Director of Admissions Laurynne Beth Kauffman

Laurynne Kauffman enjoying a moment in the Conservatory at Homeland Center

Ask Homeland Director of Admissions Laurynne Beth Kauffman about a moment that told her she was in the right place, and she asks back, “Just one?”

“It’s something as simple as the fact that you don’t walk down the hall without at least one person smiling and saying hello,” she says. “Every tour I give to families, at least one resident sells the facility for me. They say, ‘You’re going to love it here!’ You don’t find that in other places. I’m glad I found it here.”

Laurynne joined Homeland in October 2017. As a clinical liaison for Homeland Hospice, she coordinated services for hospitalized hospice patients and evaluated new enrollees. Then she transitioned to admissions, using many of the same skills to evaluate residents entering skilled care and helping coordinate their care plans. Sometimes, she helps address immediate needs, while other residents and families benefit from learning about Homeland’s continuum of care delivered through Homeland HomeHealth, Homeland HomeCare, and Homeland Hospice.

“Even if they’re not ready for a particular service, it’s nice to educate them on all the services Homeland has to offer because they might need it down the road,” she says.

Laurynne is an RN who first thought she would work in a NICU, educating parents to prevent abuse, but after working in labor and delivery and losing a few babies, she realized it wasn’t for her.

Then she got a nursing job in a long-term care facility and found she enjoyed working with older patients.

“They’re always happy to see you,” she says. “It always feels like you’ve accomplished something and done something with your day.”

Homeland’s compassion and quality of care make it “unlike any other place.”

“I love Homeland,” she says. “Residents are always first. You walk in here and know this is their home. This isn’t my job site. This is their home.”

She won’t take credit for pairing residents with high-quality services.

“They get all the credit for that,” she says while sitting in her office and gesturing back to the floor where nurses, CNAs, therapists, and many others attend to the needs of residents. “I coordinate the awesome services they’re providing. We’re all a team. We work together.”

Outside the office, Laurynne is a busy mother of four children, ages 9 to 18, or as she puts it, “college, high school, middle school, elementary.”

The family enjoys hiking and superhero movies. Asked about her own superpower, she says that her array of experiences in different fields, including hospice, long-term care, and nursing, gives her a broad perspective. As an admissions director who’s also an RN, she can “look at things from a different level, understanding more of the medical issues and potential for rehab than a someone without a medical background.”

Always looking for ways to help patients, Laurynne is working on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), taking online classes with the University of Texas. Eventually, she wants to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and specialize in palliative care, assisting those with terminal conditions.

“Palliative care prepares people to understand their disease process and tries to give them the best quality of life possible,” says Laurynne. “I always tell people you can do anything you put your mind to.’’