What really happens when a nurse walks through a patient’s front door instead of a hospital doorway? In this episode of Home Health Revealed, host Hannah Vale heads into the field with home health nurses in snowy Northeast Ohio and then sits down with leaders from Lorain County Community College and the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice to unpack what she witnessed firsthand.

You’ll hear from:

• Christopher Hirschler, Dean of the Health and Wellness Science Division at Lorain County Community College

• Lisa Von Lemden, Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice

• Hannah DiVencenzo, Program Developer at Lorain County Community College

• Cynthia Kushner, Director of School, Workforce and Community partnerships

• Abigail Farabaugh, Career and Academic Advisement Professional

Together, they share powerful stories from recent ride‑alongs: organizing overflowing baskets of medications, navigating homes transformed into care spaces, and supporting families through heartbreaking seasons with remarkable resilience. You’ll also hear about those “oh no” moments—like expired blood tubes in the trunk—and how strong team backup turns solo visits into a true network of care.

Listen in to learn:

• Why being invited into a patient’s home is “sacred” work and how it reveals social determinants of health in real time, from housing quality to family support to mental health.

• How home health nurses flex between roles—clinician, educator, advocate, problem‑solver, even “therapist”—often in the same visit.

• What schedule flexibility, point‑based pay models, and documentation from home actually look like in a real nurse’s day (including coffee breaks between visits).

• How AI and technology are changing preparation for visits, decision‑making, and mentorship for newer nurses entering home health.

• Why home care can be a smart career move for nurses who want autonomy, meaningful one‑on‑one time with patients, and strong earning potential—without punching a time clock.

The episode also highlights new workforce and education partnerships, including a $2 million Department of Higher Education investment into the Center for Community Based Care to grow and support the next generation of home health and hospice clinicians across Ohio. Lorain County Community College shares how it is exposing students to home health early—through ride‑alongs, pathways content, and mentorship—so they can discover if this deeply relational kind of nursing is the right fit.

If you’re:

• A nursing student wondering what’s beyond the ICU or med‑surg,

• A nurse craving more control over your time and deeper patient relationships, or

• An educator or leader trying to build stronger home health pathways…

…this episode will challenge your assumptions about what nursing “has” to look like and show you what’s possible when care comes to the couch instead of the bedside.

Learn more & get connected:

• Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice / Center for Community Based Care: visit www.ochch.org and use the Contact Us form to inquire about tuition support, grants, and workforce opportunities across Ohio.

• Interested in educational pathways at...

• (00:00:02) - Home Health Revealed: Why the Home Matters
• (00:01:28) - Home Health: The Journey
• (00:07:35) - The Home Health Care Nurse Experience
• (00:13:13) - The Day in the Life of Home Health
• (00:16:30) - Social determinants of health in the home
• (00:20:06) - What is Home Health Care for People?
• (00:22:17) - The role of nurses in the field
• (00:25:59) - Home Health Nurse Training: Flexibility
• (00:31:39) - Home Care and Hospice Programs
• (00:36:08) - Home Care: The Career Choice
• (00:42:31) - Riding Along With a Home Health Nurse
• (00:45:58) - Home Health Care: A Personal Experience

In this episode, Hannah Vale is joined by Lisa Meadows, Senior Manager, Survey Operations, at ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care), for a timely conversation on how home health agencies can stay compliant while operating with smaller margins and fewer resources.

Hannah discusses the new partnership and product certification for Velocity. Lisa shares how ACHC is helping agencies meet evolving regulations, improve operational efficiency, and "do more with less"! We also discuss how agencies can access free education through ACHCU. ACHCU provides leaders and teams with practical, on-demand learning to stay prepared and confident in a constantly changing regulatory environment.

From accreditation and survey readiness to workforce education and smarter processes, this episode highlights how compliance can become a strategic advantage.

Learn about HealthRev Partners' partnership with ACHC HERE.

• (00:00:02) - Home Health Revealed
• (00:00:42) - Lisa Meadows at the ACCreditation Conference
• (00:01:57) - Top of Mind for Hospice Providers
• (00:02:49) - ACHC: Helping Providers Meet the Regulations

In this power punching episode, we sat down with Jonathan Fleece of Empath Health for a timely and important conversation. When we recorded this episode, the home health Final Rule had not yet been released, but the insights shared remain highly relevant now that it is public.

While the proposed 9% cut would have been catastrophic for the home health industry, even the finalized cuts continue to place real pressure on agencies across the country. At the same time, this moment also highlighted something worth recognizing: the industry rallied! Providers, leaders, and advocates came together to offer meaningful feedback and that collective voice mattered!

The episode was co-hosted by Mike Quinn of nVoq, who brings a powerful personal perspective. Mike shares his own experience as a recipient of care through Empath, an unexpected and meaningful connection that surfaced during the conversation. That firsthand experience underscores the impact of care delivered well.

Jonathan dives deep into employee retention and workforce development, emphasizing the importance of listening, truly listening, to staff in order to drive smarter policies, meaningful change, and innovation within organizations. His perspective reinforces that sustainable growth starts with engaged, supported teams.

We also explore how Empath is leveraging nVoq's talk to text technology to empower clinicians in the field, reducing documentation burden and helping teams do more with less. With so much technology flooding the market, this conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what actually works---solutions that deliver a real return on investment and a return on time.

In an environment defined by cuts, complexity, and workforce challenges, technology isn't a nice-to-have; it's a lifeline. This episode bring a grounded, honest look at what's working, what matters, and how home health agencies can move forward with intention.

Want to learn more about the HealthRev Partners and nVoq partnership?