Tag: Integrity

Featuring the City of Industry Business Council and Regional Chamber of Commerce San Gabriel Valley

Our 50th-anniversary celebration continues! Organizational leaders from across the country gathered on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, to join the City of Industry Business Council and the Regional Chamber of Commerce San Gabriel Valley in an intimate and inspiring ceremony. Get a behind the scenes look at this special event with photos from the big day. 

John Cassar, CEO and Owner, shared heartfelt words of appreciation to his employees and executive team for helping the healthcare company reach this milestone. “As I stand before this extraordinary group of leaders, I am filled with gratitude for your hard work and unwavering commitment to our patients. Thank you for joining us today as we continue to improve lives in the communities we serve. To my executive team, you are my band of brothers. We are here today because of your perseverance and hard work.”

Cassar also bestowed special recognition to his parents, Gabe and Micheline Cassar, who founded the company in 1974 as a small retail pharmacy in Hacienda Heights, California. “To my mother and father, our original founders, who showed me that anything is possible. You instilled in me the values of hard work, integrity, and humility. You laid the foundation of our core values that exist today at SuperCare Health and demonstrated that as entrepreneurs, it’s truly possible to start with almost nothing and build something remarkable. This achievement is as much yours as it is mine.”

Representing the City of Industry Business Council, Joanne McClaskey, Executive Director, presented SuperCare Health’s executive team with a ceremonial plaque, certificate, and mementos on behalf of the City. Additional members of her team joined the presentation, including Cindy Salas, Yvette Dominguez, and Patricia Santillan. 

The Regional Chamber of Commerce San Gabriel Valley made a special appearance at the ceremony, as well, presenting Cassar and team with a plaque in recognition of their Chamber membership and service to the community. Joined by colleagues Nef Cortex and Mike Brown, remarks on behalf of the Chamber were delivered by Aziz Amiri, CEO, and Ken Liebman, President and Chairman of the Board.

As the ceremony came to an end, SuperCare Health’s Kristen Bengo, VP of Human Resources, and Kim Hoeckendorf, Executive VP of Sales and Operations, addressed the audience. Said Bengo, “On behalf of everyone far and wide at SuperCare Health, we want to thank and congratulate this team of visionary leaders, our executives who have guided us through so many challenges and triumphs. Most importantly, I want to thank every team member for your devotion and commitment to the people who matter the most to us- our patients and communities. I am so proud to be part of an organization that demonstrates such genuine care and compassion for the world around us. Congratulations, SuperCare Health for 50 years of impactful service!”  

To learn more about SuperCare Health and to enroll in one of our comprehensive respiratory care programs, visit us online. To explore our newest division, SuperCare Diabetes, check out our website. Speak with a SuperCare Health customer service representative by calling (800) 206-4880 or use our new and improved live virtual chat. 

Q: Looking back on 50 years of supporting patients, what is the proudest moment in your career?

A: As a respiratory care company facing the pandemic head on, the entire SuperCare Health team and I felt a personal responsibility to care for our communities, going into high alert in support of the healthcare systems throughout California. We set aside expenses and shipped respiratory devices in major cargo and commercial transports to help with the demand. My team and I went to the docks and small airports to unload planes and cargo containers with our own hands. We drove respiratory care supplies in our personal vehicles to the local hospitals. We did whatever we could to save just one more life. 

As the pandemic intensified, SuperCare Health was among the first organizations to establish in-home respiratory therapy and remote patient monitoring programs. At a time when everything was locked down, these virtual options allowed our partnered healthcare professionals to support symptomatic patients remotely, freeing up beds and avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations. Our respiratory therapists, technicians, care coaches, and customer service staff worked courageously 24/7 to support our community as we rolled out these programs, streamlining the discharge and follow up experience for patients and providers alike. 

When the pandemic continued through 2021 and beyond, SuperCare Health worked to increase access to respiratory care. Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare professionals still contact us to help manage their influx of patients and provide ventilators and oxygen. Ultimately, I am most proud of how we instantly mobilized to save lives. We adapted to the extreme circumstances within our communities at a time when our patients needed support the most.

Q:  How has constant change in the healthcare environment affected the way SuperCare Health serves patients?

Q: How can we continue to foster innovation and creativity within our teams?

Q: What advice can you share with people who are just beginning their careers in healthcare or looking to make their next move? 

