Concept: Care
Business Brings Home Health Care into the 21st Century

By: Marcia St. Clair
Published: September 21, 2006

With the vanguard of baby boomers turning 60 and representing the largest population segment in the United States, the health care industry has moved into a pivotal and exceedingly crucial era.

Founded in 1995 by Carol Greenberg and Ellen Nash, the office suite at 50 Main St. reflects Concept: Care’s commitment to outstanding care. Their stated purpose is “to provide exemplary home health care services with respect for human value, compassion for human needs and cost efficiency.”

Initially, it was for personal reasons that Greenberg chose a career in home health. “When I was quite young, my grandmother was placed in a nursing home. She was so unhappy. She just wanted to be able to continue living at home. Unfortunately, home health standards then were more about the bottom line than excellence of care. I decided to start an agency which highlighted the human element,” Greenberg explained.

For Nash, the choice of a career in home health was also personal. “My grandfather, whom everyone called ‘Papa Jack,’ had ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). For a while, we took care of him at home, with the help of home care personnel. As the disease progressed to the point where he could not talk or perform virtually any function unaided, he had to go to a facility. I have a clear memory of going to visit him there. His bed was in the hall. Since he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t protest and he couldn’t tell anyone what he wanted. It was awful.”

Greenberg and Nash had been working at the same agency. They wanted a company that would bring home health care into the 21st century. They lost no time starting to revamp all previously accepted norms. Standards were raised across the board. Each prospective professional and paraprofessional associate underwent multiple interviews, screening processes and written and hands-on testing. Each one had to be certified and/or licensed and have a minimum of one year’s experience in the field. References proving reliability and integrity were mandatory.

Greenberg said, “Concept: Care is the first in the industry to have a complete benefit package. We firmly believe in re-investing in our employees. One of the reasons we chose to locate in White Plains was because we are committed to staying community- based and also because it is centrally located. Most of our associates take public transportation; there’s no place like White Plains for convenience.”

Concept: Care offers in-service programs twice a month for staff, as well as self-defense classes, “since they often must come and go at any time of day or night,” says Greenburg. “In addition,” she continues, “we educate them as to what care they can expect to give as a disease progresses through different stages. As part of their care, clients who wish to attend an in-service are also welcome. Some clients require traditional home health care. Others may need help taking care of a newborn. Quite a few rely on us to place their weekly online order with Peapod, a grocery delivery service. On occasion, nursing homes and hospitals will request our staff.”

Concept: Care quickly became an industry role model. They now have 125 professionals and paraprofessionals in the field and eight in the office. Office personnel include Denise Moore, assistant director of client services and Charlotte Ramstedt, who serves as human resources and administrative assistant handling orientations and in-services among other responsibilities. Also office-based is Barbara Bernard, community relations advocate. She does presentations on Concept: Care at senior centers, Rotaries and other locations. Bernard initiated a farsighted program encouraging prospective clients and their families to register with Concept: Care before the need arises so that no time will be lost should a home health need suddenly arise. Additional staff include Siobhan Regan, RN, who is the nursing supervisor; Devon Rothman, part-time data entry coordinator; and Gia Curry and Tracey Claxton, both client care coordinators.

Curry stated, “We do initial interviews, get basic information and analyze data.” In her spare time, Curry has been active as a team leader for the upcoming five-mile walk coordinated by Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. (Sunday, Oct. 15, Mahattanville College, Purchase, N.Y.). Adam Greenberg, Carol Greenberg’s son, completes the office team. As business affairs coordinator, he helps implement techniques to increase efficiency and executes marketing strategies.

Concept: Care’s latest coup centers around a device called MedPartner. Honeywell HomMed has chosen Concept: Care to run the pilot program for this new electronic wizardry. MedPartner basically helps individuals take their medication at the right time and in the right dosage. “Working with the Lighthouse and other public agencies, we’re already extending the applications for this product,” Adam Greenberg stated.

Carol Greenberg and Nash are enthusiastic about this technologically advanced machine. “It benefits everyone. We have five clients using it already and they all want to keep on using it. Non-compliance, which means not taking medications as prescribed, is a major health hazard. MedPartner is even being used successfully by one of our early dementia patients. Each unit is programmed for a single individual’s habits. It has great potential for use by busy people who need to take medicine on a regular basis.” Greenberg continues, “There is a one-time placement visit by a nurse who explains each medication and other pertinent information. After the placement fee there is just a modest monthly fee. There is never any charge for calling us with questions. Our office receives a daily printout on each user. This data is then scrutinized by one of our clinicians. If any pharmacological questions arise, we offer to connect the client to Patricia Gunning, certified geriatric pharmacist, at Greenwich Hospital.”

Nash said, “The client and therefore, the industry, is changing.” Greenberg interjected, “We’re fortunate here in Westchester County because there are so many conscientious, pro-health care politicians advocating for the industry.” Nash continued, “Our future clients were born in the 40s and 50s. They exercise, eat better and, in general, take better care of themselves. This new generation, more educated and more vocal, brings a new set of expectations. Those of us who will utilize home health will need non-traditional services which Concept: Care will endeavor to provide.” Nash concluded, “What we do comes from the heart. Without someone to care about you, those last years can be very lonely.”