Heath Boddy

Heath Boddy, the former President of the Nebraska Health Care Association & the new Chief Business Development Officer for Vetter Senior Living, shares his story of growing up in long-term care, his days as an operator himself, his time as an advocate for the sector in Omaha & in Washington D.C., & what he’s up to next in his new role with Vetter Senior Living.

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Scott

Welcome to our podcast called VERSED with Scott Tittle, a Vium Capital podcast where we'll be interviewing leaders in the long-term care sector who are shaping the future of the profession. We've been discussing issues top of mind to them so our listeners can be even more well-versed as they tackle their day. This podcast is powered by VIUM Capital, a new national financial services firm focused exclusively on providing capital solutions to the seniors housing and healthcare sectors. For more information, you can find us at volumecapital.com. I'm your host, Scott Tittle. This is VERSED.

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Welcome Heath Boddy. Heath, for our listeners is the President and CEO of the Nebraska Healthcare Association and the Nebraska Center for Assisted Living for about the next six hours, right, Heath?

Heath

Yes, exactly right, Scott.

Scott

We'll talk about your transition and opportunity here in a minute, but just for our listeners, just want you to know, we're so excited to have you, Heath, you're our first guest on the new VIUM Capital Podcast platform. We're calling this VERSED with Scott Tittle because we know that there are leaders like you out there that are very well versed on what's going on in the sector and we want our listeners to be even better versed as they attack their day. So thank you for being here today. We'll get to your current job and your transition in a minute, but I just want to give our listeners a little bit of your background because I want them to know just how awesome it is you're here today and how special this opportunity is.

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For the last 11 years or so, you've been the head of the Nebraska Healthcare Association, Nebraska Center for Assisted Living, which is the state's largest trade association representing the sector, which includes skilled nursing facilities, assisted living operators, hospice, home health and LPNs. You also run the Nebraska Healthcare Foundation and an accredited post-secondary college dedicated long-term care. Prior to this role, you had many roles in the sector, executive director administrator with several different Nebraska long-term care facilities and you also serve on a number of industry boards, including you were on the board of the National Center for Assisted Living, ASHAE, which is the Affiliated State Healthcare Association Executives, the board of directors and current president for the next couple hours, the Nebraska Department of Gerontology Advisory Board, great Plains Quality Innovation Network Board of Directors. And you are also on the ACA, American Healthcare Association Board of Governments.

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And again, the past president of ASH. Very active in the space, played a lot of different roles, both the operator side, the association side, the highest levels of leadership at all areas, we're really honored to have here today. You also got your associate applied science degree at nursing home administration from the Southeast Community College and a Bachelor of Science and Healthcare Management degree from Bellevue University. Now we've known each other for 11 or so years because we came in to the association world at the same time. And you became the president of Nebraska Healthcare Association. I came in as the president of the Indiana Healthcare Association. We're the same pledge class, right, with Emmett from Florida. And then we've had the opportunity to work in many different roles as I've transitioned and you've accelerated your leadership opportunities. You were on the board of National Center for Assisted Living and then also the Board of Governors and then ASH. So I feel very blessed to not only have you as a friend, Heath, but also the chance that and all my movements will the last 11 years we've always had a chance to work together. So that's been really fun for me. So I just can't thank friendship and your council as always and thanks for joining me.

Heath

Well it's great to be here. I'm super excited to be part of the kickoff here and this is good stuff. Listening to your walk through all those things that I was doing, good lord, I must have been a bit busy. But all those as you point out are really just things that bless you in your leadership to help you see differently, see other perspectives. And so really been honored to be a part of that. And most notably the time that we spent as you were the Executive Director of NCAL Times that really will cherish and watching you flourish in your leadership and help grow NCAL into this great association that it's today.

Scott

Well, thanks, Heath, and again, we're honored and I think what you and I both have always appreciated about NCAL, the family as a federation trade association model, it's all boats rise, right? And absolutely no matter what role you're playing and so can't thank you enough for being here. Hey, let's start off on one of the most important topics, your family. I know you are a very proud husband, an awesome dad, and I would say a very young grandfather. So why don't you start off and tell us a little about your family, where you're from and how you got started.

