PERSONALITY
Touching people’s lives Darlyn Baker of Interim Healthcare finds joy, family in career
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Some registered nurses like Darlyn Baker will say they always wanted to be a nurse as a child, but Baker will be the first to tell you, that wasn’t true in her case. Baker, who is the director of Interim Healthcare, recalls a different type of motivation. She’s originally from a small town in Ohio, and both her parents had limited education. Her motivation was to leave the small village with a career that didn’t require a lot of demands. “I didn’t want to be school for a long time and didn’t want to have to learn a foreign language,” said Baker with an infectious laugh. “It was a 36-month program and I didn’t have to take Latin.” However, her nursing career tells a different story. One of a person devoted to the health and well being of those around her. In 1994 and at the age of 49, Baker left her career as an RN at Mercy Hospital to open Interim Healthcare. “We deliver the help families need. I thought (when I started the business) I can help them do something that I’ve had years of experience in doing,” said Baker. “Like a home health provider, which is home care that’s directed by a physician, I’ve had years to practice how to take care of a patients, but families most times don’t.” Currently, Interim has a staff of 200 employees, and it’s family supported. Her husband Chuck is in charge of the finances, son Bryon, is chief operations officer, while she is the director. Baker oversees the variety of services offered below: — Home health provider, which is care as directed by a physician. — Care Giver, who provide assistance for activities of daily living. — Supplemental Staffing for nurses and CNAs. — Senior Placement, which helps families, who are unable to take care of their aging parent to find a place within their budgets and parents likes.
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Bakersfield Life
May 2011
Darlyn Baker
Photo by Felix Adamo
By Luz Peña