Reflecting on 2024, I couldn’t be prouder of the fantastic team that makes up Perham Health and Perham Living.

This past year, we were recognized with numerous awards and accolades. Our patient, resident, and client satisfaction is at an all-time high, and our quality and safety scores are rock solid. Our growth continues, and our work culture is strong. We continue to add new services and new providers. The last couple of years have been a financial struggle for the entire healthcare industry, but we are turning the corner and heading in a good direction.

This success has not been by accident.

Twenty years ago, we embarked on a journey to partner with patients, residents, clients, and their families more deeply and uniquely. Internally, we call this our “model of care.” Everyone at Perham Health—board, management, providers, caregivers, support staff, volunteers—has embraced this person-centered care model, becoming the bedrock of all we do.

Our journey started at Perham Living when we began a trial of our household model of care. At the time, we were a well-respected nursing home but a fairly traditional, institutional one. Although our state and federal surveys were excellent, our resident and family satisfaction was high, and our quality scores were hitting industry benchmarks, we believed we could do better on quality of life. So, our journey focused on improving each resident’s daily life without lowering the abovementioned things. That journey led us to a unique model of care, and we’ve received state, national, and even international recognition. Hundreds of other facilities have been through our doors over the last twenty years to see what makes Perham Living different.

Piggybacking on that success, in 2007, we began a journey of embracing patient and family-centered care in our hospital and clinics; truly collaborating with our patients and their families to achieve better outcomes. This unique model of care has grown and expanded over the years. Again, this partnership has led to many awards and accolades. But that is not why we do it. We do it to provide a successful patient partnership for each individual we serve.

Why am I so proud today? I am proud because what could have been a fad or passing trend became the core of who we are and how we deliver care. I hope you feel that each time you visit our clinic, go to our emergency room, have an overnight stay in our hospital, or experience any of the amazing services we offer on our Perham Living campus.

Of course, the key to this care model is our people. Every day, I see a housekeeper take that little extra time to comfort an anxious patient. A nursing assistant at Perham Living takes a resident for a walk or an outing or listens and laughs with them as they deliver their care. A nurse makes arrangements to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or other milestone with one of our patients or residents. A doctor comes in on their day off to check on a patient they worry and care about. It’s not just delivering excellent quality care; it’s the “how” passionate, caring individuals deliver that care through a true partnership with you and your family that makes Perham Health unique.

I truly want to thank all of the compassionate individuals who make up Perham Health and Perham Living. I also want to thank you, our community, for trusting us with your care.

I wish you all a healthy and happy 2025!