Most people look forward to unwinding at home after a busy work week.

But you can often find Sam Pahl back at Redeemer Health Care Center on the weekends, lending a hand with resident activities. This is just one way the dedicated nursing home administrator goes above and beyond the call of duty.

For Sam, this is not a job, but a calling.

From early on, he knew he wanted a job that made a difference in the lives of older adults. Sam began his journey as a certified nursing assistant, with a dream of one day leading as an administrator.

His career path at Cassia started when he received an internship for his administrator’s license at Apple Valley Village. Shortly afterward, Sam became the administrator at Lakeside Generations. And now, he’s continuing to make an impact as the administrator at Redeemer Health Care Center.

Sam’s success at Cassia is a story of hard work, dedication and the powerful impact of caring for others.

Heart for Service

Sam says his first introduction to long-term care was during his college years when he worked as a certified nursing assistant.

“I absolutely loved working with my residents and knew that I wanted to pursue a career in aging services,” he says.

Sam wanted to be a part of the next generation of leaders advocation for elder care.

As he prepared to graduate from college, Sam was still looking for the internship required for his administrator license. Then he met Dave Shaw, the administrator of Apple Valley Village, and secured an internship.

“Working with Dave for six months side-by-side was the biggest blessing for my career and cemented my love for the industry,” Sam says.

Smooth Transition

After his internship at Apple Valley Village concluded, Sam applied to become the administrator at Lakeside Generations. He accepted the role and became the new administrator.

“This was a perfect move for myself, as I was able to hone my skills as an administrator, while working with an already talented team,” Sam says.

Jeri Rosenberg, HR director at Cassia, worked closely with Sam during his time at Lakeside Generations. She says Sam had great knowledge coming to Dassel from school and his internship.

However, she says he knew this was a great opportunity to grow as a leader.

“He was very self-aware and willing to soak in whatever he could about leading with integrity and managing challenging situations,” Jeri says.

“It can be taxing for any leader to join an established site and team, add to that being a new young leader and it is an additional stress factor but that did not seem to pose a problem for Sam. He joined the team and was able to start right in on a culture shift to move the team forward to create a collaborative environment among staff and with families.”

Servant Leader

After about a year at Lakeside Generations, Sam transitioned to become the administrator at Redeemer Health Care Center.

Matt, the regional director of operations who works with Sam, praises him for being a team player. He says Sam is always willing to pitch in and help when needed.

“Sam is a servant leader who genuinely cares about his staff and the people they serve,” Matt says. “His team trusts him and feel comfortable to come to him with both concerns and ideas on how their site can improve. It’s common to see his team popping in and out of his office throughout the day. When he is out on the floor, he greets every employee personally by name. It’s evident that they appreciate his leadership.”

Sam finds his job at Redeemer Health Care Center rewarding.

“Being able to serve our residents with such a dedicated and caring team is the most rewarding part about working at Redeemer,” Sam says. “We truly have the best group of people.”

Bright Future Ahead

Sam says what he enjoys the most about working for Cassia is the culture, mission and the people within the company.

“I have an abundance of mentors at Cassia who have helped mold me into the administrator and servant leader that I am today,” he says. “I look forward to continuing my growth within Cassia and making a positive impact on the industry for many years to come.”

With leaders like Sam, the future of senior care is full of possibilities. His story proves that with hard work and a desire to help, anyone can make a difference.