About Our Founder’s Message

The monthly Founder’s Message was born from Focused Post Acute Care Partner’s president and CEO Mark McKenzie’s desire to keep an open communication with the Focused Care family, residents and their family members, families searching for a long term care option and the general public.  It began with introducing the company, what led Mark, a leader in the Texas long term care sector for decades, to constructing his own unique business model for skilled nursing care, and conveying to those who visited the website the mission and objectives set to enhance health outcomes and make life meaningful for Focused Care residents.

As time went on, it became clear that Mark had more on his mind than telling readers about long term care.  The Founder’s Message has become a platform for Mark to reach out to the team members at Focused Care, applaud them, thank them for their commitment and dedication and encourage them to reach back out to him with anything that’s on their mind. The Founder’s Message also grew into a place where ongoing events are discussed and comfort and encouragement given as it has addressed mass shootings, social injustice and the devastating toll the pandemic has wrought on all our lives.

The Founder’s Message presents a look into the character of Focused Post Acute Care Partners and how its mission extends far beyond the walls of its long term care communities.

Mark McKenzie

A Message From Focused Care's Founder

Mark McKenzie, CEO

A federal lawsuit filed by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) claims that the national nursing home staffing mandate “creates impossible-to-meet standards that will harm thousands of nursing homes and the vulnerable Americans they serve.”

Regulations are needed in healthcare – I think most providers would agree. Taking on federal regulators in a lawsuit is not for the faint-hearted and a contention we would prefer didn’t exist.  But in this case, a mandate – meaning skilled nursing facilities will be monetarily penalized if not met (The federal agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – has estimated compliance will cost the sector about $40 billion in the rule’s first decade; the latest industry estimates have put the price tag even higher at $6.5 billion to $7 billion annually, plus the cost of any associated penalties for non-compliance) – is a rule without context – seemingly none.

Anyone who works in long term care and anyone who has a family member in a skilled nursing facility knows about the nationwide workforce shortage of nurses, physicians and allied health professionals – the latter which include Certified Nurse Aides (CNA) our direct care providers. Layer on top of that how Covid not only cost the US hundreds of thousands of lives, but ravaged our healthcare system causing early retirement or career changes among key medical staff due to burn out (of which a staffing shortage was a large culprit), increased mental health challenges and sparked violence in healthcare settings, and has led us to a crossroads in healthcare.

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