News & Blog

Who’s behind the Reception Desk

Excerpt by Ann Hunter

“Thank you for calling Broadmead. How may I help you?” The staff who cover the reception desk do so much to help every day, in ways that may not be noticed. Besides connecting residents with the right department (usually OPD or Housekeeping) or to other residents and taking messages, they give directions to vendors and explain visitation policies. One caller, Gretchen Garman’s granddaughter, inquired about the ATM machine, and, when she came to use it, was so taken with Broadmead that she persuaded her grandmother to consider living here, which Gretchen now does.

According to Katie Hartry, “Our main goal is to make residents and visitors welcome and to be helpful to the whole community.” In addition to Katie, Tara Anania, Lisa Cavagna, and Ella Holbrook make up the weekday staff. Felicia Jones, Tanika Ridgeway, and Brian Allwood are the weekend receptionists. Katie, Lisa, and Tara also alternate at the desk downstairs. Ella usually works the evening shift.

The staff seem to know most of the residents by name and welcome them whenever they enter the Center. Ella likes “to bring a smile to people’s faces.” The reception team’s tasks include sorting the mail and packages and, with Campus Safety, delivering packages, some of which are dropped off at the front desk instead of at garden homes. The staff continue to be responsible for visitor check-in and screening for COVID.

“We are the information hub,” says Tara, who heads the team. “People rely on us and they trust us to give them the correct information, and if we don’t know the answer, we find out in a timely manner.”