Founded in 1984 by Ron & Pat Bode.
Ron Bode was working as a nursing home administrator and felt led to begin a new venture in private duty home care. He observed nursing home residents desperately wanting to return to their own homes, but without the support they needed to live independently and safely. While continuing to run the nursing home and raise a family of four children, Ron and his wife Pat opened Advanced Health Care and trusted that God would provide. Within three years, Ron was able to leave the nursing home business and concentrate solely on Advanced Health Care. Under Ron and Pat’s leadership and sacrifice, Advanced Health Care grew over the next decade. Part of this growth included opening two other locations in both the Olympia and the Kent area which allowed them to employ more caregivers and serve more clients who needed their care.
Julie Ferguson Joins the Team
In 2005, long-time administrative employee, Julie Ferguson, joined Ron and Pat as co-owner of Advanced Health Care. Julie has been very active in the home health industry throughout the past 25 years, serving on both the Washington Home Care Association and the national Home Care Association of America boards of directors. She was also instrumental in creating ProCare Academy of Washington, the CNA training school founded and owned by Advanced Health Care.
The Family Legacy Continues
Starting in 2018, Ron put plans in motion to retire. Two of his daughters and Advanced Health Care employees, Lynessa Stone and Sharla Bode, are announced as his successors and co-owners. Lynessa has worked in the roles of marketing and recruiting for Advanced since joining the company full time in 2006. Today, she represents the company in its many outreach and marketing activities as the Vice President of Business Development. Sharla, RN, MSN, joined the family business in 2013, as a Nursing Supervisor and today serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services. Their appointment to the board of directors completes the now all-female ownership team and provides stability and experience for the company’s future.
Looking Ahead
Advanced Health Care looks forward to continuing to serve the families in our South Puget Sound communities and provide the very best, compassionate in-home care available. As we look forward to the future in this business, we stay firmly anchored to our past, recognizing that it is a privilege to be a local employer, maintain local ownership (now in our 2nd generation), and serving our communities and employing people right where we live!
Timeline graph
1984
Advanced Health Care begins
1988
Acquires a small home care agency in Olympia, WA allowing us to serve more families and employ more caregivers
1995
Opened a small office in Kent, WA, recruiting caregivers and serving South King County residents
2005
Julie Ferguson promoted to Administrator and appointed as a co-owner.
2010
ProCare Academy of Washington is founded to train more qualified caregivers into this industry.
2018
Two of Ron’s daughters, Sharla Bode and Lynessa Stone, are appointed to the Board of Directors and announced as co-owners.
2021