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Alecia Eliason
Community Service Learning Journal
Clinical Practicum III
November 30, 2017
Community Service at Cedar Springs Health and Rehabilitation Center
Cedar Springs Health and Rehabilitation Center is a skilled nursing and short-term
rehabilitation facility located in Cedarburg, WI. A variety of specific patient needs are addressed
at Cedar Springs, including cardiac care, rehabilitation after surgery, palliative care, and long-
term skilled nursing care, amongst others. The center is Medicare and Medicaid certified, so
certain standards of care are required in order for services to be paid. As a resident of Cedarburg,
I chose to volunteer at Cedar Springs, hoping to give back to my community, positively affecting
those with whom I live closely.
I reached out to the administrator at Cedar Springs, offering whatever services were
needed but initially thinking Id interact with residents during my volunteering time. However, it
turned out their needs were more clerical. At the time, the center had recently been acquired by a
different parent company, so many shifts were being made with leadership roles and
responsibilities. As such, certain menial tasks were neglected, so the administrator asked if I
wouldnt mind doing some bookkeeping. Of course, I accepted, since my primary goal was to
help the center in whatever way possible. As a Medicare and Medicaid certified center, records
regarding staff certifications (i.e. registered nurse, certified nursing assistant, etc.) were required
to be kept on file. I spent a good portion of a Saturday printing out certification
acknowledgements for staff from a Wisconsin government website and filing these into each
staff members folder. Also required was proof of good standing with specific legal regards
having to do with direct patient care, so this information I also located and appropriately filed.
Volunteering at Cedar Spring Health and Rehabilitation Center didnt turn out to be what
I had expected. However, the load relieved from management staff, however seemingly
miniscule, was evident immediately from the administrator. I was at the facility for most of a
Saturday, and many management staff who normally only worked Monday through Friday were
there as well. They felt so behind in their work since their company was acquired that weekend
work was necessary to catch up. My hours spent at Cedar Springs were hours that this staff could
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spend caring for residents or be at home with their families rather than filing and documenting,
so I know I accomplished my goal of making a positive impact on the center and its residents.

Figure 1. Cedar Springs Health and Rehabilitation Center in Cedarburg, WI.

Figure 2. Me, verifying certifications for staff.