Heath

Yeah, sure. Well that's the fun stuff to talk about. You're right. I am blessed with an amazing spouse. Probably, I'm a little biased but probably the most supportive spouse out there cause I think I'm probably a lot and she is just fantastic and sticks by me no matter what. We've come a long way a lot of years. We have three wonderful children. Our daughter lives just about 30 miles from us and we got married and had two just amazing grandchildren, Agnes and Whitaker. I can tell you that had God made me a father after he made me a grandfather, I'd probably done a better job. It's just the best gig in the entire world. And our oldest son lives here in the city of Lincoln and is just doing awesome. And then we still have a young person at home, Grayson. And so we're super blessed. And so this for me is kind of family hardware store stuff. My mom was an administrator my entire life and so I spent more time in the facility as a kid than the paid staff did. And so much like it might be if I was helping my family with paint and bolts and nails at the hardware store. And it feels like that's kind of how this has worked. I've never been away from post-acute care from long-term care and really don't ever intend to be. It's just in my blood.

Scott

Wow, that's awesome, Heath. I think you're confirming what I think a lot of us know about the industry is it's mission driven, right? And when you talk to people who are in positions, leadership, more likely not they came up through the business in some form or fashion because they caught the bug early, saw the example, their parents, even their grandparents said or a mentor and want to be part of really helping others. And so I think that's really awesome that you've continued along that path and just think about the example you're setting for your children and your grandchildren. Tell us about the names of your grandchildren by the way, those are very unique, interesting names. There are some family connections there?

Heath

Yeah, so the family connections would be in the middle names. The first names I think were just names that caught my daughter and son-in-law's attention. And so of course, we latched onto 'em really quick. And the good thing is there's some good clean, fun nicknames associated with those as opposed to sometimes that gets to be a problem. The middle names are the family connections.

Scott

That's got to be really fun for you to be so close to your grandkids. B,efore you entered into the association world, you had several roles in the business itself and the operation side. Tell us a little bit about those experiences and then maybe how you think those informed you or formed you best formed, you to become an advocate for the profession in Nebraska and in Washington D.C.

Heath

The listeners don't get to see in a podcast, but there was a point in my life when I had hair and clearly that's not now. So I've been around a while. I've been doing this a while and about 30 years really. I started in rural Nebraska clear out by the Colorado, Kansas border in a small community, which was so wonderful and back in those days allowed my leadership to grow. I can make some mistakes and it wasn't, as I would say, life threatening and had the opportunity to work with some incredible teammates over the years. Went to a little bigger facility in the middle of Nebraska and then more on the eastern end of the state. And each of those had their own interesting things from just dynamics and culture. Got to work for a company that will talk about here in just a little while early in my career that's very mission driven and really helped solidify for me how much mission, vision and core values for a company really matter.

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They matter in my opinion generally, but certainly matter to me. And so from my leadership growth, honestly I couldn't think of so many examples of people that cared enough about me to have conversations that might have been hard as I was growing into leadership. I'm a veteran so I had some military days and I would tell you I graduated from high school early to go in the military, probably not knowing it then the best thing I could have ever done cause I don't think I was as mature as I needed to be. And that boy you grow up in a hurry when you get in a military environment. So those have really been situations that have helped really solidify growth for me. And I'd like to think if anybody would ever say that we've done a few things or I've done a few things, well it really helped that situation.

Scott

One interesting background then bringing that to the advocacy world both in Nebraska and in Washington. And for our listeners, some may not know about ASHKE. ASHKE again is sort of a trade association of all of your counterparts across the country. The other 49 or so, you have more recently rolled off as president of ASHKE, which is that again the association of those state leaders. So say a little bit about your experience as a state trade association exec and then also really leading the sector and the national level in Washington D.C. working with NCAL staff and also working with your counterparts across the country.

