On the anniversary of the day of our founding, we’re re-publishing the story of Butte Home Health and Hospice. The following comes from an internal newsletter posted in February of 2009:
On October 1, 1984, two dedicated and kind-hearted individuals opened the doors to Butte Home Health. Michael Steven and Brooke Diane Quilici made their dream of starting their own home health agency a reality. “Coming back to Chico was the end of the rainbow for us. This is where we met and went to school. It was the perfect place to build our life,” Brooke said.
Mike and Brooke met while attending Chico State. Both were formerly from the Bay area, she from Alameda and he from San Leandro. In the summer of ‘72 they were married. The next year, Brooke graduated with a degree in Nursing and Public Health. Mike graduated that same year, with a degree in Public Administration and Recreation Administration.
Brooke followed in her great-aunt’s footsteps, Ada Smith Chaplin, who was the first Public Health Nurse in Alameda county. “Her journey of being a nurse in the early 1900’s was fascinating to me, and inspired me to become a nurse. “
After graduating they moved to Santa Cruz. Brooke worked at Santa Cruz Community Hospital for 3 years and Mike was the director for the Boys Club of Santa Cruz. Later Mike worked as a utility worker for the city of Sunnyvale, Parks and Recreation.
“I did my share of time in cardiac, Orthopedics Care, Intensive Care and OB; I gained a lot of experience working in the hospital,” she said.
Brooke began her home health experience in 1978 working for Medi Health. “Home Health was a brand new program under the Medicare Benefit; a program designed to prevent hospitalization and save the healthcare system money by delivering high quality care at home,” Brooke said.
She left in 1981 to become Director for Samaritan Health Services. While there, she opened offices in Santa Cruz and Monterey. That same year Mike opened his own Medical Supply business, PRN Medical Supplies. “During 1981 to 1984 we both traveled to hospitals in California, Arizona, and Wyoming, to help them start their own home health agencies,” Brooke said. “We had opportunities to oversee home health agencies but we turned them down because we knew we wanted to eventually come back to Chico.”
In 1984 Mike sold his medical supply business and they sold their house in Santa Clara and moved to Chico. “With those funds, we were able to start Butte home health.” Brooke said. “We wanted to provide what others weren’t providing yet- an home health services open seven days a week and on call 24 hours a day.”
Along with Mike and Brooke, Mary Duran, Debbie Hamilton, Shay Alves and Isabella Stewart were some of the first employees.
It wasn’t until February 14th of 1985 that BHH admitted its first official patient. Shortly after, BHH was serving more than 25 patients. “We really didn’t advertise. I would go out and talk to people to educate them. Word of mouth got around and we quickly grew,” Brooke said.
Over the years, they navigated many obstacles to get Butte Home Health to where it is now. Early on, one of the biggest challenges to a new agency was the Medicare cost report. This complex, financial, multiple equation driven form, if done incorrectly, could close an agency down. Completing the cost report correctly requires a CPA that has had experience with Medicare data collection and auditing.
“Across the way at our first location on Williamsburg Lane, Johnson & Heller who were also starting out, lent us a hand. Donna Heller, a Medicare Auditor in the past, prepared the cost reports. Debbie Hamilton, who was a Home Health Aide at the time, learned billing, and I was still out seeing patients all day, and on-call at night.”
In 1987 the agency faced another challenge when Medicare made reductions in reimbursement. They had to focus and regroup to keep Butte afloat during this difficult time. “In order to move forward during that time we had to change to non-profit, meaning giving up ownership of the agency but still being personally responsible for the loans and leases . It was a huge risk but it worked out. We evolved for the better,” Brooke said. “In 1987 we were able to take another major step forward by launching the first Medicare certified Hospice in the North State.”
A decade later in 1997 they faced another challenge that put 76% of the free standing home health agencies in the United States out of business; the year of “interim prospective pay.”
“Before the finish of 1998, the agency was losing money at an alarming rate,” Brooke said. “Then a miracle happened. Years earlier we had taken care of a sweet couple in Vina. We thought they were in great need and we helped them during a difficult time in their lives to remain safe in their own home. After discharge, we never heard from them again. In 1998, out of the blue and when the agency was in distress, we received a call from a local attorney to let us know the couple had passed away and left the agency almost exactly the amount needed to stay afloat through the turmoil. ”
Over the first 25 years, Butte Home Health & Hospice has served over 25,000 patients in the community and surrounding areas. “Butte provides a variety of services needed in communities which other agencies don’t offer. This was our goal when we began the company,” Brooke said. “It’s exciting to get up every morning for the challenge of making a difference in our patient’s and their families lives. Mike and I have always been and continue to be involved in the care of every patient to maintain that our ‘promise of excellence’ is achieved.”
Butte Home Health & Hospice continues to work diligently to maintain Mike and Brooke’s dream of continuity of care, creativity, compassion, and understanding. For three consecutive years Butte Home Health has been honored with the award of HomeCare Elite. Each year this award identifies measures of quality for care, quality of services and outcomes and to reach Elite Status the agency must measure out in the top 25% in the United States. BHH is the only provider in Butte County to receive this distinction and this year BHH achieved an even higher measure of Elite Top 500 agencies in the United States.
Butte has evolved over the 25 years of service to the community; through challenges and accomplishments and continues to strive for excellence. “What keeps us enthusiastic, creative, and eager to come to work each day is the people we work with. They care about each other, they care about the organization and they care about the patients and families we help.
Epilogue
While this article was originally published in 2009, the agency continues to evolve and adapt to serve the needs of the communities it serves. Mike Quilici passed away in 2013, and today in 2021 Brooke Quilici is retired but serves on the Board of Directors at Butte Home Health and Hospice.
