COMPASSIONATE CARE – SYNERGY HOMECARE VALUES CLIENTS LIKE FAMILY
by James Coburn – Writer/Photographer
When Pam Ross was a young girl, she always knew she wanted to be a nurse, she said. Today this registered nurse serves as the Director of Nursing at SYNERGY HomeCare.
“I wanted to help people because my passion is to help them feel better”, Ross said. “Through personal experiences of my own with my own family, I feel I have a good sense of how to do that with SYNERGY HomeCare.”
Ross started her career working in hospitals and surgery centers. She joined SYNERGY HomeCare a little over a year ago and has been a registered nurse for 24 years.
“I feel like we’re family,” she said. “I admire everyone’s loyalty and passion to help others.”
Ross said she enjoys working with Weama Kassem, the owner and Chief Executive Officer of SYNERGY HomeCare as well as with Charlotte Carey, the Administrator.
“SYNERGY HomeCare is not a home health nursing agency, but is a non-medical care provider,” Carey said. The company provides one hour to 24 hours of care for people in their place of residence, whether that is in a home, assisted or independent living community as well as in hospitals and rehab facilities.
Being non-medical, SYNERGY HomeCare does not require a doctor’s order as is the case with home health.
“We do have a Director of Nursing, Pam Ross, and an Associate Director of Nursing, Ramona Wilson on staff with us,” Carey said.
Carey said SYNERGY HomeCare looks to the in-depth experience and knowledge of different diagnosis and disease progression in both Ross and Wilson.
“Our nurses are able to impart some of that knowledge to our caregivers through their daily interactions as well as our monthly in-service training. Although we are non-medical, the knowledge and experience is important because it allows the RNs to work effectively in the capacity of a case manager to coordinate care with different agencies to accomplish a complete continuum of care for our clients,” Carey said.
“SYNERGY HomeCare helps individuals to maintain their independence for as long as safely possible,” Carey said. “It also adds a set of eyes, ears and hands for family caregivers who usually bear the responsibility for caring for an aging or disabled loved one.”
Carey said Kassem’s heart trickles down through the staff. She has attracted a team of people with similar passions which has created the company’s own synergy.
“We have a wide range of caregivers in the field,” Carey said. “We hire CNAs and CHHAs to take care of the clients in their places of residence,” Carey noted. “We do have some caregivers that are not CNA level certified, but our RNs see to it that they are supportive assistant trained. We don’t have “companion sitters”. Some other companies do and that is one of our distinctions. We’re also one of the largest providers for veterans in the state and we are quite proud of that.”
SYNERGY HomeCare has a Moore and Norman territory as well which allows them to cover north to Guthrie, south to Lexington, east to El Reno and west to Shawnee. The home office is based in Edmond, Oklahoma.
“We’re in the process of opening a new office that will serve Moore, Norman and south Oklahoma,” said Kassem.
She said her family has always been dedicated to taking care of elder members of the family. This sense of family inspires her career.
“We stay with our elders. We are the caregiver for them,” said Kassem, who was born in the United States but lived for a time in the Middle East before returning to the U.S.
She earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration at Oklahoma City University and decided to focus on her passion of caring for others at home.
“I love to take care of people, especially the elders. It’s something that’s just in my blood,” Kassem said. “Starting the franchise is one of my greatest accomplishments.”
The corporate owner in Phoenix, Peter Tourian, began the company as a caregiver 15 or so years ago. Kassem liked Peter Tourian’s message of compassionate care. “For Kassem to have been born in Arizona, then to live in the Middle East with her parents only to return to the corporate headquarter in Arizona where she was born is an amazing example of destiny. She has come full circle,” Carey said.
“The people in this company are my family,” Kassem said. “And we go for the bigger picture which is our client. They are our family. We become part of the family with each client, with each family. I fill my life with the love that they give. I love to give to people a lot. This is my truest passion.”
You can reach Pam, Charlotte, Weama, or any other members of this staff at (405)254-3046 or Contact [email protected]
