NEWS

Sandy Gerber Retirement 002Longtime Belle Manor Administrator Sanford “Sandy” Gerber officially retired last week, ending a 37-year term at the New Carlisle nursing home. During his almost four decades there, Gerber said he developed lasting relationships with those in his care, as well as their family members—some of whom called at the last minute to thank Gerber for his work and to wish him well in retirement.

“Those are the kinds of calls that just make me feel really good—those are the ones that stand out,” Gerber said after receiving calls from about six different families who had been directly or indirectly affected by his time at Belle Manor. He said some called to tell him that they appreciated his actions concerning their family member who resided at the facility, and others simply told him that they had been thinking about him and wishing him a safe retirement.

The staff and residents at Belle Manor, never ones to pass up the opportunity to throw a party, surprised Gerber on Thursday with a New Year’s Eve celebration that also served as an official farewell to their longtime leader. Gerber said several employees, past and present, showed up to deliver speeches about their own experiences with him, while many residents and staff members mingled and enjoyed non-alcoholic sparkling beverages at the dual-purpose party.

“That made me feel really sentimental,” Gerber said of the unexpected yet kind words delivered by his workers.

Gerber was working as the Administrator at Children’s Hospital in Columbus during the mid-1970s when he was approached by a group of his boyhood friends who were then working as attorneys in Cincinnati. They asked if he’d be interested in going into business for himself in the field of healthcare administration, presenting him a packet of Ohio nursing homes available for acquisition.

He said he then learned that Belle Manor’s former owner, Wayne Preston was selling the nursing home, and Gerber officially acquired the facility on October 1, 1978.

“I’d always felt that my calling was in healthcare administration,” said Gerber. “I was more interested in administration than practicing patient care…I always enjoy working with people.”

Gerber said that the world of healthcare administration presents something “new and challenging each day” and emphasized that his work had allowed him to feel “like you are doing something for the good of humanity.”

While he said he will miss the relationships with his residents and staff members, Gerber was not at all bothered by the prospect of never completing a piece of government-ordered paperwork again, noting that the ever-increasing amount of forms and added mandates are becoming somewhat unbearable in the nursing home field.

“Retirement comes with mixed feelings. I look forward to the new freedom it brings, yet I know I will miss all the daily interactions with Belle Manor residents and staff, as well as with members of the local community,” Gerber said. “I leave Belle Manor with a great deal of pride in my life’s work.”

“My sincere thanks to the community for all their support over the past 45 years. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working in New Carlisle and cherish the friendships I have made,” he said.

As for the timing, Gerber said he wanted to retire while he was still healthy enough to travel and spend time with Cheryl, his wife of 45 years, who also recently retired from the healthcare field. While he plans on basking in some Florida sunshine during the gray Ohio winters, Gerber is also very much looking forward to spending as much time as possible with his five grandchildren, and will welcome a sixth in May of this year.

He said that he leaves Belle Manor in the capable hands of Shari Folker, who also acts as Administrator at Dayview. Folker will step in to run both facilities in preparation for the merger later this year.

“I’m leaving it in good hands, and I wish her all the best,” Gerber said.

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