A: No matter how much success you experience, always remain humble and hungry. Never forget where you came from. I will always push myself and my teams as though we’re still a struggling small business trying to survive. Regardless of how much our organization grows, we always make decisions from that standpoint of survival. We always think and choose like underdogs. 

There is always room for improvement. Something can be exceptional, and it’s still not good enough. When you see yourself comfortable, don’t get complacent.  Be in a mode of constant improvement, adaptation, and change.  Success is really never achieved.  It’s a continuous journey that we get to traverse throughout our lifetime. 

Be willing to pivot and stay agile. We must be willing to adapt to changing circumstances while still staying true to our vision. 

CEO & Owner, John Cassar, Shares Life Lessons in Celebration of SuperCare Health’s 50th Anniversary

Honoring SuperCare Health’s 50 Year Legacy

The story of SuperCare Health starts with my parents, Gabe and Micheline Cassar. Fresh off the plane from chilly Montreal, Canada, they landed in Los Angeles with big dreams… and even bigger winter coats. They swapped the snow for sunshine and set up a tiny retail pharmacy in the San Gabriel Valley called Super Rx. Little did I know, I was about to be enrolled in the most unconventional business school ever, taught by Professor Mom and Dean Dad.

Fast forward to my very young teenage years. Forget after school activities. My brother Tony and I had a different practice. We would scrub shelves, hand out flyers in the heat, unpack items throughout the day, deliver prescriptions at night, and do whatever we could to keep the business afloat. Our childhood memories are a unique blend of nostalgia and perpetual work. 

This taught me my first valuable life lesson: There is no substitute for hard work and grit.

In the beginning, SuperCare Rx was a David facing a whole army of Goliath-sized apothecarychains.  But we had heart, hustle, and some pretty creative marketing strategies within our community.  We offered free blood pressure checks, sponsored the local little league teams, and our church bulletin promised a prescription in under 10 minutes. And of course, there were always those flyers that conveniently needed to be distributed on the hottest days of the year. We played to our strengths and never stopped fighting for our customers. 

That’s how I learned another valuable lesson: Always think like an underdog and win with a little creativity.

My father was fiercely committed to patient care, even if it meant going toe-to-toe with doctors and insurance companies. He knew it wasn’t about the bottom line. It was about doing the right thing for the people we served. This commitment to integrity has always been a core value with me and SuperCare Health. We’ve had opportunities to partner with high-performing sales reps and contract out with certain health entities, but if their character and values did not align, the door hit them on the way out.

That’s how I learned this key lesson: Build a business with heart and integrity, and you will build a legacy.

Take Measurable Risks 

At 18 years-old and still in college, I obtained a real estate license. Later, I sold some commercial properties, allowing for a little nest egg. This entrepreneurial spirit led me to invest in assisted living facilities, a perfect blend of helping people with my newfound skills in real estate. Now, not every risk was a slam dunk. Let’s just say some of those early investments wouldn’t exactly make the cover of Forbes magazine. But hey, you win some, you lose some, and you learn a whole lot along the way. 

This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in business: Take measurable risks early on and doors will open in the future. 

Build Exceptional Teams

Perhaps the most valuable lesson of all is the power of teamwork. My parents showed me that success isn’t a solo act. It’s a collaborative team effort fueled by people who believe in a shared vision for success, supporting and trusting each other along the way. This lesson has been central to my own journey at SuperCare Health. As the company has transformed, I’ve come to understand the critical importance of surrounding myself with talented individuals who complement my strengths and fill my knowledge gaps. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about building a team in which everyone’s unique skills and perspectives come together to create something truly remarkable. Each and every one of SuperCare Health’s team members – from leadership to our frontline respiratory therapists, techs, and patient representatives – play a vital role in our company’s success. Their hard work, passion, and commitment make the biggest difference in our ability to serve patients with excellence.   

Here’s the ultimate lesson: Know your weaknesses and fill those gaps with exceptional team members.

Stay True to Your Vision

Looking back, it’s clear that having a defined vision from the very beginning set me on the path to success. At our core, SuperCare Health was built upon pursuing innovation, improving lives, and reducing the cost of care. Anything outside of our vision was left in the periphery. A nice to have, but not a need. It’s a testament to the power of dreaming big, setting ambitious goals, and chasing them relentlessly to make a positive impact on the world. Through it all, I’ve learned that success isn’t just about the bottom line.

This final lesson comes from the heart: If you want to be a genuine innovator and help people along the way, it’s all about staying true to your purpose, your people, your principles, and your vision.

By John Cassar, CEO & Owner, SuperCare Health