. Six weeks having expired when destiny made its appearance, in the form of the help wanted section in the Modesto Bee. Colony Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, a 99 bed skilled nursing facility, located on East Orangeburg Avenue less than two miles from the Willson’s Blue Daisy Way residence, was in need of a full time Maintenance Supervisor. Gary jumping at the chance, submitting an edited resume’ to Colony Park, deciding not to include his current employment at Walmart, discerning it might be a detriment, considering the other positions he had held in the past. To account for his employment time in California he listing his last employment reference as working for Sierra Management Corporation in Groveland, the company name of one of his sister Katherine’s LLC’s, calling to give her a heads up, she might receive a call from Colony Park. His notification wasn’t in vain, Kay having received a call from the Administrator at Colony Park, giving her brother a notable, but honest recommendation. The call was forth coming, requesting him to be present for an interview the following afternoon.
. Gary was somewhat apprehensive, but confident, arriving at Colony Park, appropriately attired in a sports coat and tie at his appointed time. Entering, he noticed two others who appeared to be waiting applicants dressed in jeans seated in the lobby awaiting their interview opportunity. Gary directed to the administrator’s office, being introduced to three gentlemen, the Colony Park administrator, Dave Yarborough, Brad Kikuta, a corporate vice president, and Arden Bennett, the CEO of the eight facilities that comprised Health Care Management Corporation. Gary soon found his questioning being conducted, not by the administrator of the facility or the corporate vice president, but by Arden Bennett, the Corporate CEO.
. Bennett explaining the facility having had some difficulty, the administrator having hired four maintenance supervisors in the past year, none proving satisfactory, and that Colony Park was entering a new phase, it was to be the first Healthcare Management facility to apply for Jay coe, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization membership. Gary couldn’t believe what he was hearing, as he was very familiar with the organization, having worked with JCAHO representatives during his tenure as president of the Kansas Hospital Engineers Association. He related his experience to the CEO, as a member and president of the KHEA he attended many JCAHO seminars and had written hospital maintenance policies to JCAHO specifications. Questioned about his maintenance experience, he concluded he was versed in all aspects of healthcare facility maintenance, from the operation and maintenance of the physical plant to the intricacy of servicing patient care equipment.
. Gary leaving the interview confident, his answer coming after a two-day wait, David Yarborough calling asking how soon he could start, that he could commence his orientation immediately, then the disappointing news, Gary’s request for $16.00 an hour was rejected, relegated to accepting 12 50 as a starting wage. The afternoon found Gary traversing to Wal-Mart to address his departure, meeting with the congeal Human Resource lady, turning in his time card, apologizing for such a short notice of his departure, explaining that he had found a better opportunity, her smile relieving his displeasure for not fulfilling his obligation, her reply “this happens to us all the time.”
. Gary’s vista having risen, his employment at Colony Park giving him a contingency to affirm his years of Plant Service Manager experience. He soon discovered the healthcare facility void of anyone with real comprehensive knowledge of a structural plant systems, including his acquired maintenance assistant, Reyes Hernandez, called Ray, whom directed him on a tour of the building and premises. The 99 bed skilled nursing facility maintained a staff numbering over 100, with a continuing 90 plus residential census. The building encompassing four wings in the shape of an X, one wing, a locked down certified Alzheimer’s unit, equipped with a keypad exit but also with a fire alarm release mechanism for the door and the units patio gate. The building encompassing 32 restrooms and six shower stalls, plus the department offices, kitchen, dining and activity rooms.
. Gary finding his only disappointment, expecting an updated facility, but discovering the building was built in 1964 and lacked few improvement since that era. The upside to his work environment, the yard work was contracted out, no mowing, the total lawn area was on an automated sprinkler system. His designated office was in 16 by 42 foot shop, northeast of the building, accommodating a storage area for maintenance, housekeeping, custodial and laundry supplies. The shop was in total disarray without organization, an electric wall heater for winter and a swamp cooler for summer. Gary’s first priority was to make it presentable, giving a semblance of organization, inquiring and receiving a computer, connected to the core system in the conference room, ready for the virtuous tasks that he knew were on the horizon.
. Gary as a new employee having respect for Administrator David Yarborough, a retired Army Officer with a college degree in business administration, but soon finding the other department heads had little regard for him, and for some reason the corporate entity, Healthcare Management had put him on probation. Within two months of Gary’s arrival the administrator was relieved of his position and transferred to the Merced facility as temporary administrator, then relieved of his employment, Brad the Corporate Vice President assuming a temporary position of Administrator
. Brad, fluent in the Japanese language, his parents American citizens, their Valley farmland confiscated during world war II, then being placed in an internment camp, the youth growing up in the San Joaquin Valley, a graduate of Fresno State University. Brad as a person was a confirmed bachelor with a regimented life, dawning the day with a 5 a.m. calling at Gold’s Gym every morning, arriving at work at 7a.m., conducting the department head staff meetings at 9a.m. Most mornings finding him departing the building for his corporate duties at their offices in Madera or visiting one of the other facilities, entrusting the everyday management of Colony Park to the Department Heads.
. The Maintenance Supervisor having progressed three months into his duties when Brad entreated him to his office, asking Gary if he would be willing to expand his responsibilities by accepting a position appropriating the addition of the Housekeeping, Custodial, and Laundry departments, while still concurring his maintenance duties. It was Day jà vu, Gary recalling the very same circumstance happening 10 years earlier following his employment at the Anthony Hospital in Kansas. Brad conferring his new job description as Environmental Services Supervisor, Gary accepting, but not without experiencing an inner feeling of compassion, as Shirley, the housekeeping and laundry supervisor, given notice, exited in tears.
. Included with the added responsibilities was a substantial pay raise, discovering he and the Director of Nursing, Carolyn Hauser, were the only two salaried staff employees. The new responsibilities made for a longer day, retaining his 7 A M appearance on most days, his eight hours extending sometimes into a ten-hour day. Gary settling in to his new position recalling, It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourself.
Inquisitive Quest 
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