David Griffith, Managing Partner at DCC Associates, has been named to the Future Leaders Class of 2026 by Home Health Care News.
To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40 years of age or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.
Griffith sat down with Home Health Care News to share what drew him to the home health & home care industry, the biggest leadership lessons he has learned, his thoughts on the future of home health & home care, and much more. To learn more about the Future Leaders Awards program, visit https://futureleaders.wtwhmedia.com/.
HHCN: What drew you to the home health & home care industry?
Griffith: Same as most. It was just a job, a paycheck to provide for my family. What has kept me drawn to this space, however, is the openness to innovation.
Whether working with home health and hospice providers on the tech side, in consulting, or at startups, most everyone is trying to do right by patients and caregivers in new and exciting ways. The leaders before me have let me hold the baton and run with ideas and execute.
My time working in private duty nursing (PDN) was especially fun because I got to see the bonds that teams can make with families and kids.
Being the underdog is always more fun, too. It sounds cheesy, but Homecare Homebase’s (HCHB) motto of “Empowering Exceptional Care” is something I’ve been able to hold on to, regardless of where I was employed at any given time.
HHCN: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it changed over time?
Griffith: It’s pretty simple. I try to be a good person and live by the golden rule. Of course, hard decisions need to be made at times, but I’ve learned that even in the hardest situations, if you have been a real friend and advocate for your people, they will trust and believe in you, as you believe in them.
The same goes for our clients and partners. People are often self-serving in this world. It’s true that the more you give, the more you get. That servant mindset is actually self-serving in the long run (and that’s OK).
HHCN: What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned while serving the home health & home care industry?
Griffith: I’m a constant interrupter. Everyone knows it. I’m working on it. At the same time, I have a knack for cutting through the noise to understand the problem, or to ask the right questions to get us where we all want to go. I think I’m just too excited sometimes.
I’m always developing my communication skills. It’s what all of our experts do at DCC every day. We started learning this early on in our careers that if you listen to, understand and sympathize, you will get much further and everyone will be better off for it.
In my eyes, that applies to anyone in any role, not just our industry. The best doctors, lawyers, salespeople – they all have the core skill that anyone seeks in any relationship: the ability to listen, understand, empathize, and take action. I’ve learned that just because something is innate or obvious in me, that doesn’t mean it is in others, so I should speak up and trust my gut.
HHCN: In one word, how would you describe the home health & home care industry and why?
Griffith: Small.
We all know each other. It’s no secret. I had a tough experience at my first role. I was bad at sales and I dropped the ball in so many ways.
I’ve worked for startups that failed to deliver on our promises. I still hate that, and I still fear the consequences of associating myself with my mistakes or shortcomings, because everyone talks.
In my eyes, I’ve given 15 years of dedicated service, always working to educate myself and give my best to add maximum value to my employers. But one bad decision can haunt you. Fair or not, in this industry, your actions speak louder than your words, and your name is often your worth. I am passionate about protecting my reputation and legacy.
HHCN: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges currently facing the home health & home care industry?
Griffith: Staffing, reimbursement, and the other main culprits still remain for many. In my circle, the biggest challenge these days is vendor fatigue. It hurts because now my messages are mixed in with thousands of others, rather than dozens. Many are selling sub-par products and services, so it’s an opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest. From EMRs, HR systems, AI vendors, QAPI/RCM, outsourcing, consultants, and more – we are all under the microscope now.
Maybe one day we can condense everything to two or three core systems in our tech stack. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened, but we’re not there yet. The day is coming, and no one can sit back fat and happy anymore when technology is moving at a lightning fast pace, and the provider or vendor looking to you is coming around the corner.
HHCN: If you had a crystal ball, what do you think will impact the home health & home care industry over the next 5-10 years?
Griffith: Staffing and AI. For home health, it is reimbursement, specifically its implications on the monopolization of that space.
My hope is that federal policy will start to recognize and reflect the value of our space, incentivizing the right people and organizations to continue taking care of patients the right way, with all of the resources they need.
HHCN: In your opinion, what qualities must all Future Leaders possess?
Griffith: I think more people know what they have to do to be a decent leader. Some people, like me, are not natural leaders, but we embrace the things we can do well and work on the rest.
Respect others, be honest, work hard, show up, and make a difference. And, of course, add value to others and not to yourself. Future Leaders are not the ones showing up to collect a paycheck.
There’s a place for work/life balance, but there is also an obsession and a passion that comes with greatness. If you’re in your 20s, you need to be learning, not earning. If you can get both, great! But learning is the priority. In the space we’re in now, most of the things you need to develop aren’t things that you’ll learn in school or at work. They are things you need to learn yourself through trial and error.
Future Leaders shouldn’t be afraid to try hard things and persevere.