Meet Bella Stribling, RN, Health Services Manager at The Summit

“Nursing provides many ways to help people, but being able to help them make informed decisions about their care, especially in geriatrics, is very rewarding,” says Bella Stribling, RN, health services manager at The Summit at First Hill. “My favorite part of my job is being able to sit face to face with residents and help them navigate their challenges. I love being an advocate.”

Bella joined Kline Galland in March 2020, just as the pandemic was hitting. She started as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at The Summit, and last July was given more managerial responsibilities when she was promoted to assisted living coordinator. Then, in March of this year, she took on her current role, which is a new position at The Summit.

“A big reason they created this position is to have a liaison between The Summit and the Kline Galland Home,” she explains. It helps create a continuum of care encompassing all the services at both facilities, including home care and home health. Part of her job is visiting residents and helping them address ongoing or new needs, such as home health care or physical or occupational therapy. She also works with the management team at The Summit to collect data about patient care and identify areas of improvement.

Besides her nursing training, Bella has worked in behavioral health and other settings that have helped her prepare for the variety in her work. In spring 2020, when she was headed back to school to get her RN, she was working in a high-intensity behavioral health environment. Wanting to reduce her stress while going to school, she saw an ad for an on-call LPN at The Summit – and also saw employees’ rave reviews about working here.

“I think The Summit is really unique,” says Bella. “The level of teamwork here is unmatched compared to other places I’ve worked.” She especially enjoys the fact that employees are familiar with each other across departments and communicate well about residents’ needs. “That gives residents a holistic level of care,” she says. “When staff can all rely on each other, we can all bring our expertise together and problem solve together.”

In her spare time, Bella likes hiking, soccer, or anything that gets her outside and moving. And she’s one of many people who became “pet parents” during the COVID quarantine – she brought home a hamster named Clementine (shown at right).

Thank you, Bella, for all you do at The Summit!

What does a health services manager do?
U.S. News explains: “Medical and health services managers are the planners, directors and coordinators who work behind the scenes to keep hospitals, nursing homes, group practices and other health care facilities running efficiently. In short, they are super-organized professionals.”