Vertical Health Services: Rebuilding Trust in Long-Term Care Through Transparency and Accountability

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Vertical Health Services: Rebuilding Trust in Long-Term Care Through Transparency and Accountability

Vertical Health Services emerged from the crisis with a clear mission: prove that skilled nursing facilities can deliver both compassionate care and operational excellence. Founded when a predecessor company faced bankruptcy, the organization acquired struggling facilities not just to preserve them, but to fundamentally transform how long-term care operates.

The company now manages facilities across multiple states, including significant operations in Washington, Missouri, and Tennessee, with a recently opened service office in Kansas City serving all locations. What distinguishes Vertical Health Services from typical healthcare operators is not scale, but philosophy. The leadership team has built an organization around three non-negotiable principles: honesty in every interaction, transparency that builds trust, and consistent, compassionate care.

“Failure to tell your story leads to exaggerated attention from regulators, vendors, residents and family members,” the leadership explains, recounting a painful early lesson. One acquired facility received poor survey results before Vertical took ownership. Regulators assumed continuity with prior management and initiated closure proceedings. By the time Vertical convinced them otherwise, it was too late. “If you don’t initiate the story yourself, then no one will and in the void of nothing people make their own assumptions.

That experience shaped everything that followed. Vertical Health Services has become aggressive about narrative control, not through marketing spin, but through measurable performance. State surveyors now regularly comment on the cultural transformation visible in Vertical facilities. The company’s survey results reflect this shift, moving from distressed to compliant and improving steadily.

The Grit Factor

Ask Vertical leadership what they look for in new hires, and the answer is immediate: grit. “It is not something that can be taught,” they insist. The ability to overcome adversity must be integral to anyone working in long-term care. The industry delivers constant challenges alongside deeply rewarding service to vulnerable populations.

Likeability matters too. “We care for those who cannot care for themselves. Our residents and family members need to be surrounded by people who are genuinely good, friendly and comforting.” This combination of resilience and warmth defines the Vertical approach to staffing, from certified nursing assistants to executive leadership.

The emphasis on grit extends to how Vertical builds its leadership team. Consistency ranks alongside resilience as essential. Leaders must push through adversity, learn from mistakes, and stay on the right path regardless of circumstances. The company promotes from within whenever possible, exemplified by internal advancement stories like Cindy Jackson’s progression through the organization.  Cindy started at Vertical Health Services as a Regional Dietary Manager. Within months of starting, leadership saw clearly that Cindy had much more to offer and promoted her to VP of Dietary Operations. This promotion was a win-win allowing Vertical Health Services to grow in new areas and Cindy to use her vast knowledge to enhance the company.

Investment in leadership development started early, even when finances were tight. “One of our very first investments was in starting a quarterly in-person leadership orientation. Even when we were still finding ways to make ends meet, we prioritized the training of our building leaders.” Those quarterly sessions continue, supplemented by leadership development programs and paths to specialized certifications in wound care and infection prevention.

Balancing Compliance and Care

Vertical operates in what leadership describes as the second most regulated industry in the United States, trailing only nuclear power. The regulatory burden has intensified while staffing challenges persist, creating tension between documentation requirements and direct patient care.

“Balancing increased regulatory compliance and paperwork while providing direct care at the bedside in a limited staffing environment is a huge challenge,” leadership acknowledges. Post-COVID burnout compounds the difficulty. The company addresses this through selective technology adoption, attempting to automate administrative tasks so staff can focus on bedside care.

The staffing challenge is complicated by workforce diversity. Vertical facilities employ people ranging from those without high school diplomas to those holding graduate degrees. Interdisciplinary teams bring varied backgrounds, cultures, and individual needs. “It is our responsibility as leaders to listen to the needs of our staff and try to be there with the benefits, training, resources and compensation that address their individual needs.”

Benefits at Vertical include PTO, sick leave, comprehensive medical/dental/vision coverage, accident and critical illness insurance, hospital indemnity, HSA options, 401(k), employer-paid life insurance up to $100,000, sign-on bonuses, referral bonuses, tuition assistance, and more. The leadership frames benefits not as perks but as retention strategy. “Strong benefits reduce financial and personal stress, allowing caregivers and leaders to focus on resident care rather than outside concerns.”

The Red Carpet Philosophy

Traditional customer service metrics in skilled nursing measure success by the absence of complaints. Vertical Health Services rejects this standard as insufficient. “Rather than simply avoiding dissatisfaction, we are committed to understanding what truly matters to those we serve and striving to exceed those expectations.”

The company has institutionalized what it calls the “Red Carpet Experience” for every admission. This goes beyond room preparation and warm welcomes to establishing clear expectations from day one. Many families enter skilled nursing expecting hospital-style care. Vertical addresses this through transparent communication about daily routines, therapy schedules, meal times, and available services.

“Residents value understanding the details that shape their daily lives—when showers are scheduled, how often they occur, when therapy will begin and what it will involve,” leadership explains. “This is their home for the foreseeable future, and every detail matters, no matter how big or small.”

The Voice of the Customer initiative makes administrator and director of nursing contact information prominently visible in facility lobbies. Vertical includes Voice of the Customer materials in the admission process. “We would much rather have conversations with residents and their families at the facility to find out what their needs are. There is no substitute for face-to-face conversations.”

Vertical refuses the language of “going above and beyond” as a company claim. “It is our responsibility and our privilege to provide, not just great care but great customer service, to those we serve. If you are truly vested in what matters to the customer, how could you exceed that? The person who provides the service should never say we went above and beyond. Only a customer can say they received something more than they expected.”

Strategic Agility

The small ownership structure provides Vertical Health Services with advantages larger operators cannot match. Decision-making happens quickly, without layers of bureaucratic approval. When market conditions shift or opportunities emerge, Vertical can pivot.

