Former Administrator of Treutlen County Health & Rehabilitation in Care after 39 Years of Service

Johnnie Brooks, 71, currently resides in Treutlen County Health & Rehabilitation, the county’s local nursing home, in which she has spent 39 years caring for patients as the home’s administrator, leaving a legacy of dedication and care.

Brooks began her work at Treutlen County Health & Rehabilitation in 1972 as a secretary, then in 1974, the same year her first son, Jason, was born, she was promoted to activities and social director. In 1976, she began her role as a financial secretary before taking the administrative role in 1985.

According to her second son Luke, Brooks was “married to the nursing home,” spending a majority of her time attending to patients. She would attend the funerals of each of her patients, sometimes leaving directly from one funeral to attend another.

Under her stewardship, Treutlen County Health & Rehabilitation won several Facility of the Year awards and a Golden Eagle award, and Brooks herself won two Administrator of the Year awards.

“It’s kinda like somebody taking over Alabama football,” says Jason. “Nick Saban set a precedent to where it’s, y’know, above and beyond to where nobody can match you; that’s what she set at Treutlen County nursing home.”

Despite her duties and dedication to the nursing home, Brooks was also an attentive parent. According to both of her sons, she never missed a sporting event or major occasion for her children or grandchildren.

Jason and Luke would stay in the nursing home when they were too young to stay at home by themselves, playing in the halls and assisting with maintenance. Luke attributes this early exposure to his career in maintenance as an adult.

When the two boys grew old enough to stay home by themselves, Brooks would wake up around 4:00 a.m. to cook enough food to last them throughout the day, as she would work too late to cook dinner in the evenings.

Brooks retired from the administrator position on Friday, January 12, 2024, the 50th anniversary of her career at the nursing home.

“She could’ve retired two years before she decided to,” says Luke. “She wanted to wait for her 50th anniversary.”

She did not immediately clean out her office, which Luke claims was an excuse for her to continue going back to the nursing home.

Unfortunately, five months after her retirement, Brooks suffered a stroke and received open-heart surgery soon after.

According to Luke, doctors informed the family Brooks had experienced several micro strokes during surgery, leading to her likely development of vascular dementia. Brooks was never officially diagnosed, as the family did not want to subject her to any more discomfort.

Today, Brooks is a resident of Treutlen County Health & Rehabilitation, cared for by staff she herself hired and trained. She still remembers most of her grandchildren, and has more alert days and more lethargic days.

However, according to Jason, the standards she set both at home and at work continue, as “not only was she an exceptional boss, an exceptional mother and an exceptional grandmother as well.”