Reliable Medical leverages Katie Stevens’ ‘superpower’

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Reliable Medical’s Katie Stevens made employee recruitment, retention and culture a big focus as CEO, but now she can double down as the company’s new chief people officer. 

Reliable Medical named Charles Sargeant CEO over the summer, replacing Stevens and allowing her to transition into this new role. 

“My superpower is really in the people sphere, and I determined that that would be the best way to continue serving the organization,” she said. “It’s what I’m most passionate about.” 

Stevens had been CEO of Reliable Medical since late 2020, ushering it through a growth phase that saw the company making several acquisitions and growing its employee count by 585%. 

As CPO, Stevens will have oversight of human resources and compliance and will be charged with making sure Reliable Medical has the people in place to continue that growth. 

“In my view, we have an excellent culture and we’re a destination employer,” she said. “We’re a team people want to work with and a company they want to come to. We will continue to get better and better at evolving our people offering.” 

For a largely complex rehab company, recruiting and retaining employees can be more intense, Stevens says. Assistive technology professionals are required by Medicare to bill for complex power wheelchairs, for example, and there’s not an endless supply of ATPs, creating a hyper competitive market. 

“(My role) is a people development role – helping our team to hit their goals with the support of the company,” she said. “It can also be a challenging industry around burnout. It’s always been our mission to be the employer that’s the answer to that – the employer that’s really focused on supporting people and developing them.”   

In addition to training and development and improved career paths, Stevens’ goals as CPO include deeper interaction and employee engagement, she says. 

“We have always been focused on benefits, wellness and employee satisfaction, but we want to continue to put energy and resources in those areas,” she said.