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Behind the Scenes: Photos from SuperCare Health’s 50th Anniversary Ceremony

Posted: 07/11/2024

Updated: 07/26/2024

By: SuperCare Health

Est Read Time: 3 min

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.

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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?

A: As technology, standards of care, and treatments change, our teams pivot to update our goals, business model, leadership style, and organizational structure. We always strive to stay one step ahead of the next big change in our industry, especially when it comes to life saving technologies. It’s not just about putting something new on our shelves. It’s creating entirely new branches of the business, growing and training our teams, and ensuring everyone is able to collaborate and adapt seamlessly throughout the company’s transformation. Our leadership team embraces and looks forward to continuous change.

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

A: At SuperCare Health, we’re never satisfied with the norm and have developed an environment of continuous innovation among our team members. Within each of our divisions, we encourage everyone from the top down to identify opportunities and pilot their own planes. We take a step back, and sometimes we have to allow others to fail. We believe failure creates the best learning opportunities, so we never place blame. Instead, we continuously learn and adapt, coming back smarter and stronger.

From an operations perspective, we perform many technology sprints with our in-house IT and software development teams. We continually grow our software development division where we create customized applications that offer a positive patient experience. We also look outside our industry for unique models that can fit what we do. Sometimes it’s a fun challenge to make a round peg fit into a square hole.

Q: How have you built a strong and connected organizational culture among team members?

A: With every new initiative, we are sure to continue building on our foundation of lifelong learning and our Culture of CARE, which stands for Connection, Alignment, Respect, and Empathy. In action, those key elements of our culture include:

Work as a team with respect, professionalism and kindness while lending support to our colleagues.
Be consistent in words and action, so trust is established.
Speak openly about concerns and bring solutions to the table.
Recognize, encourage, and model positive and productive behaviors.
View all employees as important members of the SuperCare Health team and value their contributions regardless of job, role or title.
Treat everyone with integrity, compassion, and respect.

Over the last decade, while many healthcare organizations were laying off their clinical teams because of cutbacks to Medicare and reimbursements, SuperCare Health differentiated itself by holding strong to our values and our clinical programs. Our team members understood those values from the moment they walked through our doors, so we were able to reach our common goals together while keeping our teams united.

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.