Local home health agency In Home Solutions PLUS receives award from Pennsylvania Home Care Association. Left to Right: President of PHA's Board of Directors Andrea Devoti, Director of In Home Solutions PLUS Julie Swonger, PHA Executive Director Vicki Hoak, Office Manager of In Home Solutions PLUS Becky Henry, and Home Health Aide for In Home Solutions PLUS Terry Leatherman. Local home health care agency In Home Solutions PLUS recently received a 2010 Best in Homecare and Hospice award for their hiring practices.
In Home Solutions PLUS has an office in Brookville and Clarion and provides home health and home care services in Jefferson and Clarion Counties, as well as parts of Forest, Venango, Armstrong, Clearfield and Elk counties.
The annual awards, given by the Pennsylvania Home Care Association, recognize the top home care agencies in the state and their best practices.
In Home Solutions PLUS received the distinction at an awards ceremony attended by more than 200 peers and state officials on May 13 during PHA's annual conference in Harrisburg.
In Home Solutions PLUS submitted an application in the Human Resources category for its efforts to increase employee retention.
"Employee retention can be a challenge in health care," said Director Julie Swonger. "It takes a special person with a special calling to care for others every day. If you don't hire that right person to begin with, the job isn't going to be right for them and they aren't going to stay."
The agency began working to improve employee retention in 2006 by revamping the hiring process. Since the changes were made In Home Solutions saw its 12-month retention rates increase more than 40 percent over a three-year period.
In Home Solutions PLUS also submitted an application in the Operations Management category for its risk management practices and was honored as a finalist.
"The best practices awards program promotes the exchange of ideas and presents in-home care providers with a unique opportunity to learn from each other," said Vicki Hoak, Executive Director of PHA. "Sharing insights and creative solutions to issues all agencies face promotes improvements to quality care for the 750,000 people who receive in-home care in Pennsylvania each year."
A group of peers including agency executives and senior managers across the state as well as state officials and industry experts served as judges for the awards.
A total of four agencies received the 2010 Best Practices in Homecare and Hospice distinction and seven additional agencies were recognized as finalists for the award.
"We are so honored to receive recognition for this best practice," said Swonger. "Even more rewarding is knowing our efforts to improve retention benefit our clients even more. It helps them receive the best, most consistent quality of home care possible."
In Home Solutions PLUS is locally owned by WRC Senior Services. Founded in 1890, not-for-profit charity WRC Senior Services is celebrating its 120th anniversary of caring for seniors this year. The theme of the celebration is "Proud of our Past, Prepared for the Future."
For more information about In Home Solutions PLUS or WRC Senior Services, call 814-849-5913.