Girling Health Care pledges to provide same quality of service with new owners, different management
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Benjamin Sharp Judy Goodson has served as director of patient care in Girling's Wharton office since March 21.

With different owners and under new management, one might assume that there's plenty of change on the way for Girling Health Care Inc.

Not so, say company offi- cials. Despite being acquired last fall by Harden Healthcare, the home health care provider pledges to continue to offer the same level and quality of service it has become known for in the Wharton County area.

"The Girling standards have not changed. We have good standards in place," said Judy Goodson.

Though not a stranger to Girling, Goodson is part of the recent changes herself.

Since March 21, Goodson has served as the director of patient care for the Wharton location, which has 64 employees who provide a host of healthcare-related services to nearly 300 patients in six counties.

Services include everything from physical therapy to skilled nursing to round-the-clock monitoring via the HomMed Telemonitoring system.

That system allows patients to check their blood pressure, weight, oxygen saturation, heart rate and temperature from the comfort of their own homes. The results are instantly transferred to a nurse who may be stationed dozens of miles away.

Equipped with an electronic voice, the device even reminds users to take their medication and to perform the self tests - and it can do so in 11 different languages.

Such technology provides some patients with the freedom to live apart from healthcare facilities.

"We want to help them become as independent as possible," said Goodson.

Originally from the Richmond/Rosenberg area, Goodson has been with Girling since 2001. She was most recently a case manager in the Houston office.

Goodson replaces Gleniece Cude, the former director of patient care of the Wharton office.

Cude accepted a different position within the company.

Harden Healthcare acquired Girling in November of last year. Both companies are based in Austin.

Though the changeover has resulted in the Wharton office "narrowing our numbers," according to Goodson, there is no intention to cut any services now provided.

"We will meet the needs and grow," she said.

Company president Scott Herman said the acquisition will only help Girling to achieve that goal.

"Harden's mission is to offer a continuum of healthcare services, providing the best care for our patients and a sense of pride and purpose for our associates," he said.

"Harden and Girling share many of the same values and principles, which is an important reason why the Girling family agreed to the acquisition.

"We are excited about the future of Girling Health Care and pledge to continue to provide the very best care for our patients - truly our most important goal."