Connect Winter 2016 | Page 12

Harnessing Experience and Brand to Meet Patient Needs When reinventing
CareFinders Total Care , LLC , leadership knew that exemplary patient care and experienced healthcare providers meant nothing without the right reputation with caregivers and the patients they ’ d serve .
Thus , in a category where branding has not historically been a top priority , CareFinders is hoping to utilize it to their advantage within the home health care market — thereby establishing their service-oriented brand as the one that members of the community recognize instantly . In order to ensure that people remember CareFinders when their loved one needs it most , they ’ ve brought on two seasoned professionals : Kevin Rogers as Chief Executive Officer , who has 20 + years of experience in the home care industry , and Sheri Baron as Chief Marketing
Officer , who joined the team in 2015 after a long and successful career in advertising . They are eager to see how Sheri can apply her experience in consumer behavior and brand marketing as a founder , president and CEO of Gotham
Advertising to reposition the CareFinders brand in line with their patientfirst philosophy and develop the strategies that will reach and help those patients and their families . In addition , Kevin ’ s stellar credentials , deep expertise in the home care industry , and passion for delivering the best quality care , adds unique credibility to the
CareFinders team .
Beginning as a small New Jersey company approximately 20 years ago , Care- Finders sought to offer in-home personal care assistance to the elderly . In 2014 , however , current Co-Chairmen Linda Mintz and Sandy Hausner acquired the business , renaming it CareFinders Total Care and building it quickly to be the third largest home health care provider of Medicaid personal care services in the state . Although neither Mintz nor Hausner had worked in the health care field previously , both former lawyers were inspired by what they saw as the company ’ s immense potential — not only for business growth but also for its impact on clients .
Opportunity for Growth & Impact With four offices at the time of acquisition , CareFinders enjoyed a steady client base and a good reputation within its service area . Given the reality of an aging population , increasing numbers of people would soon need some form of health care — much of which would be more cost-effective , practical and helpful if completed in the comfort of patients ’ homes . In light of this anticipated shift and the company ’ s solid position , Mintz and Hausner strongly believed that the company was poised for growth and greater success .
At the same time , both were dedicated to expanding the company ’ s service offering so patients could receive the wide variety of care they needed through one service . Accordingly , one of the first things that Mintz and Hausner did was to change the company ’ s name by adding “ Total Care ”— a symbolic move meant to reflect the company ’ s motivation to provide comprehensive home health services for patients . With data to support this growth , the company expanded by offering a broader array of home health care options , including :
ÎÎAlzheimer ’ s & dementia care
ÎÎBathing , dressing & grooming
ÎÎCompanionship
ÎÎGrocery shopping & meal preparation
ÎÎHospice
ÎÎHousecleaning & laundry
ÎÎMedication reminders
ÎÎMobility assistance & transfers
ÎÎPhysician-approved exercise therapy and recreation
ÎÎPost-surgery recovery
By providing these services in home , patients benefit from lower health care costs , improved outcomes and decreased stress from constantly traveling to other locations for appointments and medications . In an industry too often focused on the bottom line — with the majority of decisions based upon profit margins — CareFinders was bucking the trend by actually focusing on , and being driven by , the well-being and care of the people it serves .
“ Our idea was to provide a total care package — everything a patient needs in his or her own home ,” says Mintz . “ Providing care at home is the most cost-effective way to care for elderly people while retaining dignity and respect for the patients .”
Investing in Team to Establish Culture They also recognized that providing top-flight home health care services depends greatly on the team members who interact with patients and families first hand : the home health aides . CareFinders Total Care currently employs about 3,200 home health aides throughout their entire service area . Each of these caregivers is certified , having completed a 76-hour course , with many completing additional training well beyond what ’ s required . Moreover ,
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