The Journey Here: Kathy (Dec. 2024)

At Concordia Lutheran Ministries, we are blessed with a dedicated team of compassionate employees who help us carry out our mission of caring every day.

Through our series of employee testimonials, “The Journey Here,” we’ll introduce you to team members, profiling their Concordia journey. The piece will be supplemented with a Q&A featured in our Faith in Caring magazine, offering further perspective on how our employees work as the hands and hearts of our mission.

We’re excited for you to meet Concordia at Bethlen medical technical clerk Kathryn “Kathy” Flickinger:

Taking Root

Guided by nature, seeds sometimes find new soil far away from their origin. Sometimes people find themselves in a similar scenario.

About 21 years ago, Kathryn “Kathy” Flickinger experienced a multitude of dramatic life changes, and she needed a fresh start. Strong winds of change brought her to Concordia at Bethlen’s soil, where she started as an activities aide.

Kathy served in activities with Sherry Humbertson, the activities director at the time. Upon starting, Kathy struggled with whether she fit the role. Humbertson and the residents both encouraged her.

“I loved the residents, and I loved the people I worked with in activities,” she said. “I had been going through such a hard time. They gave me confidence I didn’t have.”

Kathy enjoyed spending time with the residents. Now, she reminisces on the times spent sitting with residents outside on the patio, playing bingo, having squirt-gun battles or planting flowers. She shared many moments and conversations with the residents, all of which made her feel more grounded in her role and in life.

“They felt like I was one of theirs. They treated me like their daughter,” Kathy said. “It was just a fun time.”

Sprouting

For about 10 years, Kathy continued working in activities. As her confidence grew, she discovered her tactics improved.

Soon, she started including exercise and other activities to help residents stay in peak shape, all while still having some fun.

Kathy never wanted to leave that department, but when a front desk position opened, her colleagues compelled her to apply. Of course, Kathy got the job, but in response, her confidence wilted a bit, once again confronted with a familiar feeling. She questioned whether she was right for the job.

“She’s amazing,” said Karen Stonebreaker, a Concordia driver, who works closely with Kathy. “Kathy’s very caring and will help anybody. She’s just an awesome person, and she’s truly hardworking.”

Blossoming

While Kathy liked greeting everyone who walked through the door, she also liked to stay a bit busier. She started taking on new responsibilities.

Soon, she began working in tandem with Karen. Kathy handles the scheduling, and Karen handles the driving.

“Our residents have to get to these appointments to heal and recover until they get home,” Kathy said. “The residents are so comfortable with Karen. We work well together.”

Kathy treats every resident, patient and family member as if they were her own family. Along her journey at Bethlen, both her parents were cared for at the facility, before their passing. Her positive experience helps guide her own compassionate outlook.

“They’re family. You become close to these people. Nobody judges anyone because we’ve all been through it,” Kathy said. “It’s easy to say it, but I think we show it too.”

In Bloom

Adding transportation coordination was the first of many new small tasks Kathy acquired along the way, but she also added some big responsibilities that rewrote her role.

“I got very busy,” she said.

One of the biggest new responsibilities involves managing medical records and insurance claims. This morphed her title into where it stands today, medical technical clerk. Having sensitive records at the front desk presented a problem, so Kathy moved to a more private office space.

This encouraged Kathy to embrace an evolution into the quintessential floater. When needed, she occasionally will cover the front desk, help with activities or spend time with residents in need. She said she tries to take every day in stride.

Reflecting on her over 20 years at Bethlen, she stands above it all, seeing her confidence bloom colorfully with every new responsibility.

“I think every role I’ve gone into, I’ve grown into,” Kathy said. “From each new role, I gained something new, and I’ve cherished the experiences along the way.”

View all open careers at ConcordiaCareers.org and connect with us on social to learn more about our employee culture! And, to learn more about Kathy’s perspective on her Concordia career, check out the December issue of Concordia’s Faith in Caring magazine.

Subscribe today by emailing giving@concordialm.org.

Check Out Other Journeys from This Past Year

The Journey Here: Kayla (Sept. 2024)
The Journey Here: Sean (June 2024)
The Journey Here: Blaine (March 2024)

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Founded in 1881, Concordia Lutheran Ministries is a faith-based, CARF-accredited Aging Services Network and recipient of the inaugural Pennsylvania Department of Aging Excellence in Quality Care Award. As one of the largest nonprofit senior care providers in the country, the organization serves 50,000 people annually through in-home care and inpatient locations.