Heath

Great descriptions. The state association exec and, as you well know, Scott is such a privilege to have the confidence of providers who work their tails off every day providing care in our case to Nebraskans and to get the opportunity to lead them and to try to represent them. You're often the face and the mouthpiece for a lot of really great work, in our case, 29,000 people's worth of work in our state. And I can't even tell you as I wrap up my last day of that here today, I can't even tell you the level of privilege that feels like for me. And then when I think about getting the opportunity to represent the 50 state execs, what a privilege. Goodness. I mean the level of talent and the level of tenacity and servant leadership that happens across those 50 people is just incredible.

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And what a neat thing to get to represent 'em and to learn from them and maybe to take their voice as it is to the federation as you pointed out to the American Healthcare Association and the National Center For Assisted Living, they're the coolest people in the world and we have a friend, Scott, Mark Parkinson who refers to that as what it must feel like in a fraternity. And I wasn't part of that, but good gracious, they've just been the most supportive, wonderful people as I've progressed in the last, you know, 11, 12 years. Been great.

Scott

Yeah, it's a special working relationship for sure. And I remember when I started to say exec I remember and my board chair saying, Hey, you have to remember what's great about ASHKE is you've got 49 other people out there that are rooting for you and want you to be successful and they will drop everything to hand you whatever they want. Blueprints, resources, contacts. And boy I found that true and true.

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Yeah, what a great experience. Well you just came off of jumbo series of meetings in Washington D.C. Population Health Management Summit, we'll talk about a second, but also an ASHKE meeting, which was your last ASHKE meeting. We've teased this a few times already, Heath, our conversations, you are transitioning into a new role on Monday, which we'll talk about a minute back on the operator side. So again, our listeners are probably wondering what we're talking about. Well that's, you are now moving on from your opportunity there then to go back on the operator side. But tell us a little bit about what's going on in DC since you're just fresh off the trip, fresh off the plane from DC What are some of the hot topics that you all were identifying for the sector? Maybe say a little bit about how phase four is going on provider relief funds and any opportunity for some infrastructure deals. Anything else maybe you think would be really important for our listeners to know about today? And again, as of today, it's middle of December, 2021, so we're kinda getting year end here. But anything you think that might be really important for listeners to understand in here?

Heath

It was a great week and not only does the American Healthcare National Center for Assisted Living always put on a great event, it was really informational. The event is around, in my mind, population health management is around encouraging providers to one thing differently. But in Nebraska we have a vision statement that says inspire people to shape their world. And I think a lot about population health management and saying, this is us in this sector saying let's control or shape whatever we can because some of it you just can't shape it. And so it has been a great couple of weeks and there's a lot going on in DC maybe that's always said, you live that life a lot but there's a lot going on and I think I would put 'em in basically three buckets, it'd workforce, it'd be funding and it'd be this whole intersection of vaccination and covid. And there continues to be, Scott, a really tough time for providers. As we've migrated our way through the variants of covid and, and navigated the issue of vaccinations and required vaccinations and do we, don't we? And so those continued to be top issues in DC.

Scott

Let's talk about vaccinations real quick cause I think that's probably really top mind for everybody. Sure. Again, there, there was a deadline as of the, this last Monday originally by the C m s Reg that sniff providers, me particular had to have all their staff that obviously pushed a little bit based on the pending legislation. What is a NCAL telling members to do to be prepared for, to be thinking about any crystal ball there? Cause I know that's really top of mind to, to listeners right now.

Heath

That's a great point and the reality is nobody really knows. I mean when things are that outside of your sphere control, I guess they're influencing them but it's not in their control. So their suggestion to providers is simply you can as an operation hope for or not hope for the mandated vaccine depending on people's beliefs. But we need to prepare and we need to be able to be ready within, you know, maybe even as short as 72 hours to turn and comply should the efforts that are happening right now not prevail. So the specifically, there's some lawsuits in certain states that have put in a stay of execution, if you will, on the mandates. So their advice is get prepared, don't get caught not being prepared should this thing turn around quickly and it's probably a 50/50 thing whether it stays or whether it goes. And I think it just depends on your perspective on how you see it.

Scott

And based on that perspective, are you hearing, are some operators shearing the decision or some operators like kind of lamenting decision? Does it depend on kind of where you are and what state and the penetration and the vaccination rate in the counties and size of operation? Is it a little bit varied across the country?

