The Pennant Group
Partnership-Driven Compassionate Care

Journeying through the twilight of life requires more than care—it calls for profound compassion and expertise. The Pennant Group, an emerging leader in the hospice space, embodies these qualities, relieving families of the burdens of caregiving.

Maintaining focus on love, care and tenderness, it enables patients to spend their final days at home or at its affiliate facilities, surrounded by loved ones. In these challenging moments, The Pennant Group becomes a pillar of support, allowing individuals to live as fully and comfortably as possible.

It provides varied healthcare services through home health and hospice agencies and senior living communities operating under its subsidiaries, Pinnacle Senior Living and Cornerstone. These ‘life-changing services’ are delivered through a model designed for decentralized, independent operation. The hospice vertical and its affiliates, operating under Cornerstone, function independently without a traditional corporate headquarters.

The approach is based on its firm belief that equipping local leaders is the most effective way to deliver healthcare services. They are supported by Pennant’s service center, comprising a world-class team of professional resources who cater to specialized needs of its clients. The support system enables on-site leaders and caregivers to focus entirely on day-to-day care and business issues, ensuring that each location operates effectively and maintains a high standard of care.

“Our distinct operating model has demonstrated time and time again its power in achieving exceptional financial and clinical results,” Brent Guerisoli, chief executive officer.

Building A Legacy Through Local Leadership

Viewing healthcare as a local business is not merely a strategic choice for The Pennant Group. It is intrinsic to its operational philosophy and the key to success.

As the company expands across the nation, its mission remains clear—to deliver the best care possible by empowering local leaders to meet community needs with excellence.

Each location is led by an administrator who possesses excellent management skills and a blend of compassion and integrity. To support these leaders, the Pennant service center provides cutting-edge systems and resources, including worldclass support in accounting, accounts receivable, finance, legal, risk management, HR, managed care, training and IT.

“Health care is dynamic, and the needs of every community are different,” says Guerisoli. “Leaders and teams in those communities understand the nuances and they can adapt. You just can’t do that from a top down approach.”

Throughout his tenure at The Pennant Group, Guerisoli has been instrumental in developing numerous leaders. His ‘100 CEOs’ initiative is a part of this broader strategy.

The impact of CEO-led teams is significant, with clear improvements observed in clinical and financial metrics, as well as in turnover, employee satisfaction and patient care. To drive a value of accountability and better performance, The Pennant Group crafted the CEO-in-Training (CIT) program specifically to equip aspiring leaders with the skills and experience necessary to excel at the highest levels.

Known for its leadership-focused approach, The Pennant Group is committed to creating life-changing opportunities for local leaders. This commitment lets the CEOs under the CIT initiative not just assume leadership roles but gain ownership through equity and soft grants, enabling them to influence the organization more broadly.

To cultivate a robust pipeline of 100 CEOs, the company has intensified recruitment efforts that helps engage with potential leaders across various platforms. The search extends beyond traditional healthcare backgrounds, ensuring a diverse and capable leadership pool for the company’s future growth and success.

From Acquisitions To Industry Leadership

The Pennant Group has always embraced a strategy of acquiring community-driven home-based care agencies with strong ties to their specific markets. Through this strategic move, it is expanding operations into more states nationwide.

Recently, it acquired Nurses on Wheels, which provides hospice services in Corpus Christi, Texas and the surrounding communities. Nurses on Wheels has a deep connection to the locality, and Pennant looks forward to enhancing its services offered in South Texas through them.

It has also acquired South Davis Home Health and Hospice, which provides skilled services in Davis County, Utah. This acquisition allows Pennant to complement its agencies throughout central and northern Utah. The Pennant Group continues pursuing opportunities to acquire high-quality home health, hospice and senior living businesses throughout the U.S.

It promotes its culture through its core values, encapsulated in the acronym CAPLICO—Customer Second, Accountability, Passion for Learning, Love One Another, Intelligent RiskTaking, Celebration, and Ownership. These values emphasize prioritizing employees’ well-being to deliver exceptional service, fostering a learning environment, celebrating successes and encouraging employees to take ownership of their work.

Fostering a culture of growth, development and solid commitment to service, The Pennant Group is transforming hospice journeys, making a profound impact on the lives they touch.