[00:16:32] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. You know? Absolutely. I mean, even, you know, the window visits, I mean, even loved ones, right, like having to say goodbye to their loved ones through a window or on an iPad screen- Mm-hmm ... is just... Yeah, I don't think, you know... And, and you stayed with it, right? You stayed- Yeah, yeah ... in the industry, in healthcare, which is, which is amazing.
[00:16:52] We need, we certainly need more leaders like you. Um, okay, what did starting on the business side of things teach you that you don't think you would've learned if you would've just started out in operations?
[00:17:07] Justin Lai: Mm-hmm. Numbers have been something that's always made sense to me, you know? So I think that really kind of put into perspective, f- like, as far as like, okay, like, it, it gave me something to s- to latch onto at first, and th- before I started to truly see the bigger picture, you know?
[00:17:26] And so that really helped me out. It also helped me gain a certain sense of empathy for the people we were taking care of. Mm-hmm. You know, I, I mentioned earlier, my first role was to help people apply for Medicaid. You know, and, like, this was one of my first exposures to, you know, people who did h- you know, ha- did meet, like, poverty guidelines- Yeah
[00:17:52] and things like that. And, you know, really showed, like- this is a barrier to getting healthcare and I, you know, helped to break that down. And so that really helped, you know, again, shape my personal mission of, okay, I want to help people who or have a barrier to getting good t- great care, um, to doing that, you know.
[00:18:18] And so obviously, that looks a little bit different as an ED versus, you know, a Medicaid specialist. But again, the mission still stays the same, that, you know, I'm here to help somebody who needs healthcare to get excellent care. Having that perspective in my first year in long-term care really, you know, shaped the rest- what the rest- what my personal- Mm-hmm
[00:18:41] mission is in my, you know, career.
[00:18:44] Chelsey Gheyara: Wow. That's really powerful. I think i- it's beautiful because a lot of times people don't see the advocacy h- side of what we do. And being in healthcare, whether it's, you know, working in a skilled nursing facility, in a long-term care facility, or a hospital, I mean, they're...
[00:19:00] That is such a big part of it, and it's, you know, just kind of adds to the jack of all trades, right? Because you're a- you are advocating for these people, and, um, it... that's just... It's a sad part, and it's a beautiful part when you can be a part of, you know, ensuring that they do get that care, and- Mm-hmm ... we do whatever we can to make sure that happens.
[00:19:19] Um, okay, so you... There for a little while, you had a short stint as an interim ED at, um, North Vernon before coming to our Majestic Care of Bloomington campus full-time. What did that experience change about how you walked into your, your journey at Bloomington?
[00:19:39] Justin Lai: Yeah. North Vernon was my first, you know, time being exposed to Majestic and how they kinda do things, and I love the team at North Vernon.
[00:19:49] They, they were- they're a lot of fun. They have a lot of strong individuals there and, you know, I, I really enjoyed my time there. Um, got to work with, you know, some people that, uh, I had worked with previously. You know, I, I got there, and I was like, "Oh," you know, the, um, RRNC at the time, I had worked with for years previously.
[00:20:09] Um, and a lot of the marketing and, uh, you know, central intake team. Yeah. I was like, "Oh, I know all these guys." Yeah. You know, so that was, that was kind of familiar. Um, so there was, like, a sense of familiarity there. And then, you know, just seeing, you know, how supported I was, you know, from the get-go. You know, we had, um, you know, Jordan and Warren, you know, who were there and really helped me out a bunch.
[00:20:37] Um, you know, any time I had a question, it's- I was able to go right there. There was a lot of, you know, a lot of projects going on there at the time, too. You know, they were reno- they were in the process of renovating their, uh, memory care unit- Yeah ... over there. Very cool, yeah. And yeah, yeah, so, um, just a lot of, a lot of different things, a lot of different challenges.
[00:20:56] But, you know, working with David there was awesome- Mm ... while he was, uh, getting ready to take his test to, you know, eventually take over. Um, working with him was awesome. He's a great guy. Yeah. And you know, um, it was... Yeah, so, um, really set a lot of familiarity, you know- Working with Warren as the senior ED there at the time, um, while he was the ED at Bloomington really kind of set a bridge a little bit that kind of made the transition over a lot more natural.
[00:21:23] Nice. Um, when I eventually came over to Bloomington, you know, um, I can still reach out to him, you know, at any time and be like, "Hey, I've got a question about this," or- Yeah ... you know, "W- w- where, where do you leave this at?" Or, you know ... Um, so it's, it's awesome to have so many resources, so many people that I can reach out to both in my time at North Vernon as well as my time at, uh, Bloomington as well that really made the transition, you know, seamless really, you know?
[00:21:54] Um, and you know, Bloomington, again, another s- team with a lot of strong individuals, a lot of, um You know, I walked into like a, you know, I, I walk into North Vernon, and it was a little bit of a different situation than, you know, Bloomington. Yeah. But both times, you know, I think that I've felt very welcomed and, you know, very supported by, you know, everyone.
[00:22:18] And it's really been a dream,
[00:22:20] Chelsey Gheyara: so. That's amazing. I love hearing that. If a family member walked through your doors today and asked you why they should trust you with someone they love, what would you tell them?
[00:22:32] Justin Lai: I would say that this, you know, this team at Bloomington, it's something special really, you know, and I'm really, um, proud and humbled to be a part of it, you know, 'cause I, I always, I always say that, you know, like, every, every building has, like, a personality, a really, like, a, a soul, you know?
