Susanne S. Wise, RN, MBA, is known throughout the community and highly respected for her caring and generous nature toward clients and employees. As a nurse, with keen business acumen, she witnessed first-hand the need for a private duty home health care agency that would uphold higher standards and set precedents for our local community.

Susanne opened Take Care Private Duty Home Health Care in Sarasota, Florida in 1995 with these standards in mind. Since, she has opened offices in Bradenton, Port Charlotte, and Venice. Furthering her vision and mission to bring her clients the highest quality in care, she also forecasted the need for Registered Nurse geriatric care management services, opening Take Care Advisor in 2008.

As owner and entrepreneur of Take Care, Susanne pays special attention to two crucial elements: quality of personnel and customer service. She reviews the credentials of every prospective employee, as they are so intimately involved in the care provided to each client. Upon hire, Susanne meets with every employee. The personnel are the foundation of how Take Care is able to provide clients with the highest level of private duty home health care and RN geriatric care management services. With the goal being to serve clients to the best of our ability, our employees reflect this commitment to Take Care’s standards of excellence. In addition to meeting with the caregivers, Susanne frequently visits with clients and family members to build a relationship and to ensure consistency in customer service and care.

Recognition for Setting the Standards in Care

Take Care continues to be on the cutting edge of health care in our local communities. We push the standards and raise the expectations for home health care in our community. Take Care is honored to be continuously recognized in the following award programs:

• Sarasota Magazine “Best of Sarasota” 2022
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune “Readers’ Choice Winner” 2022
• Venice Gondolier Sun “Best of Venice Winner” 2022
• Sarasota Magazine “Best of Sarasota” 2021
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune “Readers’ Choice Runner Up” 2021
• Bradenton Herald & Lakewood Ranch Herald “Peoples’ Choice First Place” 2020
• Manatee Herald-Tribune “Readers’ Choice Runner Up” 2021
• Venice Herald-Tribune “Readers’ Choice Runner Up” 2021
• Venice Gondolier Sun “Best of Venice Finalist” 2020
• Business Observer’s Gulf Coast 500
• Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Women Owned Businesses list

Background, Education, & Inspiration

Susanne’s practice as a Registered Nurse began in Michigan. She attended Western Michigan University and worked at Bronson Methodist Hospital. In 1982, she relocated to Sarasota with her family. Ten years later, she obtained a Master of Business Administration through Nova Southeastern University. After having worked in the home health care field for thirteen years in various positions, she opened Take Care in 1995.

Her nursing career was inspired in part by her own mother, Ruth Smith Eppelheimer, who was also a Registered Nurse. Susanne’s father, who was a farmer in a small community in Michigan, instilled the excitement of business and gave her the vision for entrepreneurial skills, stamina, and passion at an early age. Just as her family inspired her, she continues to inspire members of our community as a leader in nursing, an entrepreneur, bringing jobs to our local community while providing the local older adult population with the compassion and quality of care they deserve.

Moreover, her two daughters, Courtney Wise Snyder, MSG, CMC, and Erika Wise Borland, MA, have been working alongside her at Take Care since 2008. Together, they ensure a continuity of character and consistency of values, which is the stabilizing force that propels the creativity and innovation needed to move Take Care forward. Their business ethics and the value of relationships combine to make a caring, dependable, and trustworthy service. Furthermore, the dedicated Take Care team works collectively to ensure the efficacy and standards of home health care and RN geriatric care management are upheld to the highest degree—everyone deserves the best in care.

Giving Back

Susanne and her daughters were recognized in April 2014 with the Girls Inc. “She Knows Where She’s Going” award. They were acknowledged for their investment in the community and their efforts to help Girls Inc. prepare girls to face the 21st century work place.

In addition to Girls Inc., Take Care commits to joining forces and sponsoring local non-profits each year bolstering our position of giving back to the communities in which we reside. Here are a few select organizations Take Care currently supports:

• Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County
• Forty Carrots Family Center
• Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s
• All Faiths Food Bank
• OCEAN: Our Charlotte Elder Affairs Network
• Riverview High School Chorus & Guitar programs
• Southside Elementary School
• Roskamp Foundation

Accolades & Memberships

• Girls Inc. “She Knows Where She’s Going” award 2014
• Gulf Coast CEO Forum Member: a premier organization for entrepreneurial CEOs in the Gulf Coast area of Southwest Florida.
• Charter member of the National Private Duty Association
• Home Healthcare Nurses Association Member
• National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Member
• Sarasota Chamber of Commerce: Salute to Business 2012 “Hiring Our Neighbors” Gold Honoree; Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Small Business Awards, 2011 Winner; 2010 Finalist
• Tampa Bay Business Journal 2009 Health Care Heroes Award finalist: a  program for her exemplary performance in the medical field, going above and beyond the call of duty.

Local Connections & Speaking Engagements

In addition, Susanne was chosen as a member of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee College of Business Advisory Board from 2010 to 2011. Eighteen local area business leaders, who made up the Advisory Board, advised the USF-SM faculty about the skills business students in the 21^st century need to enter a highly competitive workforce. The Advisory Board’s recommendations help the College of Business develop new curriculum that is the most beneficial for students and local employers.

In May 2010, Susanne joined forces with USF Sarasota-Manatee to encourage and introduce the health care and caregiving career opportunities to more than 200 middle school-aged girls. This was part of the annual S.T.E.M Summit to encourage women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Articles & Media

If you would like to read some of the articles about Susanne S. Wise, RN, MBA and Take Care:

• Business Observer: Wise Move (July 2016)
• Scene Magazine: Taking Care of Others (January 2011)
• West Coast Woman: Keeping it in the Take Care Family (May 2010)
• Gulf Coast Business Review: Traditional Mom Turns Entrepreneur (June 2001)

To review additional press materials, read more by clicking here.