For Immediate Release

Stephen Reissman receives Thomas E. Spindle Award from the CAHF

October 20, 2009

Country Villa Health Services is proud to announce that founder and CEO Stephen Reissman is the 2008 Recipient of the prestigious Thomas E. Spindle Award from the California Association of Healthcare Facilities. Mr. Reissman's dedication to leadership and innovation has established Country Villa as a leading provider of quality long-term care and strengthened the healthcare community.

Continue to read the award's presentation speech by Nancy Beecham, 2007 Spindle Award winner.

2008 Thomas E. Spindle Award
Presented by Nancy Beecham, 2007 Spindle Award winner


It is my honor to present the 2008 Thomas E. Spindle Award this evening.

The Thomas E. Spindle Award is our most prestigious award, given to those who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to long-term care and provided exemplary service to CAHF at the facility, chapter and state-wide levels.

The winner of the Thomas E. Spindle Award is selected each year by CAHF’s Board of Directors. The identity of the winner has been kept a secret – even the recipient doesn’t yet know that she – or he – is about to be honored.

Let me tell you a little bit about this year’s Thomas E. Spindle Award recipient.

Long-term care was a family business for our recipient, and their start in this profession came when they were just a child and began working in a relative’s facility. Industrious and focused even at that young age, they helped feed residents, swept floors, folded laundry and cleaned sump pumps.

This person helped with the dishes too, and would become annoyed with other people when a plate was broken. But one day, this person grabbed a full stack of dishes – then turned around promptly dropped them because the plates were too hot to handle. They never made a disparaging comment about broken dishes again.

That early exposure in a relative’s facility established a strong work ethic and led to a lifetime commitment to caring for the elderly and disabled.

After leaving college, this person purchased his first facility in 1969 with a vision to be a leader and an innovator in the healthcare community. A vision which has become a reality. With a focus on patient care first, he grew his company from one facility to 51 facilities. The facilities he operates are all located in California, his influence is felt far reaching.

He is politically active and a strong advocate for quality long-term care. He has served on various boards and committees for CAHF chapters in the past. He was very active in the L.A. County Nursing Association, even before it merged with CAHF. He is so well-respected that the California Department of Public Health comes to him directly to take troubled buildings and turn them around.

The Spindle Award is given in recognition of Thomas E. Spindle, an active member of CAHF and a member of the Board of Directors, who was killed in 1969 in an airplane crash in Alaska. Our 2008 recipient actually knew and admired Tom Spindle, so receiving the award will no doubt have special meaning.

Have you guessed now who our 2008 Spindle Award recipient is?

It should come as no surprise now that I am talking about Stephen Reissman.

When Stephen began Country Villa Health Services almost 40 years ago, he challenged his staff to meet standards far beyond the norm of the time.

If there was ever a question of dollars over resident care, residents came first. That “residents first” philosophy drove his business then, and still drives it today.

He constantly pushes his senior and leadership teams to be cutting edge and take the business and the profession to the next level, either by instituting new programs or systems or by simply trying something no one else has tried in the past.

Somehow, he also finds time to be very involved in his community. From supporting political movements and politicians, such as Rep. Henry Waxman, to serving his religion.

He participates and includes all of his buildings in programs for Habitat for the Humanity, Toys for Tots, and various California events such as wildfire relief. He’s a Friend of the UCLA Center on Aging, participated on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, and has a long-standing involvement with Project Angel Food.

He has operated Country Villa Health Services since 1969, and has never divested a facility he owns – a rare feat, indeed.

He works daily to advance long-term care, and pushes everyone around him to be better than ever before.

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to present the 2008 Thomas E Spindle Award to Stephen Reissman.

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