[00:22:54] And it's, it's not always, you know, the ED or the DNS that really sets it. It's, you know, the housekeeper who, you know, jokes with the residents while they're cleaning, or it's that nurse who's, you know, been there for 30 years and, you know, knows the building inside and out like the back of their own hand.
[00:23:12] You know, it's, it's really, like, those little things, you know, that really make a building what it is. In my six months at Bloomington so far, you know, I've seen this team come together like, like no other team I've ever seen. It's, it's really, um, incredible to see. You know, um, we've had, you know, leaders in the building who have been promoted into roles.
[00:23:34] We have staff that have been here for decades, which is, you know, incredible. Really speaks to the culture around the building. Um, I've seen staff members who, you know, have gone through hard times, and I've seen the... seen staff, you know, go above and beyond in ways that I can't even describe for the w- I mean, it's, it's a team that, you know, they all...
[00:23:57] we all love each other. We all put the residents first. Um, and, you know, the whole team cares, and that's not something you can teach. You know, we can teach skills. We can't teach someone to care. Um, you know, it's a building that knows their residents, cares about them, and, you know, ultimately it's, it's been, it's been a privilege to be a part of that team.
[00:24:20] Chelsey Gheyara: Wow. That's beautiful. That's a great team. I know, um, Missy, you know, she's on our marketing team- Yeah ... and she's fabulous, and, um, that's just a great crew, and I'm
[00:24:29] Justin Lai: sure you guys are great. Yeah. She, she's been there for, you know, years. She has, yeah. You know, so, like-
[00:24:32] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ...
[00:24:33] Justin Lai: her and so many oth- like, they've, they've all been there for years.
[00:24:36] Yeah. They know the building. Like, it's-
[00:24:37] Chelsey Gheyara: Absolutely ...
[00:24:38] Justin Lai: it's incredible.
[00:24:38] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. So shout out to Bloomington and Missy and the whole team there. Uh, we're really grateful for everything that, um, your team does. Where do you want to take this building, and what does serving the community well look like five years from now?
[00:24:54] Justin Lai: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think alongside Majestic's mission of, you know, becoming the p- nationally recognized premier, uh, provider, you know, I think Bloomington has an opportunity to do the same thing in its local footprint. It, it's, it's really cool. The building is, uh, you know, its license number is actually 0007.
[00:25:16] So that's, it's the seventh, like, licensed building in the state- Wow ... which is absolutely incredible. So there's just so much- That's awesome ... so much history-
[00:25:24] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ...
[00:25:25] Justin Lai: you know, behind the building, and it's, you know, such a part of a very unique community- Yeah ... in itself, you know. You know, being a college town, it's a really cool community, you know, very...
[00:25:36] It, it's kinda in a rural area, but really, you know, it has a- almost an urban feel to it. You know, so unique, that community in Bloomington. But, you know, uh, serving the community well, to me, means that there are people, you know, who require long-term care, you know, and we want to be the ones to provide it for them.
[00:25:57] We want to be able to, at our highest capacity, care for, you know, as many people as possible in this community that we serve, you know. There's a lot of sk- skilled nursing facilities in the Bloomington area relative to its size, um, but like I said earlier, this, this team is absolutely incredible. We provide great care.
[00:26:20] We provide excellent service with a smile. Yes. And, uh, you know, when people think, "All right, I'm in Bloomington or Bedford or wherever," you know, loc- Martinsville, local, lo- Ellettsville, you know, local to us, you know, we want them to think Majestic's where we wanna go, so.
[00:26:43] Chelsey Gheyara: Absolutely. Come see Justin and his team, and they're doing great things over there.
[00:26:48] Okay, so I always ask this question to everyone. What does excellence mean to you?
[00:26:55] Justin Lai: You know, excellence means, to me- Whatever the standard is, going above it, 'cause that's, that's literally what it means to excel, right? You know, and so I always like to s- you know, stress, like we need to go above and beyond, you know?
[00:27:12] And s- sometimes that can look as simple as, you know, knowing that, you know, so and so likes sprinkles with their ice cream. Yeah. You know, and getting th- and knowing our resident in that way, or getting to five-star quality measures. You know, that's, that's excelling to me, you know? Um, but, like, it c- it can be as little as, you know, one little interaction.
[00:27:33] It can be as big as, you know, becoming a five-star building, which, you know, is a goal of ours right now, and hopefully we'll be reaching that metric here soon, you know. But to me, that's what excellence looks like.
[00:27:47] Chelsey Gheyara: Is there anything else you would like our listeners to know?
[00:27:50] Justin Lai: I really en- have enjoyed my time at Bloomington, and I really think that, um, this has been a very special experience, and it's an awesome community.
[00:28:01] I think that, you know, Majestic is doing great things and has a clear vision. I'm happy to be a part of it all.
[00:28:07] Chelsey Gheyara: All right. Well, thank you for tuning in to Hearts of Excellence. Justin's story is a reminder that the best leaders don't ask anything of their team they haven't already asked of themselves. If you're interested in learning more about the culture at Majestic Care or want to find out more about our career opportunities, visit majesticcare.com/contactus.
[00:28:30] If you or a loved one needs long-term care, reach out to us. And if you're in Bloomington, come see Justin and his team. We're here to support your next chapter. That's all for today. Talk to you soon.
[00:28:44] Thanks for listening to Hearts of Excellence. To learn more about becoming a care team member or how we can support your loved ones, visit majesticcare.com. And don't forget to follow and share, because every story deserves to be heard.