Meet The Team

Jennifer Mancuso

President

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Education: Millsaps College, Duke University

Jennifer is a seasoned veteran of the health care industry. After enjoying many years as a senior manager with leading clinical and health management service companies, she was ready for a new chapter. From her professional experience, she knew there was a need for in-home care in the Birmingham community. Personally, family members were also entering a new phase of life, which highlighted how important quality care is for loved ones. After much research and thought, Jennifer enthusiastically founded Always Best Care (ABC) in 2013. The number of families who are supported through ABC has continued to grow each year.

“I am passionate about helping people maintain a safe, independent and dignified lifestyle throughout the various transitions of life. I love getting to know the families and help provide solutions to their in-home needs. It’s been very rewarding to see the relationships that form between the clients and our fantastic employees who take tremendous pride in their work.”

Jennifer received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from Millsaps College and attended Duke University. She serves on the Board of Directors of Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama and is active with the Parkinson Association of Alabama. Jennifer is also a member of the Always Best Care Franchise Advisory Committee, the ABC Top Performance Group, the Home Care Association of America, Medical Social Services Organization, the Case Management Society of America, the Alabama Self-Insurers Association and the Healthcare Executives Network.

She and her husband, Buddy, are longtime residents of Birmingham and have two active teenagers who keep them busy. Jennifer is a member of the Cathedral Church of the Advent and is involved with volunteer activities for Mountain Brook High School. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and reading.

Christy Tenney

Operations Manager

Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Education: UAB and Jefferson State Community College

Christy Tenney is the Always Best Care Operations Manager. Her overall role is to serve as a liaison between clients and staff and to ensure that our internal operations are running efficiently and smoothly. The Always Best Care senior manager, Christy is skilled at issue resolution and achieving client satisfaction. With a fantastic work ethic, she juggles many crucial management responsibilities with ease. Christy has a strong work history and experience in management, scheduling, accounting and recruiting. Having worked at two other local home healthcare companies, Christy possesses a broad base of industry knowledge. She manages the office staff and oversees the Operations, Administration and Human Resource departments. Christy likes working at Always Best Care because she enjoys new challenges while helping others and building relationships. She has a passion for learning and is currently majoring in Business Management with a minor in Human Resources at UAB. When she is not working, she is hitting the books at UAB.

Debbie Perkins

Director of Client Services and Sales

Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Education: University of Tennessee

Debbie joins Always Best Care with decades of experience in personalized service and customer care. She enjoys making home visits on behalf of ABC and works closely with the clients and their families on specialized Care Plans.

“These visits provide us with the opportunity to make sure client needs are being met and if any improvements should be made. Our clients are truly an inspiration! They are pleasant and like to talk. I love getting to know them, and I leave with a smile on my face.”

From the start, she knew Always Best Care was a good fit for her. “Our team works very hard to match the right caregiver with the client, based on the needs and personality of each individual.  There’s never a dull moment in the office. It’s filled with laughter and people who enjoy their jobs.”

Debbie graduated from the University of Tennessee with a triple major – English, Spanish and Secondary Education.

Her favorite pastimes are playing golf and traveling. Debbie also loves spending time with her two granddaughters and cheering for the University of Alabama – Roll Tide!

Amber Brown

Administrative Coordinator

Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Education: Sam Houston State University

Amber comes to Always Best Care with more than 10 years of experience in management and customer service. She has also worked in the nurse staffing industry and has served on blood donation teams for several hospitals.

“I really enjoy helping others and providing the best healthcare for those in need. I am delighted to be a part of the Always Best Care team where compassionate client care is top priority.”

Her responsibilities include matching the best caregiver with clients, coordinating home placement and assisting with scheduling to ensure the highest quality care.

Amber attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and majored in business administration with a minor in management.

She is the proud mom of three energetic children who are always ready for a new adventure. They enjoy spending time biking in the park and cooling off on hot summer days by the pool. Amber is also an avid traveler who loves to accumulate new stamps on her passport.

Jen Dodd

Administrative Coordinator

Hometown: TBA
Education: TBA

My name is Jenny Dodd aka Jen. I am an administrative coordinator. I will be doing general clerical duties, maintaining electronic and hard copy filing system, prepare emails and reports, assist with staffing as well as fill in for field staff as needed.

I enjoy my job because I love helping people in any way I can. I like to know that I can make a difference in people’s lives. I try to always make the best of every situation and make sure everything in my power is taken care of.

I have worked in the medical field for 12 years. I have worked as a PCA on the Open Heart Unit as well as the Home Healthcare Field.

I am married and have 2 daughters. My husband is Eddie and my 12 year old daughter is Lourlie and my 13 year old daughter is Mackenzie. They keep me going! I have 2 dogs, Max and Tank, both are Momma’s boys! We like to spend time as a family going to my husband’s races, helping with the race car, going camping, going to the beach, shopping or just hanging out as a family.

Florence Hinkle

Client Services Coordinator

Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Education: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Florence joins Always Best Care with 15 years of experience as Resident Services Director at Brookdale Senior Living. Throughout her career, she has always enjoyed helping others and working with seniors.

As Client Services Coordinator, Florence visits established clients, evaluates their individualized care plans and conducts assessments on field employees.
“My main objective is to act as a vital connection between the clients, their families and our staff. Each client is unique and has different needs. I love my job and want to be sure that our standard of excellence is being met and that each client is being placed with the right caregiver. I want our seniors to live life to the fullest and to me that means continually helping them with the activities of their daily lives.”

Florence received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has also served on committees with the Junior League of Birmingham and the Mobile Museum of Art.