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Heath

Yeah, I think that's a fair thing Scott. I mean geography surely matters, at least it does in our state. Cheering may not be the right analogy because the fear for providers is if there's a mandate, what is the actual outcome of people who just won't vaccinate? So are they just gonna quit our business and get out And if they are, what's that number? You hear anything from a couple percent to 15 - 20% And some of that's speculation and some of that's actual. So I think generally the providers would love it if healthcare providers were vaccinated because what science tells us is that that's gonna be our best protection. But we also understand there's people that just don't see it that way and or they have medical conditions or they have religious beliefs that don't allow that. And so it's really just been, this has been a tough issue especially for post-acute care.

I didn't think it was gonna get this way. I honestly thought we'd be having to do crowd control as we crossed into the new year this year for 2021, I thought we'd have to be making sure the lines went well and it just didn't work out that way. The rates continue to climb. That's good. I know that probably pleases the administration that we're making progress. The question is will it be enough and will these legal efforts that are happening right now prevail and I don't know the answer to that, but certainly being prepared and some companies were mandating vaccinations before the president did it. And so I think those companies have stayed those courses.

Scott

Yeah, well more to be said and certainly we'll be watching those cases very closely and certainly that cases are not only tying up healthcare providers but also on the private pay and even private employer side employee hundred employees are above too as so yeah, lots to be watching for there. How about in terms of funding? I know certainly for a lot of our listeners kinda where the stimulus money's going, certainly tied to census and revenues, additional covid expenses and omicron variances. Like any updates on phase four in particular and any thoughts?

Heath

Well there's still work. It's a great question and I know it's top of mind for providers across the country. There's still a lot of work being done on provider relief funds providers, most providers did get the rule payments, I think that was last week or maybe it was the week before and some people that didn't work out. And so they're trying to work through all of that. The phase four is still a current component. And then is there gonna be a phase five? And I think it's the best to say, at least from somebody from my perspective is that the American Healthcare Association, that team continues to work those issues and trying to compel congress to compel the administration to not only release the funds but to realize what the situation is on the ground. And that, Scott, I know you hear from many of the members still that's the key pressure point.

Heath

Another key component is the public health emergency. Will that stay in effect after the next, cause I think it's in January it's supposed to be renewed, there's an FMAP increase for the states that federal matching portion increase for that in the states. There's the three-day observation stay waiver in that. And so there's a real question which is in some cases as important as just the raw funding component, what's gonna happen there? There's current legislation right now that talks about ramping down the federal matching portion even prior to the, the end of the public health emergency. So there's a lot of effort happening right now. Conversation around is there an opportunity to just do away with the three day stay requirement? And for the listeners, that's a requirement that Americans would need to have three midnights in a hospital prior to qualifying for Medicare in a post-acute into a long-term care facility.

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And that's been waived during the public health emergency. I mean I think there's a lot of work that's happening there and really from the American healthcare, not only have they taken that on, then there's a lot of effort that's going to the state to say what opportunity we have for each state, as you pointed out in the federation, to help them with their own Medicaid efforts in the state. And so as an example, in Nebraska, we're working with the NCAL team right now on trying to compel the Nebraska administration on increasing funding at this component. You hate to handicap an effort, but I'd like to say we're having good conversation and I'm very hopeful that in the near future we'll have some more funding for Nebraska providers cuz it's really hard here as well. Nebraska's becoming a bit of a frontier state. We have the urban area on the eastern edge, and when you get out very far, it gets pretty rural pretty quick and they're really having a hard time.

And of course then to your earlier question, the other big piece is the workforce. And it's just a really hard time. I've been around 30 years, I've never seen anything close to this in 30 years. It's just the craziest thing about trying to recruit people. The hard thing is we're not alone. Every other industry, every other occupation's having the same thing. So it's just a really, really hard time from having enough team members. We asked about occupancy and occupancy for the first time in a while is bouncing back, but we don't have the team members to give the care. So we're using these terms in Nebraska staffed beds, not now. How many beds do we have in our facility? How many do we have staff? How many people can we take based on our staff availability? It's a tough time.

