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January 31, 2022, Adrian, Michigan – The Adrian Dominican Sisters and the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD) have entered into a partnership that would allow people interested in becoming Nursing Assistants to receive training through the LISD while working at the Sisters’ Dominican Life Center (DLC) as Nursing Assistant Companions. The DLC offers a continuum of care to retired Adrian Dominican Sisters, many of whom need daily medical care.
Heather Wanshon, Recruiter for Adrian Dominican Sisters, said the Congregation will hire people as Nursing Assistant Companions, pay their Certified Nursing Assistant class tuition and pay in-class time while also working at the DLC. Once classes and training are complete, they will transition to Nursing Assistants, which includes a pay increase. Because the DLC is a private rather than a state-licensed facility, graduates of the LISD course do not need to complete the state exam for certification to continue working at the DLC as a Nursing Assistant, Heather added.
Erin Dress, Director of Human Resources, said the Adrian Dominican Sisters are looking to hire people who have a desire to care for the needs of others, but lack the training to work as a Nursing Assistant. This new partnership helps those with a heart for service to become trained, while gaining practical experience.
“I’m excited about this partnership because it offers opportunities at so many levels,” Erin said. “The Sisters are such a big part of the Adrian community, but many people aren’t aware of the many employment opportunities on our campus. I see this as a great way to get the word out about the Adrian Dominican Sisters and to foster a partnership with the LISD.” The partnership also benefits people in the community who are interested in entering the field of health care but who may find tuition for the certified nursing assistant program to be out of reach financially, she added.
Nursing Assistant Companions perform tasks that alleviate some of the work of the Nursing Assistants but don’t require professional training: assisting the Sisters during their meals, passing out water, changing bedding, and being a companion to the Sisters, Heather explained. Training through the LISD course will equip them to perform tasks performed by Nursing Assistants, such as measuring vitals and safety-sensitive direct care tasks.
“We’re looking for people with an interest in the healthcare field,” Heather said. “This is an entry level position that a person with the right heart and attitude can get into – someone who’s caring and loves to help people.”
Those interested in applying to be a Nursing Assistant Companion should visit www.adriandominicans.org/employment and click on the “View Jobs and Apply” tab or contact Heather at hwanshon@adriandominicans.org, 517-759-0130, or 517-266-4100.
January 27, 2022, Lansing, Michigan – As Mark Murray, a 1972 graduate of Lansing Catholic High School, prepares to retire from a career that included serving as CEO of Meijer, President of Grand Valley State University, and state treasurer, he cites many influences along the way. Among them are his time in Catholic school and the late Sister Patricia Brady, OP, one of his high school teachers.
Sister Patricia, formerly known as Sister Francis Kevin, was influential in the lives of countless high school students. In 1999, she founded what would become the Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference, in which students and faculty members from Dominican high schools in the United States and beyond come together in the summer for a conference focused on the Dominican charism, especially the call to preach with their lives. She chaired the first board of directors of Dominican Volunteers USA and helped to found what later became known as the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools. She was director in 2008. Sister Patricia died in 2019.
Read the profile of Mark Murray in the Winter 2022 issue of Lansing Catholic High School’s magazine, Totus Tuus. Scroll down to page 19 to read the article, written by teacher Stephanie Van Koevering.
Feature photo: Participants in a recent Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference, founded by the late Sister Patricia Brady, OP, gather for a group photo. Adrian Dominican Sisters File Photo