I wanted to explore ways that a home health organization can look far beyond just providing patient care, and look at opportunities to leave a lasting impact on lives and communities.  If you are a healthcare provider or leader, I hope that my curiosity here will encourage and inspire you to think of ways to maximize the impact you have in healthcare, and ensure that every person touched by your care feels that they are seen, known, and loved. I want to see healthcare given in a way that says “you matter, and I care.”

Connecting To Community

A home health care organization is part of more than just one community. You have a community of clinicians that comprise the organization. You also have the community of patients and families that these clinicians serve. And around these is the greater scope of the community in which both clinicians and patients live and work. All of these communities are intertwined; and I believe where one succeeds, the other prospers.

For example, a stronger internal organizational community strengthens the delivery of patient care to the external community. And a stronger external community strengthens the ability of the clinicians’ care to be effectively implemented.

To simplify, I want to visualize this in three working areas I see that comprise flourishing home healthcare provision:

Strength of the internal community.

Compassion of the care provided to patients

Engagement with the greater community as a whole.

I see these as three overlapping circles, or areas of influence. The greater the overlap and flow between these three areas, the greater the strength of the growing force that impacts the community as a whole.

From Inward To Outward

Home health organizations that strive to strengthen bonds and relationships within their ranks can powerfully impact patient care by bringing stronger and more understanding clinicians to the doorsteps in communities they serve.

They can engage with and enhance the greater community as a whole, through targeted outreach and strategies to unite their resources, services, and mission with community nonprofits and groups.

An organization that finds ways to work with all of these together can better meet the needs of the clinicians, the patients, and the community as a whole.

What Elements Move An Organization To Truly Thrive?

I see the necessity of these elements in an organization that wants to move beyond successful, to truly thriving, and bringing enrichment to communities.

The organization should…

Build – encourage, sharpen, and strengthen, both internally and externally (clinicians and patients)

Mentor – show and demonstrate compassionate care in action, the “how-to”.

Fellowship – meet regularly (home health can be isolating), and enjoy the company of colleagues you are working with.

Serve – give beyond your home health position or branch – look at group service opportunities to give to the community.

Engage – with the patients and community (beyond just medical).

Grow in presence – by how they care; word of mouth, reputation, and relational investments.

Lead in love – find and develop leadership motivated by compassion, care, and love, that serves as an example.

An organization that can cultivate growth in these areas can be better positioned to exemplify a compassionate care model that can truly change individuals and communities.

My Take

The greatest healthcare organizations build strong clinicians to bring better care for their patients for a stronger community, without neglecting the unique, individual relationships that comprise this entire community.

They are moved to give through love, lifting spirits and refreshing hearts through kindness.

Alex Gerber
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Charleston, SC
gerberxc@gmail.com