“Having a small ownership group allows us to remove red tape and provides us the ability to pivot quickly,” leadership notes. “We also empower our leaders, both service level and building level, to make decisions and suggestions.”

This agility proved essential in a recent strategic partnership. Vertical wanted to purchase the physical plants for three Washington facilities but faced barriers from the prior owner. Rather than accepting defeat, the company partnered with US Healthcare Group to break through obstacles and complete the acquisition. “We did not get stuck in a one size fits all deal. It has become a great partnership where everyone is benefiting.”

The partnership exemplifies Vertical’s approach to collaboration: find mutually beneficial structures rather than forcing standard templates. The company evaluates potential partnerships on alignment with core values and strategic objectives, willing to walk away from deals that don’t fit both criteria.

Risk-Taking and Learning

Vertical leadership employs what they describe as a balanced approach to risk and decision-making. Leaders are permitted to take risks even when senior management questions the idea. Sometimes the return on investment is measured in leadership development rather than immediate financial performance.

“If the return on investment is in the experience and growth of one of our leaders, that can sometimes outweigh the financial risk,” the team explains. “Building a leader is the goal and leaders learn from mistakes but also by taking chances that make them work harder to ensure they succeed.”

This philosophy accepts that saying no carries unintended consequences, sometimes worse than approving uncertain initiatives. The permission to fail in pursuit of growth creates an environment where innovation can occur.

Employee performance management reflects this developmental approach. The process combines self-evaluation with supervisor assessment, followed by collaborative review sessions. “This discussion allows for alignment, clarification, and constructive feedback, as well as the identification of strengths, improvement areas, and development goals.” Progress tracking uses documented action items, regular check-ins, and role-specific performance metrics.

Measuring What Matters

Vertical Health Services measures success through integrated assessment of quality, compliance, and financial performance. “We believe true success is not measured by any single factor but by achieving excellence in all three simultaneously,” leadership states.

This balanced scorecard approach reflects the reality that healthcare operations cannot optimize one dimension at the expense of others. High-quality care delivered in regulatory violation creates legal exposure. Financially strong operations providing substandard care violate mission. Compliance without quality or financial sustainability produces neither good outcomes nor organizational longevity.

“By focusing on this integrated approach, we ensure that our residents receive the highest standard of care, our operations meet or exceed regulatory expectations, and our organization remains financially strong and sustainable.”

The company tracks customer satisfaction through multiple methods: Google reviews, testimonials, and Voice of the Customer feedback. But leadership places greatest weight on operational indicators. Census growth, community referral volume, and facility occupancy rates tell the truth about customer satisfaction more reliably than survey data. “If our census grows, if we receive more referrals from the community, if we are at or close to full occupancy in a facility, those are much more telling than anything else.”

Reinvestment and Market Position

Profitability flows back into facilities rather than exclusively to ownership. Vertical commits to reinvesting in building renovations, specialized equipment like in-house dialysis units, vital sign machines, and other capital needs. Financial reinvestment extends to cultivating community partnerships and physician relationships tailored to individual facility needs.

“Each vendor and community partnership is based on the individual needs of the facility,” leadership explains. This customization rather than standardization allows Vertical to serve diverse markets effectively.

The company supports charitable causes including Easter Seals, youth sports programs, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups, mental health organizations, local Rotary clubs, and research hospital foundations funding nursing degree programs. Community engagement reinforces Vertical’s positioning as a local stakeholder rather than an external operator extracting value.

Navigating Political Volatility

State budget constraints and reimbursement rate changes represent constant concern for Vertical Health Services. “The political yo-yo and differences between political ideologies creates a whiplash for our industry,” leadership observes. Shifting regulatory requirements, evolving compliance standards, and unpredictable funding levels demand organizational agility.

“We need to remain agile to be able to manage the changes that take place, the new regulations that constantly come out, and remain focused on providing quality care while ensuring we remain fiscally responsible in an environment that is constantly changing.”

Vertical maintains industry awareness through active participation in state and national associations including the American Health Care Association, Washington Health Care Association, and Missouri Health Care Association. Leadership attends ACHA and state association conferences for networking and participates in industry events like LTC100 and the NIC conference.

Speed as Strategy

The most effective sales and marketing strategy, according to Vertical leadership, is simple: prioritize customer needs and respond quickly. “Speed is what people want the most regarding admissions and responses to family and resident questions.”

Leaving inquiries unread or unresponded to send a message, just a negative one. The company emphasizes transparency in all communications with staff, residents, and families. Response time and honesty build trust more effectively than polished marketing materials.

Vertical actively tells its story in communities served, sharing information about available services while acknowledging ongoing improvement needs. “Our improved clinical outcomes and positive changes to the buildings tell a good story of where they were and how far the facility teams have come.”

Future Direction

Looking forward, Vertical Health Services seeks balanced growth between optimizing existing operations and selective portfolio expansion. “We want a balanced approach between growing what we already have through opportunities we still have to improve upon, and also look for potential properties that will benefit our portfolio and services we offer.”

The company refuses to lock into single care delivery models, instead adapting to market needs. “We try to be what the markets need and we try to pivot and provide any service we see a need for. We don’t want to get stuck in one type of care delivery.”

This flexibility extends to the company’s broader vision: revolutionize healthcare by building trust through transparency, treating individuals as people first with humanity and respect, and ensuring residents receive consistent, compassionate care from staff they hold in highest regard.

The transformation from crisis acquisition to recognized operator with improving outcomes demonstrates that skilled nursing can operate differently. Vertical Health Services proves that transparency, investment in people, and commitment to measurable quality can coexist with financial sustainability. In an industry often criticized for prioritizing profit over care, Vertical’s integrated approach to success offers an alternative model worth watching.