Reframing a Legacy Home Care Technology Brand During Regulatory Turbulence and Acquisition

Client

• Sandata, a 40‑year‑old home care technology company and national leader in EVV and Medicaid home care solutions for states, MCOs, and providers
• Role: Director of Marketing (Interim)
• Duration: 1 Year (Company was acquired by HHAeXchange, and my contract continued through the transition)

Situation

Sandata had a strong product portfolio and deep policy experience, but appeared dated and disconnected from the modern home care landscape. Internally, the organization was navigating a full rebrand, had cycled through three heads of marketing during my tenure, and later underwent an acquisition by HHAeXchange, which included layoffs in marketing leadership.

Externally, the home care industry faced heightened regulatory scrutiny, including significant changes in New York (one of Sandata’s largest markets), especially around CDPAP and related Medicaid home care programs.

Simultaneously, the acquisition introduced additional uncertainty for employees, customers, and partners, making clear, coordinated communication essential to minimizing disruption for operations, sales, and client relationships.

Objectives

• Stabilize and modernize Sandata’s narrative during internal leadership changes, regulatory changes, a full rebrand, and an acquisition.
• Position the company as a credible, policy‑literate voice on New York and national home care regulation, including CDPAP.
• Align leadership, sales, operations, and post‑acquisition stakeholders around a consistent, compliant message on regulatory issues and organizational change.
• Secure high‑impact earned media reflecting Sandata’s advocacy for providers, caregivers, and patients in the home.
• Minimize disruption to day‑to‑day marketing and sales performance during and after the acquisition by HHAeXchange.
• Ensure continuity of the marketing strategy and execution despite departures in marketing leadership.

Strategy

I developed an integrated crisis communications, PR, and change‑management strategy built around three pillars:

1. Message‑first crisis and reputation framework
   Anchor all communications—regulatory, brand, and acquisition‑related in a clear narrative: our commitment to improving provider experience and outcomes for patients and caregivers, regardless of organizational change.
2. Proactive thought leadership in industry media
   Use trusted healthcare trade outlets to shape the narrative around regulatory shifts and Sandata’s role in supporting compliant, high‑quality home care.
3. Structured internal and external change communication
   Build a communication plan for the acquisition that reassured employees, customers, and partners, and ensured continuity across marketing, sales, and operations after key marketing leaders were laid off.

Execution

1) SME Enablement and Media Coaching

• Identified key subject matter experts across policy, product, and operations to serve as external spokespeople.
• Developed a one‑page executive summary for each media opportunity, covering angles, key messages, proof points, and guardrails.
• Created a briefing document for each opportunity with anticipated questions, recommended responses, credible external sources, and internal data.
• Conducted 1:1 coaching with SMEs to prepare them for interviews and ensure compliant, confident communication.

2) Regulatory Deep Dive and Internal Communications (New York / CDPAP)

• Performed an in‑depth analysis of New York regulatory changes, especially CDPAP, and their implications for providers, MCOs, caregivers, and Sandata’s operations.
• Built an internal communications plan that translated complex policy into tailored summaries, FAQs, and “what this means for you” guidance for leadership, sales, and operations.
• Developed a modified sales talk track to clarify the regulatory landscape, reinforce Sandata’s support for compliant, high‑quality care, and give sales teams aligned language for New York conversations.

3) Thought Leadership and Earned Media

• Identified Home Healthcare News as a key outlet to influence industry dialogue on regulation and program changes.
• Pitched and secured two major bylines that communicated Sandata’s point of view on regulatory shifts and their impact on patients, caregivers, and providers.
• Crafted stories that combined regulatory insight, operational understanding, and patient‑ and caregiver‑centered messaging to position Sandata as a forward‑looking, advocacy‑driven leader.

4) Acquisition Communications and Change Management

• Helped design and execute internal and external messaging around Sandata’s acquisition by HHAeXchange, with a focus on:
• Clarity on what was changing and what would remain the same.
• Reassurance around continuity of services, support, and product roadmaps.
• Alignment with the broader strategic vision of the combined organization.
• Supported leadership in communicating with employees, customers, and partners to minimize disruption to operations and sales activities.
• Stayed on post‑acquisition to:
• Maintain continuity of marketing strategy and campaigns after the VP and Senior Director of Marketing were laid off.
• Serve as a steady point of contact for internal teams and executives on brand, messaging, and go‑to‑market questions.
• Ensure that ongoing programs, content, and sales enablement remained cohesive throughout the transition.

5) Brand and Social Revival

• Integrated crisis, regulatory, and acquisition messaging into the ongoing corporate rebrand to present a unified, modern identity.
• Revived underutilized social media channels, using them to:
• Explain regulatory developments in accessible, empathetic language.
• Reinforce stability and continuity during the acquisition.
• Highlight stories that resonated with caregivers, patients, providers, and MCOs.

Results

• Reputation lift: Improved the company’s measured reputation by 10%, signaling stronger trust and favorability among providers, MCOs, caregivers, and patients.
• Earned media wins: Secured two marquee bylines in Home Healthcare News that repositioned Sandata as a policy‑savvy, innovative home care technology partner. Linked here. And here. And here for the acquisition.
• Narrative transformation: Shifted perception from a 40‑year‑old “old‑feeling” company to a modern, advocacy‑driven leader in home care technology and EVV.
• Acquisition stability: Helped minimize disruption to operations and sales during the acquisition by HHAeXchange through clear, coordinated internal and external communication.
• Continuity of marketing: Maintained strategic and executional continuity post‑acquisition, despite senior marketing leadership layoffs, ensuring that campaigns, messaging, and enablement efforts did not stall.
• Internal alignment: Provided leadership, sales, and operations with clear playbooks on regulatory changes and organizational transitions, reducing confusion and messaging risk.
• Channel revitalization: Revived social media presence and ensured that brand, PR, and internal communications all reinforced a unified, patient‑ and caregiver‑centered story.
• Partner Engagement: I ghostwrote blogs for one of their partners, to help foster positive relationships outside of sales/referrals: here and here.