Awards, Accolades and Corporate Recognition

Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice

Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice has been improving the standard of home health care throughout Michigan since 1994. Our commitment to providing superior quality health care in the comfort, security and privacy of our patients’ homes has been recognized by a number of organizations that award companies for excellence in the industry and in business.

Inc. 5000

Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America in back-to-back years (2007 and 2008). This prestigious honor is bestowed upon the companies who illustrate a consistent growth rate over a period of three years.

The Inc. 5000 serves as a unique report card on the U.S. economy. The companies on the Inc. 5000 are responsible for creating more than 1 million jobs since their founding, making the list perhaps the best example of the impact private, fast-growing companies can have on the economy.

#1 Ranking from Medicare

Great Lakes Home Health ranks as the very best in Michigan by Medicare’s Home Health Compare. We have continuously maintained this high standard of care since the development of the Home Health Compare in 2005.

The Home Health Compare—a review of the care delivered by every Medicare-certified provider of home health services in the United States—is released by Medicare four times a year. It is based on twelve separate patient outcome quality measures that calculate the percentage of patients who improve in those respective categories while on service with a home health care company.

Michigan Award of Excellence for Improving Care in the Home Health Setting

Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice has been awarded the Michigan Award of Excellence for Improving Care in the Home Health Setting for three consecutive years (2005, 2006 and 2007) by MPRO—Michigan’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).

The award honors home health companies in Michigan that are performing quality initiatives aimed at improving patient care. These companies were asked to choose from a list of 41 clinical criteria—a list defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as national health care priorities. They were required to monitor their plans for improvement in these areas while demonstrating this improvement in the care they provided.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for West Michigan

Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice CEO, William L. Deary, was named the 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for West Michigan. Since founding Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice with his wife, Cheri Lyn Deary, has led the charge toward becoming one of the finest and most comprehensive private home health care organizations in the country.

Michigan Small Business Person of the Year Award

Success in the face of adversity, and flourishing at a time when other businesses were closing their doors earned Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice CEO, William L. Deary, the Michigan Small Business Administration’s Small Business Person of the Year Award in 2003.

The commitment to superior quality care for every patient is set in the foundation of the company’s responsibility to provide a superior quality work environment for every employee. Innovative programs and substantive investment in every employee, in both large and small ways has created a dynamic, trend setting and committed work force.

National Home Care 100

Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice is a member of the “Home Care 100”—a collection of the nation’s most successful and respected home health providers. The top 100 home health and hospice companies in the nation are asked to accept this honor. Our reputation for providing superior quality care has kept us at the top of the list since 2004.

Home Health Quality Improvement National Campaign, Campaign Participant

Great Lakes Home Health has been named a Campaign Participant of the 2010-2011 National Home Health Quality Improvement Campaign (HHQI). This marks the second year that Great Lakes Home Health has been named a Campaign Participant. Great Lakes Home Health is committed to quality improvement, with professional health care providers ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time—every time.

The HHQI campaign is a program developed through a collaborative effort among health care leaders, home health agencies and Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs). Home health agencies participating in the campaign will work to reduce the number of avoidable hospitalizations while improving clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, improving the overall quality of patient health care provided in the home.

ACHC Accreditation

Great Lakes Home Medical Equipment has received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)—the leading authority on suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS), as deemed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This recognition is earned through an peer review by the ACHC, who have established standards that go above and beyond those of the state or federal government.

The ACHC sets standards of care that are based upon the consensus of health care professionals who determine elements that should exist in home care organizations who have “gone the extra mile” to assure quality.

ATHENA Award

Cheri Lyn Deary was honored by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce with the ATHENA Award at the Chamber’s annual meeting in 2009. As a Registered Nurse and one of the founders of Great Lakes Home Health, Cheri Lyn’s incredible passion for her community, professional excellence and contributions to improving the quality of life for others made her an ideal recipient for the award.

The ATHENA Award is presented annually by chambers of commerce, women’s organizations and universities. It is established through these organizations in partnership with ATHENA International’s national underwriters, local businesses and individual sponsors.