She is a busy mother of two, with a college-aged daughter and a son, who is a student at Mountain Brook High School. In her down time, she enjoys spending time at the beach.

Lenora Howell

Recruiting & Development Coordinator

Hometown: St. Albans Queens, New York
Education: Virginia College

Lenora brings more than 16 years of experience in administration, training, retail management and client care. Her various positions have included District Manager, Store Manager, Floor Manager and Store Trainer. She thoroughly enjoys working with people and her positive outlook is one of her best assets.

In her role at Always Best Care, Lenora strives to go beyond her everyday duties to make sure her clients are happy and that their needs are continually being met. One of her favorite quotes from businessman and author Harvey Mackay sums it up, “Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.”

Lenora graduated from Virginia College with an Associate Degree in Medical Office Administration.

She and her husband, “The Reverend,” have been married for more than 30 years. They met after high school and traveled extensively due to his position as a U.S. Army officer. Lenora is grateful to have met people from all over the world with various cultural backgrounds and perspectives. These days in her down time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and her Yorkshire Terrier, Coco Chanel.

Kathy Jones

Marketing Coordinator

Hometown: Huntsville, AL
Education: Auburn University / Bachelor of Science in Consumer Affairs

Kathy and her husband, Monroe, moved to Birmingham in 2018 from Franklin, TN, where they have lived for 25 years. They have two daughters. One is attending Samford University; the other is married living in Memphis, TN. Before leaving Franklin, Kathy served as Marketing Director for Johnson and Hayes Physical Therapists. Her previous work experience was in Medical Sales with SmithKline Beecham, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Alcon Ophthalmics as a Pharmaceutical Representative.

As the Marketing Director for Always Best Care, Kathy works with other team members developing referral resources and building relationships with local healthcare providers, nursing facilities and other associated businesses. She also works directly within the company assisting with client visits, recruiting and caregiver introductions.

“I am excited to be working with Always Best Care. This position enables me to couple my past sales experiences with my desire to help folks who can no longer take care of themselves. By providing quality compassionate care, it is fulfilling to find unique solutions for unique needs. Helping families take care of their loved ones is a gift and working with Always Best Care allows me to play a small role in orchestrating these solutions!

When not working, Kathy enjoys time with her family and playing league tennis. She loves their new church home and loves that Birmingham is closer to the beach!

Deidre Mathis

Administrative and Scheduling Coordinator

Hometown: New York City
Education: Touro College

Deidre comes to the Always Best Care team with more than 20 years of experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She has also worked as a Direct Support Professional in health care and a Troop Support Coordinator for the Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama.
 
At Always Best Care, Deidre handles a variety of responsibilities, including onboarding new employees, coordinating schedules, answering phones, managing medical correspondence and other administrative duties.
 
“I have always enjoyed helping those in need, and through Always Best Care, I am able to assist others who are just getting started in this field. I love what I do and appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn.”

Deidre attended Touro College in New York and is a Certified Nursing Assistant.

She is the proud mother of five children and enjoys going to church, listening to gospel music and spending quality time with her family.

Stephen McGhee

Operations Director

Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Education: Birmingham-Southern College

Stephen is an experienced Controller who has worked for a variety of non-profit and health care companies in the Birmingham area. At Always Best Care, he is responsible for overseeing accounting-related activities including billing, payroll, financial reconciliation and reporting.

“Always Best Care is a natural fit for me. I have always enjoyed being a part of a team that makes a positive difference in the community.”

Stephen has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Birmingham-Southern College and has worked in finance for more than 30 years.

He has a daughter who attends Rice University and is an avid golfer and music enthusiast. Stephen also serves on the board of directors for Joy League Baseball, an independent little league located in Homewood, Alabama.

Jenny O’Hare Bio

Staffing Coordinator

Hometown: Margaret, AL
Education: St. Clair County High School

Jenny comes to Always Best Care with more than 18 years of customer service experience in the health care and retail fields. As Staffing Coordinator, she is extremely committed to finding the best caregiver for each client.
 
“I find a great deal of joy in the fact that the work we do brings caring and compassion into someone’s life. I want to make sure all clients are matched with the right caregiver based on their specific skill sets, personalities and scheduling needs.”
 
“I enjoy my job because it’s always nice to receive phone calls from clients thanking me for sending a specific caregiver to them. It’s rewarding to know that someone from our team is helping them and that a positive relationship is established.”
 
Jenny graduated at the top of her class at both St. Clair County High School and the John Pope Eden Career Technical Center, where she was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America
 
She and her husband, Stephen, have an active family that includes three boys and four fur babies. When she has down time, Jenny enjoys reading a good book, playing board games, going to the movies or spending time with her extended family. However, in the fall, her weekends center around cheering with her boys for the University of Alabama football team – Roll Tide!

Tamela Sharp

Clinical Director

Hometown: Leeds, AL
Education: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Jefferson State Community College

Tamela is a Registered Nurse and brings a great deal of experience to Always Best Care, having worked in the medical field for more than 30 years. Her various roles have included serving as a Nursing Assistant and assessing inpatient needs for a local hospital, as well as caring for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients in an assisted living home.

“Working with our older generations gives me a sense of giving back. I know what it’s like to have someone come into your home and assist with a loved one. I cared for my late husband with the help of my daughter, sister-in-law and some wonderful home health caregivers.”

“Always Best Care continues to give me ways to make a difference in someone else’s life, whether it’s a simple phone call, a quick drop-in visit, attending a birthday party, or spending the day with a client.”

Tamela has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has an adult daughter also in the medical field.
She and her family continue to be blessed with many children they consider family. In her spare time, she enjoys God, family time, watching the Hallmark Channel and learning new things.