Cooperative Home Care Associates of the Bronx and Home Care Associates of Philadelphia Make B Corp Best for the World" 2014 List

— Home Care Companies are Only Two in Nation to Earn "B Corp Certification" —

Bronx, NY — The Bronx-based Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA) and Home Care Associates (HCA) of Philadelphia were both named to the "B Corp Best for the World" 2014 list.

The two home care companies — both affiliated with PHI — were distinguished as "Best for the World” for the second consecutive year by B Lab, a nonprofit organization that recognizes businesses creating positive social and environmental impact.

"PHI commends Cooperative Home Care Associates and Home Care Associates for achieving recognition on the B Corp 'Best for the World' List," said PHI President Jodi M. Sturgeon. "These agencies have shown that it is possible to be successful home care providers while meeting the highest standards of responsible corporate citizenship."

B Lab assesses companies based on features such as:

• accountability and transparency in governance;
• workforce practices, including compensation, benefits, ownership opportunities, and overall work environment;
• community impact, including efforts toward improving social issues; and
• environmental stewardship.

"We're proud that our agency was selected to this list, and proud to be members of the community of B Corporations," said CHCA President Michael Elsas. "Cooperative Home Care Associates is deeply committed to serving our community, providing quality care to our clients, and ensuring that our workers hold quality jobs."

HCA President and CEO Karen Kulp said, "As a worker-owned cooperative, Home Care Associates has a bottom line to value our staff. We measure success by whether our workers hold quality jobs. We see this B Corp recognition as a strong indicator of the success of this approach."

CHCA and HCA both earned scores high enough to rank them in the top 10 percent of the assessed 987 "Certified B Corporations." These rankings highlight the companies' worker-ownership models and commitment to their communities. CHCA and HCA are 97 and 98 percent owned by individuals facing barriers to sustained employment, respectively. Of CHCA's administrative staff, 40 percent began their careers as home care workers. Both CHCA and HCA were certified as B Corps in 2012 and remain the only home care companies to have earned this certification.

The "B Corp Movement" started in 2007 and is a "growing community of more than 950 Certified B Corps from 32 countries and 60 industries working together toward one unifying goal: to redefine success in business," explains its website.

Notable B Corporations include companies such as Patagonia, Seventh Generation, and Ben & Jerry's.

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PHI, the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, works to transform eldercare and disability services, fostering dignity, respect, and independence — for all who receive care, and all who provide it. The nation's leading authority on the direct-care workforce, PHI promotes quality direct-care jobs as the foundation for quality care.

Deane Beebe, PHI Media Relations Director; 718-928-2033, 646-285-1039 (cell)