A Welcome from the Administrator. . .

Greetings:

Sally Damm Administrator

Thank you for stopping by the United Retirement Center web-site for a visit. We are honored by your interest in the campus. As the administrator of the United Retirement Center, I would like to share with you a snapshot of my background, my professional philosophy on elder care, and the mission I set for myself many years ago.

I joined the United Retirement Center/Avera (URC) team as administrator in April of 1997. I earned a Master of Science in Administrative Studies with a health care emphasis in May 2007 from the University of South Dakota. I received my undergraduate degree in 1977, majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Huron College.

Prior to joining URC, I spent approximately twenty years in health care facilities at Redfield and Bristol, South Dakota. I am licensed by the state of South Dakota as a licensed nursing home administrator and licensed social worker associate. Coupled with my education and experience, I am a voice for the advancing quality care and life for elders and children of South Dakota on the following councils: 

1. Governor Rounds appointed me to the South Dakota Advisory Council on Aging in 2004. This is a very interesting and rewarding method of sharing my experience of working with and for the elderly of South Dakota.
2. South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organization: Council on Long-Term-Care
3. South Dakota Voices for Children: Brookings Business-Civic Leadership Group on Early Care and Education

Beginning as a nursing assistant in 1969 at the Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon, SD, during my high school years, I quickly learned that society has the perception an individual goes to the hospital to get better and have babies and to a nursing home to die. In 1987, I accepted my first position as administrator and have worked relentlessly in changing the cultural attitude of long-term care. My philosophy is that in any long-term care environment, it must be A.L.I.V.E. (Alleviating Loneliness in a Vibrant Environment). As you can clearly see on the URC web-site, our environment is A.L.I.V.E. with elders, children, staff, pets, plants, and social interaction! 

I have a unique understanding of our health care system. Personally I have experienced the depths of sadness and the highs of happiness as a user and a provider. As a daughter and a wife, my mother and my husband used home health, assisted living, skilled care, and hospice care. These personal experiences have shaped my dedication and commitment to the care of our elders as much, if not more, than any other factor in my career or educational background. I do enjoy public speaking if you are a provider, service group, an educational institution, or any interested gathering that has an interest in learning more about:

1. A.L.I.V.E. project on the URC campus
2. Health care services specifically to elder programs
3. The journey of being a caregiver or
4. The future of elder care and culture change

Thank you again for visiting our web-site. Please feel free to contact me at anytime about our services on the campus.

~Sally Damm, Administrator