For my LiA, I was working with a non-profit organization from my hometown who needed extra hands applying to grants. I did grant research, writing, and overall support for Lakeview Methodist Health Services. Lakeview is a 72-bed skilled nursing facility located in southern Minnesota. They are the largest skilled nursing facility in Martin County, serving a rural community with close proximity to Mayo Clinic Health Systems in both Fairmont and Mankato. Their location in the county's largest town makes them a preferred choice for families, as residents are able to remain close to their homes and loved ones. This organization directly supports the third United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, “Good Health and Wellbeing: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” Through providing healthcare for aging populations in a rural community that experiences healthcare shortages—like most other rural communities in the U.S.— Lakeview Methodist directly impacts the health of the rural communities they serve. They envision a future where rural communities have access to the same quality and quantity of care as their urban counterparts.

Because of the nature of grants, I was only able to get so much done in eight weeks. Most of the grants that Lakeview is eligible to apply to were not open during the two months I had with them. One major grant that I helped them apply to was Minnesota’s Performance-Based Incentive Payment Plan (PIPP), funded by Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS). Their goal with that funding is to hire a full-time trained movement and walking specialist. By investing in a structured movement and mobility program, they aim to maintain and improve residents' functional independence, thereby keeping residents in their facility and community. I heard back this last week that they received the PIPP, and therefore $200,000 in funding. They plan on hiring a movement and walking specialist this fall. 

In order to track how the PIPP is impacting their goals, they are going to be tracking six main performance measurements over the course of two years. These are tracked through Minnesota’s Quality Indicator (QI) Surveys that are done on an annual basis. These include:

1. Incidence of walking as well or better than on previous assessment.
2. Incidence of worsening or serious functional dependence.
3. Incidence of serious or worsening mobility dependence.
4. Prevalence of falls with injury.
5. Incidence of worsening or serious range of motion limitation.
6. Prevalence of moderate to severe pain. 

They will be able to see how each of these performance measures are improving, staying stagnant, or getting worse. 

Along with applying to grants, I built Lakeview's first comprehensive spreadsheet of grants they're eligible for and that fit their funding criteria, a project I led with guidance from staff. I reviewed the document with them, highlighting recommended grants to pursue through the remainder of 2026, and the first half of 2027. I plan to support these applications in the fall, refining the system as needed to keep it strategic and actionable.

One big takeaway I had from this experience was the various ways that leadership presents itself in different situations. In the work that I was doing for Lakeview, leadership looked like putting together documents without having to be told to, helping out with odd tasks as needed, and sending emails to people who could help make our grant applications stronger. It looked like gathering information and taking the initiative. This made me realize that not all leadership is loud. Some leadership is, in fact, pretty quiet. 

Going into the summer, I was hoping to develop my leadership through leading with humanity and humility, through truly understanding the wants, needs, and care of the community I was walking into. I remembered the idea of “tending a garden” from the Oxford Character workbook. Lakeview is always thinking about how they can improve their care for their residents. I wanted to be an active participant of that, to “tend the garden” of Lakeview; I wanted to actively help it thrive. And in ways that accurately and actively reflected what residents wanted.

To do that, I made a point of connecting with current residents, some of whom I'd known my whole life. I asked them about their interests, what they valued about Lakeview, and what they'd like to see change. One conversation stood out: Shirley, a resident I'd grown up around, had recently broken her hip and was doing prescribed physical therapy exercises. However, she wished there was a more engaging, interactive way to work on mobility. Several other residents echoed similar boredom with their regular physical activities.

Based on these conversations, I recommended adding a Mobii—an interactive table that is designed to get people moving, connecting, and sharing experiences with one another—into our PIPP application. My supervisor agreed, and Lakeview will now be able to purchase two units with PIPP funding, giving residents like Shirley a more engaging option for mobility work. Through these interactions, I feel as though I achieved my goal of leading with humanity and humility. I realized just how important it is as a leader, to listen to what each person wants, and figure out how to best meet the needs of the whole. My conversations with residents allowed me to achieve that goal. 

I learned so much about leadership, how I lead, and how I want to lead in the future through this summer experience.