Good Health Care Administrators Are Hard to Find: Nevada Has Two!

by Chuck N. Baker

(Nevada) — Advertising for and hiring an experienced and talented administrator for the Nevada State Veterans Home in southern Nevada can be a daunting challenge. There’s a lot that goes into running such an establishment. But in Nevada, the search becomes twice as difficult — because the State has two such Homes (one in the north), and needs two dedicated individuals. Fortunately, two administrators have recently been employed and are currently continuing the great track records established by former supervisory personnel.

            Mike Ball, a Reno native who graduated from the city’s Wooster High School, heads the Northern Nevada Veterans Home in Sparks, which is a building filled with more than just veterans. Within its walls the building also contains platitudes and compliments for being a modern, state-of-the-art facility. Ball points out, “The design and concept of the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home like no others. While it offers the highest level of skilled care, it will never feel like a hospital or institution.” The

102,000- square foot facility has 96 beds and features a host of amenities. Veterans have their own private rooms and share a den, living room and kitchen with 15 other residents.

            Featuring quality care that Ball likes to say is just like home, in actuality the facility is more than just like home. It’s much, much more. It features a restaurant, a coffee bistro, a therapy gym, a beauty/barber shop, a Silver State commissary as well as parade grounds for military and patriotic ceremonies. Particularly unique is the sports bar, where only residents who are under doctor’s orders for alcohol can have an occasional beer or glass of wine brought in by a family member. Additionally, the town hall serves as a gathering place, a hub and heart for area veteran service organizations and other veteran support or advocacy groups. 

            Ball, holds an MBA in Healthcare Management and is an Army veteran who served in various dental and medical positions in the service. He explained that the layout of the building is extremely creative. The overall theme is “Nevada” and the neighborhoods reflect the State. The Sierra neighborhood is for short-term rehabilitation; Reflections is for those requiring memory assistance; and Wilderness is for long-term care. “We offer three different flavors, if you will,” Ball said. Ball has worked in nursing home management since 2006. He and his wife Robyn are parents of a son who works in Reno, and a daughter who is enrolled in nursing studies under an Army scholarship at the University of Georgia. The Northern Nevada State Veterans Home can be contacted at (775) 827-2955.

            In the southern part of the State, Boulder City is the location of the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home. Administrator Eli Quinones was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Southern California. Working in both California and Washington State, he has acquired more than 35 years of experience managing and operating skilled nursing homes. His father was a veteran of the Korean War. He and his wife Elizabeth have two sons, one currently in the Air Force and the other another in law enforcement in California. Like Mike Ball in the north, Quinones serves as the state required licensed manager of the Home in Boulder City, with responsibility for the operations of the facility and maintaining compliance with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other accrediting and certifying institutions. Regarding his plans for the future of the Home, he said, “Every manager sees things from a different set of eyes. But my job is to build and continue to be a five-star facility.” In addition, he is looking “for heavier involvement in the community. I believe the more contact our residents have with the outside world, the more good it will do them … it’s important for them to see what is going on in the outside community.”

            Both Homes offer skilled 24-hour nursing care. More comprehensive than assisted living facility care, skilled nursing residents have greater access to physicians, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, laboratory, pharmacy and clinical dietary services. Ball and Quinones both agree that cost and culture define positive differences in a State veterans home. The care team is experienced in supporting the history of military service of residents and spouses. The cost is considerably lower than standard skilled nursing facilities, and the culture of residing with fellow service members and family provides exceptional support to each resident.

            Visitation is normally encouraged at both Homes, but is currently curtailed due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. The phone number for the Boulder City Home is (702) 332-6784. Both Homes are overseen by the Nevada Department of Veterans Services.

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