Today we’d like to introduce you to Abimbola T Ayorinde.
Hi Abimbola, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Thank you for having me here today. My name is Abimbola Ayorinde, but people call me, Abby. I am the Founder and CEO of A to Z Healthcare Services and A to Z Health Solutions. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and emigrated to the United States of America in my early teens. I started High School a month after I came to the USA. I was an overachiever and graduated High School at the age of 16. I started community college, where I obtained my associate’s degree, and to further my education, I went on to get my bachelor’s degree. After my bachelor’s program, I took time off to prepare for the GRE and MCAT. Then, I attended Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and graduated with a Master’s in Public Health. Immediately following graduation, I worked for a private-public health firm as an Epidemiologist, where I worked collaboratively with the CDC, WHO-AFRO, and five African Ministries of Health on various initiatives. I was later recruited to Saudi Arabia, where I worked as the Public Health Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Public Health- during the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak.
I returned to the United States in 2015 and later moved to Houston, TX, with my husband while I was working remotely with the firm. In May 2015, my work contract expired, and the firm could not renew it due to funding limitations. After numerous applications and interviews to secure another position, I decided to pursue different career opportunities in my scope of practice.
In early 2016, a friend informed me about a contract with Texas Health and Human Services, and after some research on what the program entailed, I fell in love with the program’s mission and initiatives. This inspired me to create my first company, called A to Z Healthcare Services, and applied for a contract to provide case management services, serving adults living with severe mental health illnesses. Once the contract was executed, I started various marketing initiatives to the State Hospitals, Local Mental Health Authorities/Local Behavioral Health Authorities, private behavioral hospitals, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, and many more. The marketing went on for about a year, and I caught my first break in December 2017. I remember when I received that referral, I got on my knees and thanked God repetitiously. I finally saw that my hard work did not go in vain. I immediately called my husband and family to tell them the good news because they have been my biggest supporters. After two years as a case management contractor, I was pleased to have many clients and decided to continue the growth by applying for additional government contracts. The new contracts allowed us to provide housing, nursing, therapy, and 13 other services for individuals living with serious mental illness.
In 2019, after the new contract was executed, my husband and I decided that it was time to focus on growing A to Z even more; and as a result, he joined me on this journey.
In 2020, A to Z’s growth was tested during the pandemic. However, we remained dedicated to our marketing efforts to various stakeholders, which, thankfully, the pandemic only presented minor barriers, which we were able to overcome and still grow through this time.
In 2022, we renewed our contract with the State and separated the two contracts into two agencies, namely A to Z Healthcare Services and A to Z Health Solutions.
I would not be here today if I did not have the love and support of my family, friends, and someone from above watching over me. I am truly blessed and humbled that I have the ability to positively impact people’s lives.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not! This line of business can be challenging. One must have a passion for taking care of vulnerable populations in order to be successful. Not to mention, entrepreneurship has its own set of struggles. Some of the barriers and challenges that I have faced include finding strong employees who share the same goal and vision as my company. As an owner, the clock is ongoing; this is a 24/7 business because you can get a call at any time about a client in crisis or some type of incident that requires immediate attention and intervention. Despite the many hardships that come with doing this work, it is all worth it, especially when you get a text from your clients thanking you for everything you are doing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about A to Z Healthcare Services and A to Z Health Solutions?
A to Z was founded with the hope of supporting the mental health needs within our community. At A to Z, we are passionate about what we do. We provide home and community-based services to adults with serious mental illness (SMI). We also serve individuals living with SMI who experience extended stays in state mental health facilities, multiple arrests, or frequent Emergency Room (ER) visits. Our commitment to providing comprehensive and exceptional services to our clients, and their support systems, is a reflection of our core values to serve with, Integrity, Loyalty, Open-mindedness, Value, and Exceptionalism. In order to ensure a successful road to recovery, we focus on each individual’s talents and strengths. We have a diverse team composed of multidisciplinary professionals, all of whom embrace the totality of each individual and show compassion and sensitivity towards cultural beliefs, ethnicity, religion, spirituality, and past experiences. We hope to encourage, educate, empower, and ensure every client has access to quality care and services to enable them to live independently in the community. Also, we hope to change society’s perception of behavioral health and mental illness, thereby destigmatizing people living with mental health disorders.
Our mission is to support our clients on the road to recovery by offering trusted, reliable services while treating each person with dignity and respect.
Our vision is to be the best in providing excellent service, improving quality, and reducing frequent hospital visits and minor incarceration.
A to Z brands are known for quality, integrity, compassion, professionalism, and dedication. We provide personalized services and support to enable each client to reintegrate into his or her community successfully. We also monitor, advocate, coordinate, and link services for clients to enable them to gain access to available resources in the community. Our goal is to ensure that our clients continue to thrive in the community of their choice.
Some of the services that we provide include:
– Housing (Assisted Living, Supervised Living, Host Home/Companion Care, and Supported Home Living)
– Psychosocial Rehabilitation
– Community Psychiatric Support & Treatment
– Nursing
– Transportation
– Employment services
– Respite Care
– Peer Support
– Substance Use Disorder services
– Adaptive Aids
– Minor Home Modifications
– Case Management
Other service(s)
– Satori Alternatives to Managing Aggression (SAMA) Training
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
At A to Z, we collaborate with several subcontractors to execute the contract obligations. We contract with nurses, counselors, housing subcontractors, and other providers to ensure we continue to meet and exceed the needs of our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.atozhealthcareservices.net
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/a_to_z_healthcare_services?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atozhealthcareservicesllc
