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Great leaders aren’t born overnight – they’re built through years of dedication and diligence. Jennifer Sheets has put in the work on this front, and then some. Throughout her 25-plus year career, Jennifer Sheets’ goal has been to keep people from falling through the cracks of the healthcare system. In her current role as President and CEO of Interim HealthCare and Caring Brands International, which encompasses entities worldwide, she is committed to improving the quality of life for patients and their families through the power of home healthcare.
Jennifer always knew her career would fundamentally center around impacting the lives of others, and the past few years brought this full circle. She has fought tirelessly to ensure that every American has enhanced access to home healthcare’s vital services, especially as the number of individuals turning 65 grows with each day.
Building upon her advocacy work that gained ground during the pandemic, Jennifer continues to take things to the next level. In response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rate cuts to the Medicare home health benefit announced in June 2022, Jennifer quickly joined together with the CEOs of other top home healthcare companies to push back. The impact of these payment cuts threatens patient care and access, uniquely harming small, rural, and medically underserved communities because of the increased costs associated with serving these populations. This coalition of CEOs worked together on a plan of action, traveling to D.C. in July to meet with key legislators and legal teams, including members of the Senate and House as well as CMS leadership and Biden's office. This culminated in the drafting and introduction of the bipartisan Preserving Access to Home Health Act currently under review by Congress.
Amid ongoing healthcare worker shortages, Jennifer is also committed to supporting Interim’s clinicians and caregivers, ensuring adequate federal funding to support competitive wages. Her fight for better reimbursement rates will enable Interim HealthCare and other home care agencies to tap into a larger talent pool of people who are looking for renewed value and purpose in their healthcare careers. It will also position Interim to continue its growth trajectory by enabling the company to meet the increase in demand for its services.
Galvanized by her years spent as an ICU nurse, Jennifer’s compassion fuels her relentless pursuit to uphold the highest standards of safety and care within the home healthcare industry. Jennifer’s masterful leadership of Interim HealthCare and Caring Brands International throughout the pandemic helped position the entities to be acquired by private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management in October 2021, a move that supported both brands’ continued growth within the global home healthcare industry. Furthermore, Interim HealthCare experienced exponential expansion to the number of franchises in its network in both 2021 and 2022. As further indication of the company’s success, Interim HealthCare ranked No. 1 in the Senior Care category of Entrepreneur’s 2023 Franchise 500® for the fifth consecutive year at No. 55 overall. Globally, the company achieved No. 22 on Entrepreneur’s 2022 Top Global Franchises list and appeared at No. 81 on Franchise Times’ 2021 Top 400 list.
Jennifer’s sphere of influence extends beyond Interim HealthCare as well. She is a well-regarded healthcare thought leader and regularly contributes insights to media in addition to speaking at industry conferences, including the American Society on Aging’s 2022 On Aging conference, where she led a round table discussion on the topic of “Advocating for America’s Aging: Expanding Affordable Care Services that Reflect their Wants and Needs.” Her fierce determination and unwavering belief in home healthcare continues to position the industry for growth, benefitting patients and workers alike.
Nomination Title: Jennifer Sheets, President and CEO
