The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with Homecare Homebase. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.

Christian Rodriguez, CEO of Hollywood, Florida-based Woundtech, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Home Health Care News.

To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40 years old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their wellbeing.

Rodriguez sat down with Home Health Care News to discuss her career trajectory and the ways the industry is evolving due to market and regulatory forces.

What drew you to this industry?

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, I came from a humble background. I was deeply influenced by the resilience and discipline instilled in me by my single mother. She always encouraged me not to let my environment define my future. From a young age, I decided it would be my mission to make a difference in the world.

My passion for health care, particularly care delivery, was ignited by a very personal experience. I’ve witnessed firsthand how inadequate health care can drastically affect lives. One poignant example was my uncle, who, despite having access to care, faced a preventable diabetes complication that led to an amputation. This experience highlighted the critical importance of timely and preventive care.

For over 20 years, I have dedicated my career to this purpose. Under my leadership at Woundtech, we have significantly expanded our patient base each year, and our commitment to our social mission of improved access continues. We are developing new pathways to enhance the efficiency of our care model, ensuring that patients receive the highest-quality care.

What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting work in this industry?

One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is the critical role of preventive care in optimizing patient outcomes. While reactive treatment often dominates the health care landscape, it is clear that proactive measures, such as early disease detection and early disease intervention, are essential in preventing diseases and improving overall health.

A personal experience solidified this understanding. Several years ago, a close friend, despite having no family history of heart disease, suffered a sudden cardiac event. It was a stark reminder that seemingly healthy individuals can be vulnerable to unforeseen health challenges. Had my friend been more engaged in preventive care, including regular check-ups and screenings, we might have been able to identify potential risk factors and intervene earlier, potentially preventing this tragic event.

This experience reinforced my commitment to promoting preventive care and advocating for its integration into health care systems. I believe that by empowering individuals to take ownership of their health and investing in proactive measures, we can significantly reduce the burden of disease, enhance the quality of life, and create a healthier society.

If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of home health care, what would it be?

If I could change one thing about the future of home health care, it would be to increase the integration of technology. While technology has made significant strides in this field, I believe there’s untapped potential to revolutionize patient care.

Specifically, I envision a future where:

• Remote patient monitoring is being more widely adopted. It enables real-time tracking of vital signs and early detection of health changes
• Artificial intelligence is used to personalize care plans, predict patient needs and optimize resource allocation
• Virtual reality is leveraged for therapeutic interventions, such as rehabilitation exercises and pain management
• Telehealth will become the norm, providing convenient access to health care services, especially for those in rural or underserved areas

By embracing these technological advancements, we can enhance patient outcomes, improve efficiency, and make home health care even more accessible and effective.

What do you foresee as being different about the home health care industry looking ahead to 2025?

The home health care industry will undergo significant transformation driven by technological innovation, personalized care and the growing emphasis on value-based health care. We’ll likely see a shift from reactive to proactive care models, where predictive analytics and data-driven insights play a crucial role in anticipating patient needs and preventing complications before they arise.

Telehealth and remote monitoring will become even more integrated into care delivery, allowing patients to receive high-quality care in the comfort of their homes while enabling providers to make informed decisions with real-time data.

Additionally, the focus on patient-centered care will become more pronounced, with customized care plans tailored to individual patient needs, leading to better outcomes and improved patient satisfaction.

Furthermore, I expect an increased collaboration across various sectors – health care providers, technology companies and insurance providers —to create a more cohesive and efficient care ecosystem. This collaboration will enhance the quality of care and make it more accessible and affordable for a broader population.

In a word, how would you describe the future of home health care?

Innovation will be the driving force behind the health care industry’s evolution, and home health care is particularly poised to benefit from this. Leaders in home health who embrace technology, personalized care and value-based models will be best positioned for the future.

At Woundtech, for example, we are harnessing the power of predictive analytics, developing specialized care pathways and prioritizing patient-centric wound care approaches. These innovations transform care delivery, allowing our providers to make informed decisions that prevent infection, reduce costs and reduce downstream complications.

If you could offer advice to your younger self on your first day in the industry, what would it be and why?

I would advise myself to remember that your greatest strength lies in the team around you and the level of collaboration you foster. Success is never achieved in isolation. By supporting the growth of others and learning from the diversity within your team, you and your team will pave a sustainable path of success.

True change in our industry comes from embracing each other’s strengths and committing to collective growth. Every patient we treat and every life we improve is a testament to the power of teamwork.