Health is Comfort and Not Just Staying Alive

After 25 years in the healthcare business and six years running her Home Health Aide Training

Institute (HHATI), CEO and Director Maria Santiago knows lots about her industry. She’s also

the recent recipient of the Presidential Tribute of Excellence Award, presented to her for a

lifetime of service by US President Joe Biden.

Her main takeaway from the industry that she loves? “Health is comfort and not just staying

alive,” she shared. “If it’s the end of a patient’s life, you want them to feel comforted and

understood. Our home health aides dive more into the mental health field than anyone could

imagine. Comfortability, mental health, and mood make a gigantic difference in a patient’s

survival rate — and their happiness rate.”

She went on to cite data from Meta-analysis, “‘Minor or major depression in cancer patients

increases mortality rates by up to 39%.’ It’s sad that people that have disabilities from birth, or

disabilities due to accidents, have a higher suicide rate than abled people. I aim to teach my

students to provide care that makes patients feel less alone,” Santiago shared.

The Institute’s approach is causing waves across the country. Both for the quality of their

professional teaching as well as the emotional caring that Santiago builds into every curriculum.

In just over half a decade, the Institute has 3,000 graduates working around the country as

facility staff or traveling aides that assist patients in their homes or at hospitals and hospices that

need extra staff. This means that Santiago’s empathy-forward training is being felt by patients

and industry colleagues all across the country.

Destined to Help

Santiago grew up with her great-grandparents, and in some ways, she’s been providing comfort

and care for her entire life. When you think of it that way, it’s no surprise that she founded an

institute designed to improve the lives of the students and patients around her.

She feels certain that her profession is exactly where she was meant to be and where she can do

the most good in the world. Not only is she dedicated to providing caring help for patients —

whether they can afford it or not — the same care is extended to aspiring aides that may not be

able to afford the institute’s fees.

“If we get a call for someone who is sick or suffering and they can’t afford care, we will try to

send a volunteer to help,” Santiago said. “We will typically offer our students the opportunity for

real-world experiences and volunteerism to go care for the patient, but of course, never placing

them in a situation where they are not qualified to do so.”

She feels that the people that call her school or walk through the front doors are never there by

accident. “I never feel as if people come into my path by chance,” she said. “If you’re designated

to meet me, and I can help you in some way that helps improve your life, whether you are a

student that studies with us or a patient that receives treatment from one of our graduates, then I

did my part.”

Another place that she does her part is as an advocate for many ongoing Go Fund Me campaigns

for people with debilitating health conditions. She also volunteers regularly in her community at

a number of different worthwhile organizations.

Curriculum of Caring

Though HHATI teaches the same basics as other healthcare training schools, including taking

blood pressure, assisting with medication, and transporting patients, they also build an element of

care, empathy, and patient comfort into every lesson. That’s what makes it different from other

schools.

Lessons are given in English and Spanish, guided by a state-mandated curriculum with a sixth-

grade reading and perception level. This lesson plan was created by design to suit students that

have moved to the country and for whom English is not their first language.

“I train my students to ensure that their patient is properly cared for in all aspects, both physical

and emotional,” said Santiago.

With caring professionals like Santiago receiving national attention from the president and

healthcare facilities, the industry’s future looks bright.