Kelley Blackburn, Regional Clinical Director at Innovive Health, has been named to the Frontline Honors Awards Class of 2025 by Home Health Care News.
To become a Frontline honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be:
- A dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes
- A passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into for the good of their respective industry, the patients and residents they serve, and their families
- An advocate for their industry and their fellow colleagues
Home Health Care News recently caught up with Blackburn to discuss her time in the home health & home care industry.
HHCN: What drew you to this industry?
Blackburn: I spent many years in nursing leadership in the hospital acute care setting, and I was ready for a change and wanted the opportunity to learn something new. What specifically drew me to home health care was Innovive Health, and the unique opportunity to support the company’s expansion into Iowa.
When I learned about Innovive’s mission, values, and the population it serves, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know more. Once I discovered that Innovive is a nurse-owned and nurse-led company, I knew this was where I wanted to be, and I felt confident that working for a company like Innovive would allow me to truly make a difference in the lives of patients while supporting the Des Moines community and other communities throughout Iowa.
HHCN: What’s a misconception you had about this work before you started — and how has reality differed?
Blackburn: Before Innovive Health came to Iowa, home care specifically for behavioral health and substance abuse patients simply did not exist in the state. It wasn’t an available service. Bringing this type of care to Iowa has had a tremendous impact on both the community and this patient population.
Prior to working at Innovive, I didn’t even realize this kind of service could be an option. Seeing it in action has shown me just how meaningful and necessary it is to both patients and across the healthcare continuum.
HHCN: Was there a moment in your career when you realized, “This work really matters”? What happened?
Blackburn: One of the first patients we admitted was a man with uncontrolled diabetes and bipolar disorder. Before working with us, he had been hospitalized more than 20 times due to diabetes complications. After our nurses began seeing him regularly, helping him manage his condition, ensuring he had his medications, and providing daily structure and support, his hospitalizations dropped to zero the following year.
He had a long history of noncompliance, and many providers had given up on him. He had been discharged from multiple programs due to no-shows and ongoing challenges. Our nurses never gave up. Thanks to the consistency and commitment of our clinical team, his quality of life improved significantly. This is just one example of many that shows the real difference we can make in a patient’s lives, and why the work we do really matters in Iowa and the many markets that Innovive Health serves.
HHCN: What’s the most valuable skill you’ve developed on the front lines that people often overlook?
Blackburn: One of the most valuable skills is learning how to communicate effectively with different types of patients.
When working with a mental health population, you have to read body language and understand each patient’s diagnosis to communicate in a way that resonates with them. You have to know when to simply listen, when education will be most effective, and when a patient needs space.
Every behavioral health patient is different. Learning how to communicate so that patients truly hear you and engage with you is a skill that takes time and experience to develop.
HHCN: What’s one decision leaders make that has a bigger impact on frontline workers than they might realize?
Blackburn: Creating a team-focused culture where employees genuinely want to come to work each day is incredibly important.
Our nurses work with a behavioral health population and often face challenging behaviors and complex situations. When nurses feel supported, heard, and valued by leadership and their peers, and when they know their safety is a priority, it makes a significant difference. Because we provide care in the home setting, it is also essential to create opportunities for nurses to connect and build relationships as a team. That sense of connection helps strengthen morale and retention.
HHCN: What’s a simple change — policy, tool, or mindset — that would make frontline work more effective?
Blackburn: Clear and consistent communication among team members, and with a patient’s providers, is key to achieving the best outcomes.
When our nurses collaborate with physical therapists, occupational therapists, case managers, HAB staff, and providers, we can surround patients with the support they need to manage their conditions effectively. It’s just as important to include the patient in those conversations, so that everyone is aligned and working toward the same goals together.
HHCN: What gives you optimism about the future of this industry, despite its challenges?
Blackburn: Innovive Health has been in Iowa for just over a year, and during that time we’ve seen steady growth in our census along with strong patient outcomes.
In the beginning, local providers were unsure about what we did and how we could help patients who had historically been difficult to manage. As more providers see the results and word spreads across the state, referrals continue to increase.
We’re seeing growth not only from patients who need our services, but also from employees who love their work and recommend Innovive as a great place to build a career. That continued momentum gives me a great deal of optimism about the future in Iowa and beyond.