January 17 is Founder’s Day at BAYADA. It marks the day we were founded in 1975 and, in 2026, the close of our year-long 50th anniversary.
Founder’s Day is a moment to pause. To say thank you. And to reflect on what has guided BAYADA from the very beginning.
Over the years, the health care landscape has seen constant change. But our purpose expressed in The BAYADA Way® has helped keep us aligned and moving forward, even during times of uncertainty. It has shaped how we lead, how we care, and how we show up for one another.
To reflect on this milestone year, we sat down with BAYADA Founder and Chairman Mark Baiada to talk about what stood out most and what continues to matter as we look ahead.
What We Learned by Listening
In 2025, Mark and other leaders traveled to over 70 BAYADA service offices across the country as part of the BAYADA Listening Tour. They met with employees and clients to celebrate our 50th anniversary, speak openly about our future, and listen closely to what The BAYADA Way means in their daily work.
For Mark, the tour was about learning.
He wanted to hear directly from our people whether The BAYADA Way, our statement of purpose and core values, still resonates. And whether it still helps guide decisions and relationships in a rapidly changing home health care environment.
“I was inspired by the Listening Tour because I heard from 1,200 people,” Mark shared. “We wanted to know if The BAYADA Way still has meaning in our employees’ lives and the work they do. And it turns out, very much so!”
What stood out to Mark was not just affirmation, but clarity.
“Going in, I expected that something about our statement of purpose would need to change. But here we are, 50 years later and 20 years into this written version of The BAYADA Way, and I’ve learned that the basic philosophy still holds true. Our shared values of compassion, excellence, and reliability and our belief that clients come first still pull people together.
“Our employees confirmed that our common purpose drives their commitment to help our clients and to help each other. That’s very powerful. The BAYADA Way continues to give our work meaning and direction, even when it is sometimes difficult.”
Investing in People and Culture Is the Strategy
Throughout the Listening Tour, Mark also heard clearly how much people need and value home health care, even as the industry continues to face real challenges.
Low reimbursement rates and workforce shortages remain ongoing pressures, and legislative and payer support has not kept pace with the value that home care delivers.
In response, BAYADA will continue to make deliberate choices about where to invest so we can reach our vision: helping millions stay safe at home with comfort, independence, and dignity.
Mark also spoke about his separate nonprofit created to address the nursing shortage, called BAYADA Education. Their mission is to bring “More Great Nurses” into the world by opening doors to nurse education and career opportunities.
“We started with the Accelerated BSN BAYADA Scholars track in New Jersey, where we graduated our first cohort of nurses in December,” Mark said. “This November, we announced our partnership with Rowan University to sponsor debt-free pathways to home care careers through their BSN program.
“Now, we’re well on our way to forming our own nursing school. Our goal is to partner with 100 hospital campuses around the country, offering top-of-the-line clinical education, supervised practice, and stable career opportunities.”
These efforts reflect a long-standing belief at BAYADA: when you invest in people, you strengthen care quality, reliability, and the future of the organization.
What Keeps Us Moving Forward
Across BAYADA, new technology-enabled care models and training programs are creating energy and momentum. They are helping improve how care is delivered and expanding opportunities for people who want meaningful, lasting careers in home health care.
At the same time, the foundation remains the same. Compassion and human connection continue to come first.
Looking ahead, Mark wants people across the organization to feel optimistic and energized about what lies ahead.
“Now that we have momentum making a difference in people’s lives, I want you to feel recommitted to making the next 50 years extraordinary,” he said. “How can we do even better work and help more people?”
As we close this anniversary year, we do so with gratitude for the people who have shaped BAYADA and with confidence in what drives us forward. Our purpose has carried us through change before, and it continues to point the way as we build what comes next together.
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