An LGBTQ-owned and operated healthcare organization has been recognized for its work enhancing the quality of life for elderly and disabled individuals.
Patient Care Coordination provides healthcare and assisted-living services to more than 2,000 elderly and disabled people in 14 counties of Pennsylvania, with a majority of participants residing in the Philadelphia area.
Paul Rimar, PCC founder and executive director, described its mission as “the development of the people that it services so that they can hold onto their autonomy and thrive independently within the community.”
PCC’s “participant-centered model” prioritizes the needs of each individual client, said Rimar.
“I felt like there was something missing in the field of case management. We were focusing on the bare minimum of what service coordination was. I wanted to get back to its roots,” he said. “Our primary focus is the people that we serve. We’re looking at the components that are creating the issues for those we’re serving and the underlying issues inhibiting them from being independent in the community.”
PCC was awarded the Business Integrity Award last month by the Independence Business Alliance — Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT chamber of commerce. The award recognizes IBA members who “uphold high standards of behavior towards LGBT customers, suppliers, shareholders, community, and/or employees.”
“It’s an honor to even be recognized by the IBA and colleagues in the business world,” Rimar said. “Being a young business owner, I felt like I have so much more time ahead of me to show my abilities and to show how credible PCC is. Although PCC’s reach isn’t specific to the LGBT community, our services are inclusive to all and we foster a work environment where individuals feel safe to be themselves and they feel like they can express themselves and their gender identities freely.”
Zach Wilcha, IBA executive director, said PCC reflects the impact that LGBTQ-owned businesses can have within the community.
“PCC’s growth in such a short time shows how important their work is in the community. They put the needs of their consumers first, and that’s especially important in healthcare services.”
PCC, founded in 2014, is funded by the state’s Department of Human Services Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver Program, which provides services for people who prefer longterm-care support in their home or community rather than in an institutional setting.
PCC provides services that make it easier for its clients to live independently. The organization launched a program in 2017 that assisted aging adults with the transition out of nursing homes and into their own homes. PCC covers the first month’s rent and security deposits for elderly patients leaving nursing homes and any other necessities, Rimar said.
Other services include providing personal assistance; personal emergency-response systems, such as a button that can be pushed in crisis situations to notify nearby emergency-response centers; adult day-living services; non-medical transportation; and home modifications.
Rimar, who has a master’s degree in social work from Temple University, has a background in medical-case management, grief counseling, disease management, crisis intervention and palliative care.
“We want to expand our services, but we’re maintaining our focus on our participants. Without them, we wouldn’t be around,” he said.