Our Purpose - The LTC Podcast

Stephanie Saga Crook joins Our Purpose hosts Kip Kruger and Chris Light to talk about what really drives success in long-term care: relationships, trust, follow-through, and service. From her role as VP of Business Development at MasVita to her reputation as a “super connector,” Stephanie shares how vendors can bring true value to operators, support residents at the bedside, and build partnerships...

What’s it like growing up in one of the most influential families in long-term care? In this episode of Our Purpose, Kip Kruger and Chris Light sit down with Grayson Blake, Brand Ambassador at Creative Solutions in Healthcare and son of long-term care industry leader Gary Blake. Grayson shares what it was like growing up around skilled nursing facilities, learning from his parents Gary and Melissa...

In this episode of Our Purpose - The LTC Podcast, Kip Kruger and Chris Light sit down with Ron McGaughy, Senior Vice President of Strategy at HMG, to discuss how AI, strategy, leadership, and purpose are changing the future of long-term care. Ron shares how HMG is using AI to improve admissions, streamline workflows, support clinicians, and create more time for meaningful resident care. The conver...

State survey can make or break a nursing home — and in this episode of Our Purpose - The LTC Podcast, Hosts James Dieter and Kip Kruger sit down with Stacia Boeckstiegel to talk about what it really takes to survive survey, lead through compliance, and support nursing home teams during some of the toughest moments in long-term care. Stacia shares her journey from second-generation nursing home adm...

Brad Underwood, CEO of Voyage LTC, joins Our Purpose Podcast to share his leadership journey, the culture behind Voyage LTC, and the challenges facing long-term care in Oklahoma. In this conversation, Brad opens up about turning around distressed nursing homes, building trust with frontline staff, leading with vulnerability, and creating a culture where employees feel seen, supported, and valued....

In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, Hosts Kip Kruger and James Dieter sit down with Cody Campbell to talk about his incredible journey from CNA to nursing home owner and the leadership lessons he’s learned along the way. Cody shares how he built his career in long-term care over more than two decades, why leadership buy-in matters at every level, and what it really takes to create a...

What does it take to build a healthcare company from the ground up and grow it across 12 states? In this episode of Our Purpose Podcast, Kip Kruger sits down with James Dieter, CEO of Principle Health Systems, and Chris Light, COO, to unpack the origin story behind Principle Health Systems and how the company grew from an independent lab startup into one of the largest mobile lab and imaging provi...

What does it take to lead well in long-term care without burning out? In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, hosts James Dieter, Kip Kruger and Chris Light sit down with Lisa Ridley to talk about LTC leadership, building culture, mentoring the next generation, setting attainable goals, and preventing burnout in skilled nursing and long-term care. Lisa shares wisdom from more than 30 yea...

How is AI changing skilled nursing and long-term care? In this episode of Our Purpose Podcast, Kip Krueger, James Dieter, and Chris Light sit down with Brent Jackson, CEO of Simply Screen, to talk about how AI is transforming skilled nursing admissions, MDS workflows, PDPM accuracy, ADR preparation, and operational efficiency across long-term care. Brent shares the origin story behind Simply Scree...

In this episode of Our Purpose Podcast, Hosts James Dieter, Kip Kruger and Chris Light sit down with Monty Montanez — combat veteran, entrepreneur, and candidate for Texas’ 32nd Congressional District — to talk about what nursing homes and long-term care leaders need most from Washington. We dig into the real-world pressure points administrators and clinical leaders face every day: Medicare/Medica...

What does it really take to turn around a struggling skilled nursing facility? In this virtual episode of Our Purpose Podcast, Hosts James Dieter, Kip Kruger and Chris Light sit down with Sheila Foster, Administrator at Richardson Nursing & Rehab (Richardson, TX), to unpack the real-world playbook behind winning managed care contracts, building census, and creating a culture that keeps staff—e...

In this special National Activity Director Week episode of Our Purpose Podcast, Hosts James Dieter and Kip Kruger feature Jackie Johnson, a 37-year Activity Director at Springtown Park. Jackie shares how long-term care activities have transformed across generations — from big band and World War II veterans to baby boomers with iPads and livestreamed church services. She discusses: The evolving rol...