Scott

Yeah. And we're certainly seen with the influx of omicron identified cases in many states, you know, the hospitalization rates are through the roof here're in Indiana. We're watching surrounding states, especially Michigan, where some really scary things are happening in terms of hospitals being overloaded and you're so right heath and I think all the pressure points of what operators are going through right now, just some really, really difficult times. Any thoughts about what 2022 could hold for the sector? And you know, we were at the NIC conference and a and cal and I know there's still a lot of optimism about the sector, a lot of hope for the future. What are, what are your thoughts about next year that that operators should be thinking about both challenges and opportunities?

Heath

Well, I'm one of those people that has a lot of hope for the sector. You know, I know 2021, we all kind of felt like surely by this time this year, this all be behind us. And, and it's not. But I think about what we've learned and how much better prepared and frankly, in some cases, smarter about things that we are as a profession. I feel like as a country, the more people vaccinate and, and get the booster, the better opportunity we'll have to make these variants less of a big deal. My guess is the word pandemic will, I mean I'm not an expert on this, but the word pandemic will start to go away and endemic will start to come in. It'll be a bit like the flu will always have to figure out that this is just my idea, but have to figure out how do we deal with that this year, occupancy starting to turn around and Scott, as you know from your time at NCAL, the population numbers, the numbers of Americans that are in the age that would be served by our sector start to really turn here in the next few years.

Heath

And so if we can get the staffing, the, the team member thing to turn around and come our way a bit, I, I'm really hopeful about what 2022 can look like in Nebraska. We've made really good inroads with relationships with our survey teams and again, we don't always agree, but really have come a long way. And I think that creates a lot of hope for me. And frankly, I've learned again how tenacious, how filled with grit healthcare providers are, how they're willing to stand in no matter what's going on. And they've showed that again and again. I feel like things are gonna start to relax just slightly in early 2022. I sure hope I'm right. I hope that we can connect again at the end of the year. Maybe, maybe some of this comes to fruition, but we sure need it. Team members are tired. It's been a hard couple of years. I hope that that will come that way for them.

Scott

Yeah, and it dawn on me too. One sort of additional contextual point for something you mentioned before, before our listeners, the stuff you're working on in Nebraska, you know, we've seen some success in other states pulling down some stimulus money and for workforce needs, stabilizing workforce for enhancing some rates either on a one on a short term basis or even built into the rates themselves. Pennsylvania, Texas, those are good examples. So Heath and your counterparts are working night and day, I know to try and pull down some of that two to 300 billion and went to state and local governments try and benefit the sector. And so I know for our listeners, advocates in every state they're trying to find opportunities similar to, hopefully that's some good news. Let's talk about 2022 and let's talk about you again. We've teased it quite a bit, but you're off to a great opportunity starting Monday. Returning back to the operator side. So I think what's awesome for our listeners is we have someone here who's started the operator side, gone on the advocacy side, both state national and now gone back to the operator side. Tell us what you're doing next.

Heath

Yeah, well maybe Scott, the way to start that is you never get the provider outta somebody's blood. And I've been just given an incredible opportunity to join the team at better Senior living in Omaha, Nebraska. And if listeners aren't familiar with better and encourage 'em to look 'em up, they're this incredible company that is completely and utterly mission driven and very focused on who they are and who they serve and how they do it. They're recipients of a great place to work in America. I mean, they've really got a lot of great things and if you're a data person, you look 'em up. They're very highly ranked from the quality metrics across the country and they've asked me to come work with them and look at things that are really not focused just solely on skilled nursing. So I'll look at things like more in the home care pharmacy, those kind of things.

Heath

And so I am super excited to join that team. And yeah, as you said, that's Monday and so it's gonna be a, a pretty impactful week next week, but I couldn't be more excited to go join that team. And again, I, I think I said early, I'm a guy that it matters to me that a company really is mission driven, not just that it's the poster out front on the building, that it is who they are, it is how they act, and they know who they serve, and that clearly fits better senior living. I'm, I'm just excited to go there and be a part of it. So 2020 two's got a lot of new for me. We just moved my family to Omaha over Thanksgiving. We're still trying to figure out, you know, where the socks are, which box that's in, and so it's all gonna be really good.

