Jump-starting a struggling company is no easy feat. For InHome Healthcare Services, this meant having a strong grasp on its local market and filling care gaps in the community.

Before InHome Healthcare Services was a single company, it was two individual agencies: Good Life Homecare in Monterey, California, and Wilshire Healthcare in Fresno, California. In 2019, Adam Frerichs came in as an investor on the basis of turning the two agencies around.

At the time, both agencies were struggling under the previous owner. Frerichs is now InHome Healthcare Services’ CEO as well.

Today, InHome Healthcare Services is a home health and companion care agency with two locations in California. The company provides orthopedic, cardiac, wound care, neurology and telemonitoring programs.

Since taking over, InHome Healthcare Services’ census has reached highs of roughly 300. Prior to this, the combined agencies’ census had dropped below 40.

In part, Frerichs credits Rob Snyder’s local presence for the turnaround. Snyder originally joined InHome Healthcare Services last year as the company’s vice president of operations.

“Rob is a physical therapist, who’s been in the Monterey area, which is a hyper-focused, hypersensitive area,” Frerichs told Home Health Care News. “It’s hard as an outsider to come into that market. He has taken control of our marketing efforts and our orthopedic program.”

As part of InHome Healthcare Services’ marketing efforts, Snyder took the time to analyze the market and figure out a unique value proposition the company could bring to the table. This included looking at the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors, and seeing where the company had opportunities to step in and fill out care gaps in the community.

While the company offers a range of health care services in the home, cardiopulmonary and orthopedic cases have become a major priority for InHome Healthcare Services over the years.

Additionally, wound care is another big area for the company. That was a big advantage during the transition to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM).

“Wound is now one of the largest reimbursements for PDGM,” Frerichs said. “We’ve really focused and dove deep into the wound side. We have WOCN support. We review every wound that comes over, … and then we’re scored on how well we did.”

Frerichs noted that this allows his team to create case studies that detail the company’s performance in regards to wounds. This is valuable information for potential referral partners.

Another key to revamping the company was having both a strong clinical and administrative team.

“It’s about having a really solid core group of individuals, not only in the office but clinicians to build upon from there,” Frerichs said. “If you can establish that core group of people, then you can go a lot of places. If your foundation is weak and you have problems, whether it’s in the billing side, or the intake side, the scheduling side, the nursing side — there are cracks. It’s going to be hard to build upon any of that.”

Having a local focus has been beneficial to the business when it comes to referral partners, according to Snyder.

“One of the hospitals has us basically taking their total joint replacement program,” Snyder told HHCN. “We worked with them on getting out there the same day, or within 12 to 24 hours after they’re discharged. That has been one of the key elements for our success. The sooner you’re out there — the less likely you are to have problems and have readmissions come up.”

Looking ahead, InHome Healthcare Services aims to expand the business. The company has its eye on Modesto, Stockton and Bakersfield, for example.

“If you’re not growing, you’re not going anywhere, you’re going backward,” Frerichs said. “We’re looking at areas close to Fresno and Monterey to grow into where we can overlap staff.”