We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shireeta Benjamin-Cosom. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shireeta below.

Shireeta, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

So the answer this question I have to tell you my backstory. I’m a registered nurse by trade. My specialty was emergency medicine. In February 2015 I met this guy on Facebook and he told me he wanted to start a home health agency. He needed two nurses and I was interested in becoming one of them. He told me that if I helped him get the agency, he would give me 10% of the profits monthly. The catch was I had to help him write the policies and get approved for the license. I knew nothing about policies, but I was intrigued by the opportunities so I decided to help him. Long story short he didn’t get approved because I sucked at writing policies. My now husband at the time said if you’re helping someone else start their home health agency why not us? I said I don’t wanna start a Home Health agency. So fast-forward and in September 2015 we were at a family reunion and we had to write three things on a piece of paper and bury it in a time capsule for five years and three things I wrote on my piece of paper were get married, have a baby, and start a home health agency. At that point when it was buried I felt a burning sensation in my heart and I said to him we gonna start a home health agency. He said what do you need I emphasize Money👼❤. So he went about getting together some of his friends and family who were interested in investing or becoming potential partners and I spoke with my mom which she also told me that she knew some people that might have been interested in becoming investors. I put together an amazing presentation And presented to 11 people. I gave them to January 15, 2016 to come up with $10,000 and only two people came for and that was my male husband and my mother. At that point We C.A.R.E. home health agency was born. We have now been a business for eight years and still going strong. My goal was to be a one stop shop the outside the hospital. In which we currently provide all services outside of the hospital except for hospice and adult daycare.

Do I think we saw the problem? Of course I do do you know how many people need home healthcare the numbers are amazing, but I also had to have another problem. While going through this process, I didn’t have a mentor or anybody to show me the ropes, and I made a lot of mistakes some mistakes that could have cost us our business financially. But by the grace of God and his mercy, we have made it through and overcome those pitfalls . There are not enough people out here to help healthcare businesses with the mistakes and pitfalls. So I took the initiative to start a business consulting firm Shireeta BENJAMIN LLC in this firm I help businesses start grow and scale. I am a coach a mentor and a consulting to anyone who wants to start their business and healthcare. I feel like God has put me in the space to be able to help others which I Know is my purpose and We C.A.R.E. home health agencies purpose is to assist, care for, and have compassion for all those that we encounter.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the co-founder and CEO of We C.A.R.E. Home Health Agency LLC and We C.A.R.E. Transportation Services, as well as the co-founder of Delivered Delicious Home Delivered Meals. Additionally, I serve as the CEO of Shireeta Benjamin LLC, a business consulting and mentorship firm.

As an RN, BSN, I bring a compassionate touch and unwavering dedication to my nursing career. With a deep passion for healthcare and a heart for service, I am committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients, their families, and the community.

I graduated in 2009 from Abington Memorial Hospital Dixon School of Nursing and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Millersville University. From the beginning, my commitment to excellence was clear. The rigorous coursework and clinical rotations provided me with a strong foundation in clinical skills, medical knowledge, and compassionate care, honing my ability to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.

Throughout my career, I have worked in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, community health centers, and home health. I have consistently demonstrated the ability to remain calm under pressure, prioritize patient safety, and collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams.

My passion for advocacy extends beyond the bedside. I am the co-founder and CEO of We C.A.R.E. Home Health Agency LLC, We C.A.R.E. Transportation Services, and Delivered Delicious Home Delivered Meals. I also lead Shireeta Benjamin LLC as its CEO, providing business consulting and mentorship.

I actively engage in initiatives that promote health equity by raising awareness about important health issues and empowering individuals to take charge of their well-being. Whether it’s participating in community health fairs, volunteering at free clinics, or advocating for healthcare policy changes, I am dedicated to improving access to quality care for all.

In my role as an RN, I embody the core values of nursing: compassion, integrity, and advocacy. I am committed to providing holistic care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of my patients. With a warm demeanor and genuine concern for others, I create a supportive environment where patients feel heard, valued, and respected.

As a healthcare professional, I strive to be a beacon of hope, healing, and compassion in my community. My dedication to nursing exemplifies the highest standards of excellence and serves as an inspiration to both colleagues and patients.

Now, as a CEO, I have transitioned into the roles of creator, strategist, and relationship builder. Thanks to my expert team, I can focus on strategic leadership rather than daily operations. My efforts are dedicated to driving innovation, creating new content for clients, expanding our brand, collaborating with other top-level CEOs, fostering critical relationships for business growth, and engaging with our exceptional clients and employees.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

So I’ll tell you what happened when we first got started. As a home health agency there are certain things you need to do to get approved for your Medicare certification. This certification is a really big thing right in order to get approved. You have to take on 10 patients pro bono which means free And service them until the accreditation company comes out which can take up to 90 days once you tell them that you’re ready for them to come out. So we started the agency fully we took on our first patient in January 2017 and at that time I was having a hard time getting my 10 pro bono patients so I went out and started advertising that I would take on anybody who needed care. When I tell you, I got the sickest of the sickest patience to care for and the problem was we could not build their insurance and we had to take care of them for free man. I cost us so much money cost us almost $150,000 in our first year. Can you imagine losing $150,000? Most people don’t make $150,000.but anyway the resilience in me is that I was able to not only make that money back but now I am a multimillion dollar company. My partners have made back their money a hundred-fold, we currently have 267 employees, we serve over 1500 clients, and we are growing every day if that’s not resilience I don’t know what it is, but I owe it all to God.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn that people should understand that they are not your only priority. We are in the microwave generation where people want instant gratification. During this journey I’ve tried to jungle my business of being CEO of We C.A.R.E. Home Health Agency and trying to be everything for everyone one the consultant side, I damn near killed myself because people don’t understand that they are not your only priority especially when they pay you for a service. So now I make sure to carve out time for my consultant clients and have set hours of operation so I can achieve a healthy balance. Mental health is a priority.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wecarehh.com and shireetasbenjamin.com
• Instagram: @mrsshireetacosom and @wecarehh and @wecareinfusions
• Facebook: Shireeta Cosom and We C.A.R.E. Home Health Agency
• Linkedin: Shireeta Cosom and We C.A.R.E. Home Health Agency