Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Chamber names LHGS Social Service Director as Employee of the Month

Angie Hopfauf has been a licensed social worker since she graduated from the University of Mary in 1999. She began at the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd in 2003 and continues to help families make big decisions about the future of loved ones.

Her nomination for Employee of the Month came from a recent client, who said, "I was looking for placement for my mother who suffers from dementia. Angie was instrumental in reaching out to our family and bringing my mother to New Rockford. It is the perfect place for Mom. Angie has gone above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and welcome."

For Angie, it is all part of the job. "Communication is key, as well as empathy," she said. Patient needs and family dynamics play a role as well in determining long-term goals. The top priority is to ensure that patients have a good quality of life, no matter their stage of living.

"There's a lot of living that goes on here," Angie said, and all evidence during my tour of the facility supported her statement. The Lutheran Home encompasses more than a city block and offers various levels of care including independent living at Westview Apartments, assisted living at the Heritage House, basic or skilled care, and specialized care in the dementia wing. Each area offers a warm, inviting atmosphere with dining facilities, lounge space, and daily activities. Residents can also enjoy a beauty salon, theater, chapel, and even interact with the young children who attend the onsite daycare.

It is Angie's job to help families and individuals determine what arrangements work best given the circumstances, and she assists with patient transitions throughout the facility, including discharges. Of these many care options for residents, it is the folks returning home who benefit most from Angie's compassion and expertise. She coordinates each transition so that patients can access home health care, community services and more.

When Angie graduated from New Rockford High School in 1995, she wanted to pursue a career in nursing. Two years into the program and she decided nursing wasn't quite the right fit for her. By changing her academic major to social work, she found her calling to help people in a meaningful way.

Early in her career, Angie developed and implemented youth peer-mentoring programs in both Fort Yates and Bismarck schools. It was when she returned home to New Rockford that Angie found her calling at the Lutheran Home. She was quite familiar with the place, she said. After all, she had spent many of her teen years visiting her grandmother in there.

Have you experienced great customer service from an employee of a local business? If so, please consider nominating that person for this award. Nomination cards and forms are available in the table tents and on bulletin boards at local businesses. Forms can also be printed from the organization's webpage, http://www.cityofnewrockford.com/chamber. Nominations are accepted via email to [email protected].

 
 
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