Melissa Williams of Tallahassee, Florida recognized for her compassion toward clients and career committed to caregiving.
SUNRISE, Fla. — Interim HealthCare Inc., the nation’s leading franchise network of home care, senior care, home health and hospice and healthcare staffing services, names Melissa Williams, HHA/CNA, as its 2020 Paraprofessional of the Year. Caring for individuals and families in Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon and Wakulla counties, Melissa has been a member of the Interim HealthCare of Tallahassee, Florida team since 2015.
This honor is given to an individual that provides exemplary patient care and continuously demonstrates the H.E.A.R.T. qualities of Interim HealthCare paraprofessionals, which stands for Honorable, Experience, Ability, Reliability and Training.
Melissa’s work in Interim Healthcare of Tallahassee’s senior independent living facility consists of seeing 10-13 patients a day for short visits focused on wellness checks and medication reminders. Despite challenges brought on by COVID-19, Melissa has remained dedicated to her work and extremely diligent about keeping her multiple clients safe from infection. In addition, she consistently brainstorms ways for her team to better serve patients, such as being at the forefront of the staff’s adoption of Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and mobile device documentation earlier in the year.
“Melissa has been an excellent home health aide and member of our team for over five years. But over the past eight months especially, she has led the way for our team to improve processes and introduce substantial modifications to our workflows,” said Cynthia Lavoie, owner of Interim HealthCare of Tallahassee. “The efficiency, stamina, and personal interaction that she brings to each of her clients, six days a week, is truly admirable. Her clients genuinely look forward to seeing her every day and we are so lucky to have a caregiver like Melissa on our staff.”
Melissa is also invested in her education and was the first of Interim HealthCare of Tallahassee’s employees to complete the company’s Care Professional Development Path for Aides program, also known as the Pin program. The program allows employees to earn specializations through continuing education to expand their career path in caregiving, earning raises for each level accomplished. Thanks to her credentialed knowledge base, Melissa is the first person assigned to assist new clients in the senior independent living facility, and is also frequently asked to train new staff.
Melissa’s advancement within the company is a testament to Interim HealthCare’s commitment to professional career expansion. First in Home Care®, the home healthcare leader provides advancement opportunities for all caregivers, including aides, with specialized training and professional certifications to improve clinical outcomes, as well as business and operations opportunities. As Melissa found, home healthcare is the perfect setting for those who enjoy serving others, are selfless, trustworthy, lead with compassion, and are dependable workers both independently and as part of care team.
“I’m honored to be chosen as Interim HealthCare’s 2020 Paraprofessional of the Year, and to contribute to improving people’s lives through caregiving,” said Melissa. “The sense of purpose that I feel coming into work every day is what inspires me to keep growing in my career, and I’m grateful to Interim HealthCare for providing the resources to help me achieve that.”
To find more future award-winning employees, Interim HealthCare also recently launched its ‘Made for This‘ recruiting campaign. The company seeks employees for a range of career paths from paraprofessionals (home health, hospice and support aides) to LPNs, RNs, therapists, and CNAs. Interim HealthCare is also recruiting service-oriented people wanting to transition from other industries, or those looking to change healthcare careers to gain more flexibility and autonomy.
For more information about working with Interim HealthCare, please visit https://www.interimhealthcare.com/careers/.
About Interim HealthCare Inc.
Interim HealthCare Inc., founded in 1966, is a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing. It is part of Caring Brands International, which also includes UK-based Bluebird Care and Australia-based Just Better Care, both well-known franchise brands in their countries. With more than 530 franchise locations in seven countries, Caring Brands International is a global healthcare leader.
Interim HealthCare in the United States is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service. Franchisees employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit www.interimhealthcare.com.