Industry veteran Kerin Zuger has been appointed as Caretech’s chief operating officer. She will oversee all operational aspects of the business in this role, including marketing, service delivery, strategic planning and organizational development.

Caretech, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an independent, non-franchised company that offers a wide range of non-medical home care services such as personal care, companionship and household assistance.

Zuger’s arrival comes as the company strives to enhance its care management function, expand its reach and improve its services to accommodate the growing need for high-quality home care.

“Caretech is committed to enhancing the lives of our clients by providing compassionate and dependable home care services,” Caretech President Prateek Aneja said in a statement. “With Zuger’s extensive experience, passion and leadership, we are confident in our ability to achieve new levels of excellence and growth.”

Zuger returns to health care with renewed passion after completing an acquisition project in the manufacturing industry.

“I have a passion for the mission,” Zuger told Home Health Care News. “Caretech is unique. This organization has been around for 25 years and has built an incredible business. They are in the top 10% of the largest independent home care operations in the United States. They are the largest in the state of Nebraska and have done zero marketing. They have never had a sales team. I’m looking forward to learning their recipe for success.”

Zuger believes that the company’s longevity is a credit to its ability to tackle challenging cases and serve historically underserved and underprivileged populations. She acknowledged that there is no shortage of people in need, but private-duty home care is expensive, and few can afford it. However, the reward comes from serving the underserved and seeing federal and state dollars in action.

“Caretech clients are 90% Medicaid,” Zuger said. “Medicaid tends to present more challenging cases, sometimes more challenging clients and some more difficult environments. I think [Caretech] proved themselves early within that specific niche and built sound relationships.”

The company currently serves around 300 clients in the state of Nebraska, most of them in rural areas. While other companies in the industry are facing challenges with staffing and retention, Caretech is exempt from this problem. Zuger said that they currently have approximately 287 caregivers, with an additional 80 on call.

“We don’t have a problem with caregiver retention,” she said. “It’s more about seeking clients to match with our caregivers. I think that is the dynamic a lot of times when we get authorizations for care; they come with a caregiver because it’s a family caregiver. So, we only have to find a caregiver 50% of the time, which helps with our retention.”

However, Zuger pointed out that data indicates an upcoming imbalance between seniors and caregivers, and cautioned any company handling state reimbursement to be wary of the risk of decreasing rates.

“At any point in time, legislation can change,” she said. “Rules can change, and we don’t have any control over that. That’s where we really have to do some grassroots efforts and become involved from that perspective to ensure that reimbursements stay fair so we can pay caregivers.”

Zuger is optimistic about the company’s future and sees numerous opportunities for growth. She is eager to expand the business and attract new talent.

“Caretech has a strong team, with longevity, loyalty and a great brand,” she said. “As an independent company, we are not limited by territories or boundaries. It’s almost like working for a start-up, but with 25 years of experience, and a strong commitment to our mission.”

Zuger added that this is an exciting time to start a career with the company. For long-term employees, she hopes they will welcome the prospect of witnessing the evolution of the business.

“We have some real tenured employees who have experienced significant changes,” she said. “It’s difficult when leadership changes. I am committed to earning their trust. I am enthusiastic about supporting their development and providing them with more career opportunities.”

Zuger is confident that the organization can double in size within the next three years, and more than double within five years, achieved through both organic growth of the existing operational model and through M&A.

“We aim to expand our operations to multiple states and become a dominant player in the Midwest region within the next five years,” she said.