Carmen has systematically put in place the pieces she needs to run her own home health agency. She always knew she wanted to provide nursing care, but the cost of college was a barrier, so Carmen took advantage of every resource her local community college had to offer.   Carmen completed an associate’s degree in medical office administration, and multiple certifications for nurse assistant, medication technician, medical coding and CPR. She is one class shy of completing a second associate’s degree in office systems management. She has years of work experience where she has moved steadily upwards from entry level Certified Nursing Assistant, to med tech to being a special care unit coordinator.  She still has her eye on the nursing degree through an associates to bachelors transfer program.  

As she worked at various care facilities, Carmen developed a solid understanding of how they work and what patients need.  “I’ve seen so many bad things. I want people to be able to maintain their independence at home if they can do so.” Carmen has built strong relationships with her staff, many of who express interest in continuing to work with her. She recognizes that funding could present a challenge to accomplishing her goals but she believes that she can do the research to figure out the finances. Ultimately, she has confidence in her ability to start her business.   “I know if I’ve got a good set of people and I do good business, then I can get good things in return.”