MATRIX HOME CARE, LLC
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

Matrix Home Care: a company with a vision seen through personal experience They wanted to make a difference. That was clear when sitting in the offices of Matrix Home Care and speaking with co-founders Pernille Ostberg and Janice Williams. Their vision in 1999 was to start a full service home care agency where people took care of the total client, not just the medical needs. Their mission included hiring employees who shared that same passion. When visiting with Pernille, CEO of the company, the first impression you have is her surroundings. There are pictures of her family and one very special one of her mother. The vision was now clear. It was personal. She was, for many years, the caregiver for her mother. She was, as is so often the case, the responsible adult child of an aging parent. "The philosophies, mission, and principles of Matrix are an extension of very personal insights I've never let go of. Our clients deserve and receive a very broad spectrum of care," Pernille offered. Janice, Vice President of Client Services for the company, added, "Often times, adult children are not close by to oversee care and offer input. They live out-of-state and have families of their own and can be torn between what mom or dad needs and the need to care for their immediate family. Some of our clients have been living in Florida for years, too, and do not want to move back north. They are comfortable here, have made friends here, and wish to stay in familiar surroundings. Our mission is to help them do just that and keep family who live elsewhere apprised." You can find those philosophies, principles and mission prominently displayed on a wall in every Matrix Home Care office. They are the heart and soul of a company the founders envisioned and make the company unique. "There are many choices out there," the CEO readily admitted. "If you want to make a difference and you believe in what you stand for, believe that your model will truly take home care to the next level, you have to move forward with passion and let others judge if you are what you say you are. Janice adds, "For clients who have family far away and that I am the Champion for, I make calls weekly, sometimes more often, just to share some supportive words about how the loved one we're caring for is doing, what physician visits are coming up, etc. Sometimes, I'm the person who alerts them to changes in condition, too. Delicately, with words they can comprehend, I provide updates and let them know that we'll be there at every turn." Pernille finalized the point. "As a registered pharmacist, I consult with the company's nurses about the mismanagement of medications. Sometimes, it happens inadvertently. People forget what to take when, choose not to refill because of cost, or if they feel better, decide on their own to stop taking what was prescribed." The Champion Program is only one of the actionable philosophies the founders had in mind before starting Matrix. Some of the others don't have a particular name attached to them, but hold the same weight. Pernille explained. "We match a caregiver to the client not only based upon clinical needs, what's in the treatment plan we've been charged to execute, but also with respect to social needs, surroundings, personal environment, and likes and dislikes. It's all about making sure quality-of-life issues are addressed. What was the client's daily routine in the past? "Our goal, then, is to bring as much of that prior life into the overall care we provide. We help our client get ready when friends drop by. We might take them shopping, or just walk across a parking lot with them to a clubhouse for a game of bridge with friends." "All in all," Williams added, "We're doing what family would do if they could. Just as a matter of practice, we put the magnifying glass on lifestyle detail, which can never be fully documented in a treatment plan." Matrix was founded in 1999 and opened its doors on Federal Highway in Boca Raton, with its beliefs firmly grounded and a clear mission in place based on sound principles. Immediately, the founders began thinking of how to best market the company. They knew there were so many positive points to make, confident in their belief that Matrix would be a refreshing change in the industry. However, they also knew that "doing and proving" was more important than everything they said about themselves. As if the skies parted and a message was sent from above, they one day received a postcard that featured the art of a disabled person. Upon further review, it was learned that the artist was the brother of one of the company's nurses. Today, nearly all the marketing material Matrix has produced features a very poignant illustration the postcard's artist created for the company. The artist, Roger Skelton, who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a drunk driver, rendered a scene that speaks volumes to all who see it. "The art provided us with an opportunity to step into our varied marketing propositions, rather than pound away our message head first. It offers a pause before a reader reflects on what we stand for and how we do business. Roger's art, and other artwork created by disabled artists we hope to include, helps to set a stage from which we can discuss plans, set goals, and work toward positive outcomes. Roger's art becomes a focal point everyone can agree on, because all of us who touch the lives of others understand what those people are coping with," Pernille explained. Over the last 5 years, the company has grown at a remarkable pace, doggedly adhering to the vision. As Abbi commented, "Physicians now know who we are and trust that what we say, we'll do. They know, too, that we will go above and beyond for their patient. The Champion Program is part of it, however, recruiting the best home health care professionals- RNs, Specialty Nurses, Therapists, Geriatric Specialists, Aides, and others-and orienting them to our way of providing care is so important. We make it clear that we're different, we take it to a new level, and an extra level of commitment is needed on their part, too."