2018 Centers Health Care "Magical" Employees Retreat in NJ

(Cover Photo: Oz Pearlman, left, CEO Kenny Rozenberg, right)

Centers Health Care, one of the largest continuums of over 40 nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities in the northeast including two in southern New Jersey, held their annual company-wide retreat on Tuesday at The Venetian on River Road in Garfield, New Jersey, educating and entertaining 800 employees with a wide range of presentations, including a surprise humorous act from the mind-reading nationally-known mentalist and magician Oz Pearlman. Pearlman, who had finished third in the 10th season on ABC's America's Got Talent and was a guest on NBC's Today and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, wowed everyone with his mind-blowing mind-reading stunts.

From self-improvement skills to facility improvement techniques, the day was filled with life lesson motivational techniques and industry wide knowledge. Centers Health Care Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Kenny Rozenberg presented his employees with a state-of-the-company speech and showed various news slides that demonstrated the many activities that took place over the past year. Later, he opened it up to the floor asking his employees in a Q&A session, "what are the areas that you would like to see improvement?"

Founder & CEO Kenny Rozenberg, Center Health Care

"Our company is based on one word and that is care whereby we care for our residents, our families and our employees," said Rozenberg. "These retreats are all about our employees. I want to hear from the people who work for us, hear what they have to say, to understand their concerns and how can we as a company can do better."

Following Mr. Rozenberg, attorney Adam Ostreicher, Esq., CHC from Ostreicher Law PLLC in Cedarhurst, Long Island spoke about nursing home regulatory compliance and ethics. Ostreicher focused on the legalities of skilled nursing facilities saying that even though they are reasonably designed, they are implemented and enforced so they can be effective in preventing and detecting violations while promoting quality of care. He also emphasized to "stay focused" and covered topics such as fraud, waste and abuse discussing false claims, coding, billing and reimbursement, plus medical unnecessary services, standards of care and kickbacks.

Adam Ostreicher, Esq with Rozenberg

Motivational speaker and author Jay Rifenbary, President of Rifenbary Training and Development from Saratoga Springs, New York, electrified the audience about the importance of self-worth and workplace recognition, focusing on many areas such as humility, vulnerability, transparency and accountability.

"We are defined on who we are, not what we have or what we own," said Mr. Rifenbary to the audience. "People always seem to focus on what should have been, rather than what could be. We all need to demonstrate integrity, understand our core values, be personal, honest and moral."

Jay Rifenbary speaks to Centers Health Care employees

Rifenbary had a positive and close personal connection to nursing homes remembering that his mother Dorothy who passed away at a nursing home when she was 88 years-old, had an excellent experience at the home she resided in. He praised Rozenberg on his opening Q&A forum saying it's priceless to get feedback from his employees in order for their voices and opinions would be heard.

Clifton J. Porter II, Senior Vice President of Government Relations of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) took the stage after Rifenbary and defined one common theme, "Why the Basics Still Matter". Porter pointed out that the core of the field is still "care" and now that quality has become a reimbursement issue, it has become a means of survival. He defined today's senior demographics and spoke of today's changing and bending policy landscape in this country. In addition to giving personal accounts when he was once a skilled nursing facility administrator, Mr. Porter spoke of the lowering risks of Medicaid and the $7 billion national shortfall.

Clifton J. Porter II of the AHCA

"As leaders in post-acute care, we want to create measures and make sure that elected officials know what you do," said Porter. "You have to remind yourself everyday that you are making a difference. Being visible and engaged with your customers, your patients, staff, referral sources and families, is essential."

Sheryl Rosenfeld of Zimmet Healthcare Services from Morganville, NJ followed Clifton J. Porter II and gave full-scope past, present and future perspective of nursing care, emphasizing that health care is still the most respectable field today, even more than teachers. Rosenfeld spoke in great depth of today's growing population of seniors in this country and how it relates to the medical workforce saying it will be "too small to handle the aging baby boomers."

(L-to-R: Centers' Chief Operating Officer

Amir Abramchik, Rosenfeld, Rozenberg)

The day closed with an amazing mind-reading magic act by magician and entertainer Oz Pearlman. Pearlman, who has made the rounds of the media circuit by dazzling audiences with his mind blowing mind reading act, did the same at The Venetian. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

(All photos: courtesy of Centers Health Care & Pro Sound Presentations)