When CEO and Director Maria Santiago opened the doors to New York’s Home Health Aide Training Institute (HHATI) six years ago, she knew she had a mission: to help vulnerable people feel respected, understood, and cared for in their most difficult times, and to train the best aides in the country how to do it.
It’s easy to see that she’s succeeded. Her kind, thorough, and empathetic leadership and curriculum have quickly made her institute one of the most sought-after in the country. She has graduated 3,000 students in a few short years and is making waves in the industry.
Today, her former students are working across the country in private homes, rehabilitation facilities, and hospitals. In their roles, they spread her words of empathetic help, kind leadership, and knowledgeable caring.
“We are here to care for the community, wherever we are and want our students to live by this when they go out into the field,” she said.
Caring in the Community
Her graduates and their charges are not the only ones noticing the massive effect she is having on the industry. She was recently recognized by U.S. President Joe Biden, who presented her with the Presidential Tribute of Excellence Award for her lifetime of caring for the community.
When the president presented the award to the 25-year healthcare field veteran, he noted that she spreads joy through her work and teachings and is worthy of celebration.
“I always knew that something in the medical field was my calling. Not a doctor, per se, but a nurse or aide. I’ve always loved caring for people,” shared the CEO.
Speaking Up for Aides
One of the ways that Santiago continually cares for people is through advocacy for fair pay for home healthcare workers. There has been an ongoing fight for better pay for home health workers, who perform very hard jobs daily, from bathing and moving patients to assisting those with dementia and Alzheimers.
“Being a home healthcare aide is not for the faint of heart. We are helping people to get through the most difficult times in their lives. We give 100% effort to training our future home healthcare aides to work hard but never forget the kindness that needs to be at the core of the care,” Santiago said.
Though she founded her institute just six years ago, she has worked in the home healthcare field for 25 years. She knows firsthand that long hours, burnout, emotional and physical stress, and low wages push many talented aides out of healthcare — where they can do the most good — and into better-paying fields.
For this reason, the industry is regularly faced with a shortage of aides and a lack of aides that truly perform empathetic caring — one of the hallmarks of HHATI’s training.
“I train my students to ensure that their patient is properly cared for in all aspects, both physical and emotional,” Santiago said.
Because she knows how hard they study and work, Santiago is one of New York’s loudest voices in advocacy for both better working conditions and higher pay for home health aides.
She was pleased to report that recently, thanks to the efforts of herself and others, the minimum hourly pay for New York State home health workers increased with the passage of the Fair Pay for Home Care bill. This means the state’s home health workers will earn an extra $2 per hour.
However, she plans to continue fighting for better pay, believing that the wage could soon go as high as $22.50 per hour.
“I know these aides. I see how hard they work and how much they go above and beyond the job requirements. The $2 increase is a start, but it absolutely has to go higher. In this economy, that’s basically a cost of living increase, unfortunately,” Santiago said.
With incredible leaders and advocates like Santiago making waves in the home healthcare industry, it’s easy to see why aides are gaining more respect, increased pay, and the better working conditions they so dearly deserve.
About Maria Santiago
Maria Santiago is the CEO and Director of Home Health Aide Training Institute (HHATI.com), which trains certified nursing assistants and-certified home health aides. She recently won the Presidential Tribute of Excellence Award and her team has taught over 3,000 students to date. For more information about getting involved in home healthcare, please visit www.hhati.com