Meet The Team

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 in 2013. The number of families who are supported through Always Best Care 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 Always Best Care 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 is a longtime resident of Birmingham with one child at the University of Alabama and one on the way there. Roll Tide!

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.

Christy’s overall role is to serve as a liaison between clients and staff and to ensure that our internal operations are running efficiently and smoothly. She 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 joins Always Best Care with decades of experience in personalized service and customer care. She enjoys making home visits on behalf of Always Best Care 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!

Ashley joined the Client Services team to help develop and coordinate networking and marketing for Always Best Care. She works with other team members to build relationships with local healthcare providers, nursing facilities and other associated businesses. Her friendly smile and outgoing personality blend well with our goals to provide excellent customer service and customer care. According to Ashley, “I love working at Always Best Care because it brings me joy to see others happy, healthy and enjoying life. God created me to serve others and my job at Always Best Care gives me that opportunity every day!”

Ashley has a passion for helping others and has worked with Penelope House providing a safe home environment for abused women. She has also worked for Brookwood Oncology helping arrange patient transport, assisting patients with prescriptions and other health care needs.

She graduated from Auburn University with a BA in Sociology and continued her education with a degree in education from the University of South Alabama.
She has two sons 19 and 18 that keep her on the move. She loves dogs, the outdoors and camping.

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 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.

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!

Johnna brings 38 years of skilled nursing experience to Always Best Care, providing in home care, wellness visits, and care giver training. Her compassion for geriatric nursing holds a special place in her heart. “The wisdom and knowledge this group possesses has helped me grow, not only as a nurse, but in my everyday life. I try to treat all my clients the way I want to be treated. In doing so, I will give the best care possible.”

Johanna has worked in the emergency room, home health care, and the Birmingham City Jail. She received her LPN from the Birmingham Skills Center and after working a year, she returned to school at UAB and received her Bachelor of Science and Nursing, graduating as Valedictorian. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, national honor society of nursing.

She has been married for 28 years and has three adult children and five grandchildren. Johanna enjoys church, exercising and spending time with family.

LaToya joins Always Best Care with many years of customer service experience. She has a previous background in the medical field. LaToya is a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and has worked for private practices. She has also had the honor of assisting and aiding the medical needs of her own family members throughout many years.

As Recruiting Coordinator, LaToya skills and the knowledge gained while caring for others to help staff us with the most qualified caregivers. LaToya is responsible for researching, interviewing, analyzing and building a rapport with prospective caregivers. She is committed to making sure that she finds the best candidates to ensure quality care for our clients. “I believe in caring for everyone as if they were members of my own family. When I worked in primary care facilities, I would think of how I wanted my own mother to be treated as I rendered care.”

LaToya graduated with honors from Hale County High School. LaToya later attended Shelton State Community College where she received her credits to allow her to take the national certification test with the National Health Career Association where she became a CCMA.

When she is not working, LaToya spends time with her daughter, three sons, two sisters and a grandson who she enjoys spoiling.

Before coming to Always Best Care, Stephanie had 10 years of accounting, payroll and management experience. As our Accounting Coordinator, she handles our payroll, accounting and billing functions. Stephanie is a current Notary Public in the State of Alabama. Her reliability, attention to detail and positive outlook make her an outstanding employee.

Stephanie brings extensive experience working with seniors to Always Best Care, having worked as a Medical Assistant where she gained “hands-on” clinical knowledge. She has also worked at a local assisted living community as the Business Office Manager where she saw first-hand the benefits that a senior can derive from a helping hand from a supportive caregiver. The inspirational quote she lives by is from Mother Teresa: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

Stephanie is a mother of two wonderful grown boys. She is a volunteer with Two-by-Two Rescue where she fosters senior dogs. In her free time, she helps the members of her community and cooks for the local police department. One of her other talents is fluency in sign language!

Ashia has been in the health field for many years and was a hands-on caregiver for ten years. Initially motivated to get into healthcare after caring for a family member with dementia, she has worked in senior communities, in the home and in hospice environments. This background has proved indispensable at Always Best Care as Ashia interacts with clients and caregivers throughout her workday, assisting with scheduling, recruiting, training, and assisting with orientation as our Administrator Coordinator. Ashia likes to quote the great poet, Maya Angelou “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

A devout and naturing person who puts others first, Ashia is extremely passionate about taking care of others. She is a graduate from Woodlawn High School where she was the President of the Drama Club and was active in volleyball, basketball, and track. When she attended Lawson State, she majored in social work.

Ashia has been a long-term resident of the Birmingham area. In her spare time, she takes care of her very vivacious daughter and keeps up with her many lifelong friends. Ashia runs errands for her friends and cook meals for those who do not have caretakers. She and her daughter also enjoy shopping together during her free time.

Leslee works with Always Best Care as a Staffing Coordinator. Her mission is to ensure that all client scheduling requests are efficiently and promptly met. She works hard to make sure that both our clients and our caregivers are happy with their assignments and are getting their individual needs met. Leslee likes being able to help others in times of need and thinks providing support in those times is incredibly gratifying. She knows how hard it can be for someone to admit that they or a family member need help. She is focused on making sure that every request is honored on a timely basis. Leslee explains, “I love knowing that I am able to help someone out and make their day a little easier.”

Leslee joined the Always Best Care team after a decade in the medical field. She is a Licensed Practical Nurse and spent the past five years working in the hospice field. Before that, she worked as a school nurse in the Birmingham City school system and at UAB in the Student Health Center. In her free time, Leslee enjoys traveling, particularly to anywhere with great trails and scenic views. She also likes reading, yoga, collecting plant babies, live music and chasing her cat through the house.