Dorothy Miaka is the owner of the Progressive Homecare and Hospice Centre in Wichita, Kansas.
The entrepreneur moved to the United States in 1984 and acquired the country’s citizenship after getting married to her husband.
However, before the success that came after, Miaka had to deal with a number of challenges including an impending deportation.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Miaka relocated to the US in 1984 in search of a better life not knowing the highs and lows that were awaiting her.
At one point, she was facing deportation after the expiration of her work visa,but she managed to turn it around after getting married.
“At that point, I was dating my husband, and I told him he was going to lose me as I was getting deported back to Kenya
“If you don’t marry me I will just go back home. So we got married and I continued with my career,” she narrated in a past interview.
As the years go by, Miaka got into entrepreneurship and established Progressive Homecare and Hospice which has been in operations for over 20 years.
The facility was started in 1995 in one of Miaka’s daughter’s bedrooms as she worked on the requisite licences and permits.
Progressive Homecare and Hospice offers among other services home healthcare, rehabilitation, hospice, palliative care and personal care.
“I was a registered nurse, and I worked in a hospital for a little bit. I did Medical surgery, among others to become a better nurse. I later moved away from the institution to focus on home health,” she narrated.
Having been in the healthcare business for a while, Miaka called for the need of families to keep their loved ones at home instead of hospitals for too long.
“We also take care of end-of-life patients. When the doctor tells you there is nothing more we can do, there is pain and anxiety and the family doesn’t know what to do. So we come into your home, help you manage the pain, we support you and your family until the end,” she shared.
Additionally, Miaka and her team have been working as volunteers to local shelters and participating in medical research programs.
“We have a team of 75 employees. We have registered nurses at the top to set up care plans, then we have Licensed Practical Nurses(LPNs), hospice aid and homecare aids, and physical and occupational therapists,” she said.