What does an Enhabit branch director do?

Caring for communities

At Enhabit Home Health & Hospice, the branch director plays a crucial role. Their leadership in both clinical and office environments helps teams run smoothly and deliver high-quality, compassionate care.

What is an Enhabit branch director?

Enhabit branch directors are registered nurses who bring a wealth of expertise in managing all aspects of patient care in a home health or hospice setting. Their role is multifaceted, involving direct patient care and comprehensive management responsibilities.

An Enhabit branch director supervises the clinical and office staff, confirming all team members are performing effectively and adhering to documentation requirements. They oversee case management and care too. This helps ensure each patient is receiving the high-quality care that Enhabit prides itself on delivering.

The branch director is also responsible for hiring clinical and back-office employees, building a strong team that patients can rely on. For Branch Director Briana, this is one of the most important parts of her role.

“For me, branch directors are involved in a patient’s care journey through the process of hiring the right people,” she said. “I want to make sure they are a good fit for the office and the team but also a good fit for the patients we are caring for. I look for people who are trustworthy, reliable, honest and knowledgeable in their position and who have the same high-quality care expectations that the company and myself have.”

Branch directors have a unique blend of clinical expertise and managerial skills. Briana worked in nursing, case management and clinical team lead positions to prepare her for the essential leadership role of a branch director – and she’s grateful for getting some home health experience before taking on her role.

“For me, being a clinical team leader at Enhabit first made my transition to branch director much more seamless because I’d already been doing the home health workflow and understanding it for a little over a year,” she said.

What does an Enhabit branch director do?

An Enhabit branch director’s duties encompass a wide range of responsibilities, each crucial to the smooth operation of both office and clinical environments.

Briana’s tasks look different every day, but she mostly sees herself as a support system and resource to her team members.

“Every day is different – that’s for sure,” she said. “I do a lot of reviewing – documentation, budgets, internal reports, employee statistics, etc. I also assist staff with any issues that might arise and provide support to the team and our patients as well if they call with any issues. The biggest thing though is the support I provide. It’s so important as a branch director to be able to support the back office and the field staff.”

A woman wearing a peach-colored suit sits at an office desk, reading a document and working on her computer, as a branch director would do.

Here are some key functions Enhabit branch directors perform:

  • Supervise day-to-day office and clinical operations
  • Supervise planning, coordination and delivery of interdisciplinary care team interventions
  • Responsible for assignment of appropriate staff members to patients or families
  • Act as a staff nurse when necessary
  • Participate in community awareness and education programs

What is it like to be an Enhabit branch director?

An Enhabit branch director is a role that requires a unique combination of clinical knowledge and leadership skills. The position is both challenging and rewarding, offering opportunities to make a significant impact on patient’s lives and the professional development of the nursing staff. 

While relied on for industry support and knowledge, branch directors also are key to building culture and ensuring their team members feel valued in their various roles.

“When I first started as a branch director, I passed around a piece of paper with everyone’s name on it,” Briana said. “I asked everyone to write something they liked about each other on that piece of paper. Then, I had the paper laminated and put in the conference room for everyone to see. I like to think it serves as a reminder that what each team member does in their role at Enhabit matters.”

Building culture and high-quality care

Each week, branch directors lead the team’s case conference meetings. These collaborative meetings are a time when each clinician gathers to provide updates and discuss any issues with their patients. And branch directors like Briana try and make them fun and rewarding.

“During case conference, we will do team-building games, and our team is quite competitive so it can get a little rowdy,” she said. “I also give kudos to all the team members for doing an amazing job – and this team has a ton of kudos to give. I just love watching the team blossom and become closer.”

Branch directors are also responsible for ensuring the team is meeting the high-quality care standards that Enhabit promises to their patients. For Briana, she reviews internal reports to catch trends in patient satisfaction and hospitalizations and provides feedback on how to improve metrics. But she feels lucky that her team is great at what they do.

“My team here does a really good job at providing great care,” she said. “I’ve heard great comments from patient surveys. One patient commented that our team made the biggest difference in their life and that they couldn’t imagine a different home health team. Our patients rave about the care team they have here.”

Tips for new branch directors

At Enhabit, there are unique opportunities for clinicians to move into leadership roles – that’s one thing that drew Briana in.

“Home health wasn’t a big thing that we talked about while I was in nursing school,” she said. “When I was looking to apply for something new, I was in a case manager role so I was already seeing patients at their house and a day center. But I just knew that I wanted to do something more with a better opportunity for growth.”

Now, Briana trains new branch directors and one of the biggest pieces of advice she offers to them is to be patient and kind to yourself during the transition.

“Give yourself grace, she said. “There’s a lot of information to learn and navigate. The systems we use alone are a lot and understanding all of the caveats of home health on top of that can be stressful.”

She also recommends prioritizing organization and always appreciating your team members.

“My favorite part about being a branch director is being able to be there for the team whenever they need me,” Briana said. “Being their mentor and resource is really enjoyable. Management is hard, but having done it now for about five years, I’ve gotten myself in a groove and figured out what does and doesn’t work. I just try to be very open and honest with my team. Every day is different. It’s never a dull moment.”

How do I further my career as a nurse?

If you are a current registered nurse looking to further your career, a branch director could be a good fit. An Enhabit branch director must be a graduate of an approved school of professional nursing and currently licensed as a registered nurse in the state of employment.

They must also have a minimum of two years of nursing experience in the past 36 months and one year of experience in either a home health or hospice setting.

To learn more about home health or hospice career opportunities at Enhabit, search our open career opportunities near you or sign up for job alerts by texting “CARE” to 98199.