Hinz-Henry lives in Albert Lea with her husband, Jordan, and their two children, Hunter, 10, and Caliber, 6.
Submitted photo
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Staff Writer
As of Oct. 11, Brittany Hinz-Henry is the new director of nursing at the New Richland Care Center, taking over from Kyle Parr.
Hinz-Henry graduated from NRHEG in 2006. She studied her generals at Riverland Community College in Austin, and then attained her nursing degree at Rasmussen in Mankato.
“I love it,” says Hinz-Henry of her work at the New Richland Care Center. “I like long-term care, and being in contact with [residents'] family members as well.”
Hinz-Henry was previously a unit manager at Benedictine in Owatonna, a short-stay care facility, where she worked with admissions and discharges.
Being a New Richland native, Hinz-Henry had always told herself that, if something opened up at the New Richland Care Center, she would apply for it. When she finally received an email notice that there was a job opening there, she jumped at it.
Now, her job at the Care Center entails ensuring that everything is running smoothly with nursing and to ensure the best place for residents.
Hinz-Henry said it's hard to say whether she likes the short-term or long-term care better, but she does enjoy getting to know the residents and their families in long-term care.
It's important to Hinz-Henry to interact with residents. “I try to make it a point to go around in the morning and make sure everyone's doing okay, and see if anybody needs any help with anything,” she said.
Hinz-Henry had some great positives to list about the Care Center. “I like the fact that it's a small town nursing home and that there's a lot of small families involved,” she said. Those families make up a network of people who help to care for the residents. “We like to be involved with the community [...] for outings and things like that.”
Of the residents, Hinz-Henry said that they come from the community and they want to come specifically to the New Richland Care Center.
Hinz-Henry would like to see the Care Center get its name out there a little more. She wants to help make it a place people want to come to. “I want a waiting list,” she said, envisioning people who want to come to the New Richland Care Center as opposed to anywhere else.
Per Hinz-Henry, the Care Center is already a great long-term care facility. “We have great staff members,” she said. “We've had a lot of new management come around, so I think it'll be some great changes that the people will notice.”
Hinz-Henry lives in Albert Lea with her husband, Jordan, and their two children, Hunter, 10, and Caliber, 6. She hopes to work at the New Richland Care Center for a long time to come.
“I'm happy to finally be here,” she said.