A nurse owned and managed home health agency

The downsizing epidemic that has swept across the country's acute care facilities has forced many nurses to reassess their goals and explore different career options. Home care has become an important alternative to hospital nursing for many nurses. During a management reorganization of a major medical center in Oakland, California, in early 1993, several middle managers in the nursing department were laid off. What started as informal, support group meetings to help one another face the transition and explore new career alternatives led to the formation of Professional Health Care at Home (PHCH). PHCH is a nurse owned and operated home care agency serving homebound patients in the San Francisco Bay Area. In these initial meetings, many nurses expressed an interest in home care and discovered the talent in their group that enabled them to start their own company.