The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with Homecare Homebase. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
Courtny Brooks, director of home health for the St. Louis-based Lutheran Senior Services, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Home Health Care News.
To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40 years old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their wellbeing.
Brooks sat down with Home Health Care News to discuss her career trajectory and how the home health industry will change in the near-term future.
What drew you to this industry?
As a hospital and acute rehabilitation nurse, I frequently observed clients being readmitted shortly after discharge. This recurring issue motivated me to seek a more impactful solution, leading me to explore opportunities in home health care.
I provided resources and education to my clients in institutional settings, but I often noticed a disconnect between the information shared in the facility and its application at home. Transitioning to home health care has allowed me to bridge this gap, offering personalized support and guidance to clients within their environments.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting work in this industry?
The most significant lesson I have learned is the importance of adaptability. Home health care is a dynamic field that is constantly evolving.
To succeed in this industry, one must be open to change and actively champion it. Adaptability is crucial for effectively addressing the challenges associated with patient care and for ensuring compliance with regulatory changes.
If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of home health care, what would it be?
If I could change one aspect of the future of home health care, it would be to find innovative ways to leverage technology to alleviate the burden on our health care staff. As regulations continue to increase and reimbursement rates for providing care decrease, it is imperative for agency leaders to identify more efficient methods to comply with these regulations without further straining our staff.
I also envision a future where telehealth is more widely used and accepted in home health care, not as a replacement for in-person visits, but as a means to enhance our monitoring capabilities.
What do you foresee as being different about the home health care industry looking ahead to 2025?
As a home health care leader looking ahead to 2025, I anticipate a significant push to develop new revenue streams in response to ongoing reimbursement reductions and the increasing presence of managed care plans in our markets.
Agencies will likely invest in innovative home care programs and leverage their value-based care data with payers to secure better payment rates. Additionally, I believe we will see an increase in home health acquisitions or joint ventures in 2025 as a way to gain more market share and expand revenue streams.
In a word, how would you describe the future of home health care?
Innovative.
If you could offer advice to your younger self on your first day in the industry, what would it be and why?
Prepare yourself for a dynamic journey filled with growth opportunities.
To learn more about the Future Leaders program, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
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