Crystal Quintero (2025 HMG Administrator of the Year) joins Our Purpose Hosts, James Dieter, Kip Kruger and Christ Light to break down what actually builds a strong skilled nursing culture—beyond the buzzwords. From her start as a CNA to leading a 5-star facility, Crystal shares the real-world leadership moves that drive retention, reduce burnout, and keep operations survey-ready—without losing th...

GLP-1 medications are transforming healthcare—but what happens when they enter skilled nursing and post-acute care? In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast Host James Dieter, Kip Kruger and Chris Light sit down with Dr. Norberto Vargas, a board-certified physician in physical medicine & rehab, pain management, addiction medicine, and obesity medicine, to unpack the real-world impact o...

Skilled nursing has a story problem—and Cantex is working to change it. In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, Kip Kruger, James Dieter, and Chris Light sit down with Armando Guzman (Chief Strategy Officer, Cantex) to break down the strategy and culture behind Cantex’s momentum—including 15 facilities reaching 100% occupancy in 2025 . Armando shares his path from managed care into LTC,...

Hosts James Dieter, Kip Kruger and Chris Light joined by Chuck Moody , Senior VP of Clinical Services at Creative Solutions , for a leadership-forward conversation on what’s reshaping skilled nursing. We cover staffing through a “help-first” culture, PDPM documentation and cross-team alignment, the impact of I-SNPs on rehospitalizations, survey pressure, and how AI could eliminate duplication and...

In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast , Hosts James Dieter and Kip Kruger are joined by Gary Blake , CEO of Creative Solutions in Healthcare , for a candid conversation on what it takes to lead in long-term care with conviction, clarity, and accountability. Gary explains why great leaders “run to the fire,” how he builds culture across 186+ facilities, and why he believes excellence isn...

Manual workflows in long-term care are a dinosaur—and Kelly Roberts, Senior VP at CoreCare, explains why AI is the tool that can finally unburden teams without replacing the human side of care. Kelly shares her 30-year LTC journey, breaks down what MDS is and why it matters, and paints a picture of an “MDS assistant” powered by responsible AI: faster chart review, better accuracy, real-time insigh...

Pain management isn’t just about comfort — it’s about outcomes. In this episode of Our Purpose Podcast , we’re joined by Daniel Hatmaker, NP , a pain management specialist working directly inside skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. Daniel explains how properly addressing pain impacts rehab participation, wound care tolerance, sleep quality, mental health, staffing workflows, and hospita...

Welcome to Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, where we bring forward the stories, challenges, breakthroughs, and heart behind long-term care. In this episode, we sit down with Matt Linker, President & CEO of SonderBloom, to uncover the deeply personal story that led to the creation of a rapidly growing company redefining housekeeping and dining services in long-term care settings. Matt opens up ab...

On this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast , co-hosts Kip Kruger and James Dieter welcome Christian Reinarz , Senior VP of Operations at HMG Healthcare , for an in-depth conversation on leadership, culture, and the future of long-term care. Christian unpacks what it’s like to take over a facility after a beloved administrator, how that experience reshaped his view of leadership, and why bein...

In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast , host Kip Kruger , along with co-host and Principal Health Systems CEO James Dieter , sits down with Garrett King , owner and CEO of Valor Hospice , to explore what it truly means to help people die with dignity . Garrett shares his journey from growing up in a hospice family, to working in large corporate hospice systems, to launching a family-own...

In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, hosts Kip Kruger, James Dieter, and Chris Light sit down with administrator Eric Wood to uncover what it really takes to lead in long-term care. From small-town roots to building five-star facilities, Eric shares his journey of caring for his own community, navigating turnover, and finding purpose in a role that demands both heart and resilience. Y...

DON of the Year Kierstan Diefenderfer shares the playbook behind a CNA-first culture : training pipelines with local schools, de-escalation that prevents crises, daily systems that keep providers in sync, and aging-in-place strategies that reduce avoidable hospitalizations. We dig into morale builders (yes—dance parties), “fair and firm” leadership, and the faith that fuels resilience in long-term...

In this episode of Our Purpose – The LTC Podcast, hosts Kip Kruger, James Dieter, and Chris Light sit down with Marjorie Dorrow, President and COO of Cascade Health Services, to explore what it truly means to lead with heart in the long-term care industry. From her beginnings in social work to running award-winning facilities, Marjorie shares how a simple philosophy — “Always Be Kind” (ABK) — tran...