Scott

Well, we're really excited for you, Heath, and really excited to be, continue to work for with you in a new capacity. Again, as I mentioned before, we've had a chance to be friends and colleagues for a long time and looking forward to working with you in your new role. What I'm excited for Ye Heath is that you are going to work for a high quality operator. Jack, better is just a legend in the industry. Better health is a star student in terms of quality and data as right. And you're going to work with Glen Van Akron, who's just one of the best people out there. And I, I didn't tell you I was gonna do this, but I'm gonna quote from Glen has got a book for our listeners out there, if you're looking for a great Christmas gift, little leadership lessons from an old guy, and Glen has got volume two is just out, I think this quarter.

Scott

But I was flipping through this and I I love these little snippets that Glen puts out. And so I constantly looked, remember once in a while I thought of you, Keith, when I read about this one chapter, he talked about the importance of being an engaged leader. The converse, of course, is when you have a disengaged leader, you have chaos. But when you have an engaged leader, his definition of engaged leaders become the kind of leader that people would voluntarily follow even if you had no title or position. And Heath, when I think about an engage leader, really do think about you and I just think you are gonna do so much great work there better I'm excited for your new colleagues, teams, folks that you're gonna be working with, residents and the families. I'm excited for your next steps and for, for better, also for Jack and Glenn and the whole team there. So really excited. Hey, we'll get a little close on time, but tell us about your successor Jaylene, who I've known for a long time. Tell us about her and her background and her work going forward.

Heath

Yeah, so we're really blessed. The board here at the Nebraska Healthcare Association hired Jaylene Carpenter to be the next ceo. I couldn't be more excited for, couldn't be more excited for the association, high energy, passionate, long-term care provider advocate. She's worked on the business side of it with a company that does satisfaction survey. She's worked with a pharmacy company that's tied and now coming back to lead this team and to serve members. And she's gonna be fantastic. I've had the opportunity to be around her for about four weeks now, just trying to help her integration. And Scott, I mean, you know, you, you know who she is. She's just gonna do a great job. She's been a future leader in American healthcare. It's gonna be good. And I'm really excited for what's in front of Nebraska, Nebraska providers and specifically for the association.

Scott

Well, that's great, Heath. Well, thanks for the opportunity to talk a little about her as well. You know, maybe she'll be a future guest on our podcast. I know she's got a varying some background on her own right, too. Final question, I'm just trying to think about a consistent question for all of our listeners. I'm a big reader. I love asking people what they're reading and maybe what they recommend. What's on your nightstand? Something you'd like to recommend to our listeners?

Heath

Well, I can't recommend it yet because I just dug it back out. You know, I told you going through boxes and I stumbled across a book that I received when I was on your board of directors from Doris Kerns Goodwin called Leadership and Turbulent Times. It sounds like when I, you know, I read the cover when we, I just unpacked it last week before I went to DC and it sounds like the whole concept here is that she uses the stories of past presidents to talk about how leadership has and can help navigate these really tough times. And certainly this would qualify as a turbulent or a tough time. So maybe in the future I'll, I'll send you a note or let you know just what it was, but I haven't read it before. I'm super excited. So Leadership in Turbulent Times is the book that I'm gonna go after.

Scott

What a great recommendation for our listeners. I have that book, not read it, but I did have the opportunity to meet her at our Ocne County new convention many years ago. She's obviously a great presidential historian, written a famous book team of rivals about Lincoln, its Cabinets. I wanna thank you for your time today. This has been really special for me and, and a great opportunity for our listeners to know you a little better and understand where you've been and what you're going to do next. We're very honored. You were our first guest on this Volume Capital podcast. I think it'll be really fun to kind of connect maybe a year from now, right after the 2022 midterm elections. Well, a lot to talk about, but also kind of check back in with you to see how things went on your first year at better and get a sense of what you're thinking about for 2023. I wanna thank our listeners for tuning in, especially for our very first volume Capital podcast. Ask them to be sure to check in soon for future sessions as we'll be interviewing key leaders and profession that'll shape our sector and during these very, very interesting times. Heath, thanks again for your time. This is VERSED.

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