Page 176 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2022

FINAL SAY
DOROTHY SAAD DUNNING
Administrator/Executive Vice President, Saad Healthcare
Growing up in a 1300-square-foot house with a family of nine is where my first lesson of working together began. Both my par- ents served in the Army during WWII and shortly after getting married, both were sent overseas.
After returning home from the war in 1945, they returned to Mobile and worked with my grandfather in his dry cleaning business until my mother could find a nursing job. My dad worked at Brookley Field until 1967 when my parents were given the opportunity to open a 174-bed nursing home – if they could find the investment money and agree to run the facility. My
dad was the administrator and mom was the director of nurses, along with all seven children, each of whom were given tasks each day. A typical day for us consisted of the entire family pil- ing into a brown station wagon, then off to work we went! There were many difficult days and challenges during that time, but nevertheless, it paid off financially and instilled true work ethic in each of us that I will be forever thankful for.
Today, I’m proud to have my family working with me and grateful that they have the same love and commitment to serving others. Like my parents, I can share with them decades of experience and the value of hard work. In turn, they bring new energy, along with knowledge in technology and current trends. It is a great combination and a collective strength that helps us to better serve our patients, and care for their individual needs.
My parents’ journey is the foundation of our family-owned and operated business today. They instilled in us not to let fear stand in the way of your dreams – to take the falls but remember to get up even more determined and stronger than before. Hope- fully, I will pass the same foundation to my children.
Over the past 50 years, home health has changed dramatical- ly. The early days consisted of simply checking vital signs and assessing the patient, whereas today home health nurses work under a physician’s orders to provide care and support on a daily basis, including IV antibiotic therapy, infusion therapy, extensive wound care, and many other interpersonal efforts. Our team of physical, occupational, and speech therapists are LSVT certified and provide intense therapy solutions. At Saad, we believe that
home healthcare professionals need to be able to walk into a patient’s home and be well educated, confident, and knowledge- able. I’m proud our our amazing staff that provides high quality patient care for our community.
Home health played a crucial role during the country’s devas- tating COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020, Saad’s team never stopped providing care to our homebound patients. The nurses, therapists, CNAs, and office staff never missed a day of work. COVID was an extremely challenging time for everyone, however, these healthcare heroes never hesitated to enter a home and provide the necessary care at their own risk. They are truly some of the most selfless and dedicated medical professionals in the community.
“Where patient care comes first” isn’t a slogan, it’s our mission and we’re proud to be the only independent, family-owned and operated home health agency on the Coast. When asked when I’ll retire, I respond that when you love what you do, it doesn’t seem like a job. I love the people I work with and the people I serve. We remain “A family tradition of caring.”
176 | November 2022
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