About Us
Our Commitment to Amada Home Health, Inc.
At Amada we understand that caring for relatives can be rewarding but also stressful, time consuming, and emotionally exhausting. It is difficult for families to juggle work, children, and other obligations, and still find time to properly care for an aging parent or loved one. Amada takes care of the nursing, so you can focus on just being a son, daughter, or friend again.
Amada Home Health’s staff of nurses are committed to enriching lives by providing nurturing, compassionate home health nursing care, and by guiding families through the many transitions and hurdles that medical needs present. Healthcare professionals and families look to Amada to help them navigate the complexities of the medical care system.
How It All Began
Amada was originally founded in 2007 by college friends Tafa Jefferson and Chad Fotheringham, who met while studying business and playing football together at University of the Pacific. In 2008 they were founding members of the American Board of Home Care, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the community and establishing standards in home care. Both Tafa and Chad stand an imposing six feet and six inches tall and are known by many in the home care industry as the “big guys with the big hearts.”
The People Behind Amada Home Health, Inc.
Tafa Jefferson, CEO
Tafa began his career as a professional athlete playing for the Chicago Bears in the NFL. An ankle and shoulder injury forced him to retire early and embark on a new career path. Tafa’s mother was a nurse and encouraged her son to consider the home care industry. Tafa remembered clearly the joy and satisfaction she gained from looking after her patients, despite the hard work that was also involved, and so in 1998, he started his first in-home senior care company. Determined that he would never ask a nurse to do anything he wouldn’t do himself, Tafa became a Certified Nursing Aide, taking care of patients with varying stages of Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Tafa was soon employing over 200 nurses and he realized that this was the right path for him where he could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. He and his partner, Chad, have now expanded beyond home care givers, adding skilled nursing to the home health care program that is Amada Home Health. Tafa is a big-hearted, expansive visionary, at the forefront of identifying solutions in the home care industry. He applies all the skills he learned on the pro football field to life and business – teamwork, integrity, and passionate commitment. Tafa is a dedicated family man who married his childhood sweetheart and is the father of four young children.
Chad Fotheringham, Vice-President
Before starting his career, Chad spent two years in Ecuador where he became fluent in Spanish and discovered a deep satisfaction from helping others. Upon return to the U.S., Chad joined the pharmaceutical industry, which he chose because of its reputation for outstanding sales training. He started with Eli Lilly in 1996 and then moved to Pfizer where he stayed for the next ten years. Working first as a specialty sales representative in pediatrics and allergy, Chad then moved into Managed Care Consulting, which involved helping healthcare companies improve their plans and educating the public to take active steps to maintain wellness. When Chad reconnected with Tafa, he was attracted to the service aspects of the home care industry and could foresee the huge future demand created by a booming senior population. Chad is passionate about helping patients and their families, and he has a skill for breaking down complex information so it can be easily understood. Chad is married to his wife Nicole. They have seven children and live in San Clemente, Ca.
Ghalib Wahidi, MD
CEO at Summit Medical Group, Inc. Ladera Ranch, CA
Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer at AMADA Home Health. San Clemente, CA
Associate Professor of Medicine. Western University of Health Sciences. Ramona, CA.
Dr. Wahidi received his Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology and Physiology at the University of California, Davis, and his Master’s Degree in Physiology at Finch University of Health Sciences in Chicago. He attended Chicago Medical School and finished his residency in Internal Medicine at UC Irvine Medical Center in Irvine, California.
His family moved to the United States when he was a young man to assure that their children would have opportunities that they would not have had in their home country. He has never forgotten the generosity of the great people of his new country and wanted a career that would allow him to give back. He derives great joy in serving others and by pursuing a career in medicine he now enjoys the daily opportunity to serve and care for many individuals in need.
“Throughout my years in hospital based practice of medicine, I realized that my patients wanted and deserved more personalized care than what they have in any institution. While hospitals provide great acute care, patients yearn for the comfort, quiet and independence of their own home environment to continue their healing and I personally feel that they heal faster in that setting. When I met Tafa Jefferson and Chad Fotheringham and learned about their concept of providing concierge home nursing care, I knew it was the alternative way for me to better care for my patients.”
Dr. Wahidi’s forward thinking medical model fit perfectly with the home health concept of Amada and he joined the team as the Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer.
Nancy Sutherland, R.N.
Director of Clinical Services
Nancy’s nursing experience spans three decades and has included all areas of critical care, nursing education, administration, new product development, risk management, regulatory affairs and home health care. She has also served as an instructor at the University of California, Irvine and University of California, San Diego.
She is a strong patient and nurse advocate and through her work on numerous boards and industry committees, she helped set standards of care for home health both locally in Southern California and nationally. She helped found the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” in Orange County, Ca. and since its inception, they have successfully raised over $35 million to elevate awareness and help fund women’s health in Orange County and national breast cancer research.
As Director of Clinical Services at Amada Home Health, Nancy manages all aspects of patient care and has helped select and develop the team of nurses and therapists to deliver the quality care that Amada is known to provide.
“I believe strongly that each of our patients is a treasured family member and promise that while they are under our care, they will always be treated as though they were a member of our own Amada family. We strive to provide the highest level of professional nursing practice standards while customizing and personalizing the care for every patient we serve.
When we hire nurses as members of the Amada team, they are carefully screened and selected not only for their superior clinical skills, but also because they express a real desire to provide very personalized and compassionate care to our patients.”
Nancy and her husband reside in San Clemente, have raised their two children here and are now enjoying watching a grandson grow and thrive in this lovely beach town. They are active in community service and love the outdoor activities that this beautiful Southern California climate offers year round.
Testimonials
“When Dr. Lee told me I was going to have to have IV therapy for several months to treat a serious and chronic condition, at first, all I could do was imagine how inconvenient this would be and how expensive to take off work to go sit at a clinic every other day. However, I was able to continue my life, my work and enjoy my family because Dr. Lee arranged for Amada’s nurses to come to my home and administer my IV medication there. They scheduled at my convenience and for less cost than the clinic’s fees. The home health nurses allowed me the freedom to continue living my life during those months of treatment. The nurses monitored me very closely so I never had a single complication. The entire Amada team took the anxiety away and helped all of us adjust during this difficult time. We are all very grateful for this helpful service and we still stay in touch with those wonderful nurses who fit into our home like family. Thanks Dr. Lee for recommending Amada.”
“When my wife, Lois, fell down our stairs and broke both her arms, we were looking at each other in the hospital saying, ”Now what?” We didn’t know what to do and the hospital was discharging her in two days. I had to work to keep up the household and with our daughter in school abroad, we had no family close enough to be of help. Her alternative was to go to a skilled nursing facility and she was much too young to feel comfortable with that decision. Fortunately, her doctors felt the same, referred us to Amada Home Health and they literally came to the rescue. Lois is diabetic and requires glucose monitoring and insulin injections which she obviously could not do with both arms in casts. We were able to have Amada nurses come to our home for two shifts a day, care for her, monitor her closely, provide healthy and nutritious meals ( her nurses were the best cooks ever!). Along with the help feeding, bathing, dressing and all the other nursing care, Lois got her hair and makeup done every day and they even manicured her nails! Her nurse took her to her doctor’s appointments, helped her with Christmas shopping and visiting some friends to help keep her spirits up. I was able to continue working with the ease of mind of knowing she was in such good care when I was away. We are both grateful that our doctor knew to refer us to your capable team and we will miss the care, the pampering and the good cooks! Our frightening ordeal was not only made tolerable but we feel like we have new family friends! Thanks to each and every one of you.” Lois & Albert C.