Former owner/administrator Joe Kelley reflects on the history of Ridgeview and Ridgewood Health Services and passing the torch to his daughters Joette Kelley Brown and Alicia Kelley-Stewart

Words by Terrell Manasco | Images by Al Blanton 

In 1977, the owner of a group of nursing homes sent two employees, Frank Caldwell and Joe Kelley, to visit Ridgewood Nursing Home, which he had considered acquiring. The owner subsequently changed his mind and the story might have ended there if the employees hadn’t recognized opportunity rapping at their door. 

 “Frank and I had the opportunity to step in his place,” Joe says. “That began in March of ‘77. In December, we got the same opportunity at Ridgeview.”

 The facilities, now known as Ridgewood and Ridgeview Health Services respectively, have gone through several changes over the years. Built in 1962, Ridgeview had around 100 beds when it was built; now it has 148. 

 Joe served as administrator for several decades and says the biggest change is that nursing homes have become a major part of modern healthcare. “It started out as a place for people to go when they couldn't take care of themselves,” he says. “Now it's become more of a rehabilitation back into the community.”

 Joe’s daughters, Joette Kelley Brown and Alicia Kelley-Stewart spent many hours at Ridgewood and Ridgeview as young girls. Now retired, Joe has left the businesses in their capable hands. “I grew up running the halls with Alicia and getting ice cream and wheeling the residents to the beauty shop,” Joette says. “You know, it's just in our blood.”

 After receiving a degree in leisure management from Ole Miss in the late 1990’s, Joette was living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Although she loved the area, she felt something calling her back home. In 1999, she phoned her dad and asked if she could come work in the nursing home. His response was, “Absolutely!” 

 “I worked my way up, started at minimum wage, worked various jobs and positions, and got my administrator's license,” Joette says. 

 Alicia was also living in Jackson Hole then, but after 11 years there, she too felt something calling her home. In 2009, she answered that call. Soon, she was headed South with Jackson Hole in her rear-view mirror. Once she was back home, she enrolled in Bevill State’s nursing program.

When Joe was ready to retire, Joette told him she was interested in purchasing Ridgeview. Around that time, Alicia was planning to be married. When Joette arrived for the wedding, she brought a special gift for the bride and groom. “The night of the rehearsal dinner, I gave them applications to come work. I needed some help!” Joette laughs. 

After graduating from Bevill State, Alicia worked in various nursing positions and went on to obtain her administrator's license. A few years later, she partnered with her sister as a co-owner of both nursing homes.

 Throughout the years, the healthcare facility has had its share of challenges, but none greater than it would face in 2020. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year has had devastating effects on the healthcare system as a whole, and March 13, 2020 is a day staff and residents of Ridgeview and Ridgewood will never forget. 

“We decided, before there was a regulation, that we needed to protect our people,” Alicia says. “We shut the doors to visitors. That's one of the hardest decisions that we've ever had to make.”

Mincing no words, Joe describes the experience as horrific. “It's been a living hell for everybody—the staff, these girls...nobody has been put in this situation before,” he says. “I was extremely worried about these girls. They were under an unbelievable amount of stress. I don't see how they held up.”

The physical and mental exhaustion of 12- and 16-hour days, 7 days a week, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, took their toll on Joette. Fighting emotion, she remembers days when ambulances were commonplace. “People need to know how devastating it was. The hardest part for me is when you feel like your absolute best isn't good enough,” she says. “I know we couldn't stop it but when you have family that have been with us for 15 years pass away, your heart can’t help but go out to them.”

Several organizations pitched in to help. The Walker Area Community Foundation donated iPads so that residents could FaceTime with their families. While it made the situation more bearable, there is always the innate need for human contact. “I walked into a resident's room one day and they just wanted a hug. That’s so hard,” Joette says. 

Alicia and Joette praise the nurses and staff for getting down in the trenches and putting their lives on the line, displaying a selfless and a courageous attitude that held everyone together. “For whatever reason this godforsaken virus came here, it made us stronger as a team,” Joette says. 

In spite of the stress of the last few months, there are some positive developments. In August, the Kelleys purchased Southeast Hospice, which provides hospice care to those who are terminally ill or very sick. They now have offices in Jasper, as well as in Shelby and Montgomery counties.

Secondly, they recently launched eBrook Technologies, a company which provides IT support for businesses, as well as offering services like web hosting, antivirus, and PC/monitoring. 

Lastly, they purchased the Farmstead School property, where they hope to eventually construct a new, state-of-the-art nursing home building. 

When Joe Kelley opened those doors of opportunity in 1977, he didn’t just launch two new businesses. He gave birth to a legacy which has lasted over four decades and which his daughters are proud to carry on.

 “Mom and Dad have been amazing role models,” Joette says. “To be able to carry the blood, sweat, and tears, and the legacy of what Dad started is truly a blessing.”

“They've always taught us to put others before yourself and they show that in their actions,” Alicia adds. “This is a great opportunity to give back to God's children.”

His face beaming with fatherly pride, Joe says their success is undoubtedly the work of a Higher Power. 

“This is a dad's dream, when you've got children coming back to do what I did for 40 years,” he says. “In the ‘70s, I was too young and stupid to know why I was doing this. I think Divine Providence is what's led all of us down this path.” 78