Who We Are

A Leader in Health Care and Human Services

Optimae LifeServices is an Iowa-based, employee-owned company and a health care and human services leader in the state of Iowa. Established in 1987, we’ve grown from a single location in Jefferson County to serve people living in more than 50 central, southeastern, northeastern and south-central Iowa counties. Today, we have nearly 40 employee shareholders and more than 1,300 employees.

Our origin story began in Fairfield, Iowa, with founders John Kuster and Harvey Hensley who sought to improve the quality of life of our customers and communities by providing disability and health care services in Iowa. From the very beginning, they believed that “Doing good is doing the right thing.” That sentiment, and the emphasis on creating an environment where people are respected and have a feeling of belonging, has thrived within the organization for nearly 40 years.

Health care and human services is an industry where the pace is fast and change is constant. But there are some things that don’t change at Optimae, like our commitment to providing services honestly, ethically, and with respect for each other and the people we serve.

Optimae is Latin for “as best one can.” Or, as we like to say: “Providing services that are good enough for me or my loved ones, empowering those we serve — our customers — to live their best life in the midst of its challenges.” That’s always our goal and our intent. It’s what we strive to provide to each of our customers, our colleagues and our communities.

Sheryl “Sheri” Gill | President

Our Motto

Our motto, which serves as our tagline, conveys a central and enduring message. It’s our pledge to be at the side and on the side of our customers by providing a robust family of services that deliver care in a holistic and collaborative way across our organization.

At your side. On your side.®

Optimae LifeServices

The River of Life

The Optimae logo features the River of Life, which represents the way we deliver services. The various colors in the River represent the four core service divisions within Optimae. Our customers can use any one of these services or many others. And, like the flow of the River, sometimes the wave of time the service is needed is short — while other times, they may need to use multiple services for a lifetime. Either way, Optimae customers know that our comprehensive support services will be there as long as they need them.

William "Bill" Dodds

We pride ourselves on offering high-quality, accredited services. But we are also known, and have been from the beginning, for delivering innovative services and having fun while we deliver those services. I’ve been involved with Optimae for over 25 years. In that time, a lot has changed, but what hasn’t changed is the heart to do the right thing.

William “Bill” Dodds | Chair of the Board of Directors

Our Mission, Vision and Core Values

Mission: Optimae offers comprehensive customer driven services that encourage choice, empowerment and community integration.

Vision: Through employee ownership and fiscal responsibility, Optimae LifeServices seeks to be a recognized leader in health care and human services, providing meaningful support and successful outcomes.

Choice

Customer choice is the foundation of all we do. All day, every day, we seek to empower people to discover and recover valued roles in their community.

Respect

We respect customer and employee rights and choices. We recognize everyone’s capabilities, strengths and potential.

Teamwork

Working together, we create a healthy and supportive environment for meaningful and successful outcomes. Teamwork empowers customer choice and employee participation and investment.

Education

Constant learning generates continual improvement. New knowledge and skills ensures quality service, community integration and satisfied customers.

Susan Martin

Our core values aren’t just words that hang on the wall. They’re words that guide our behavior. And so when we have a tough situation in front of us, we often will say, if we were to follow our core values, what would we do here? That is what has made Optimae so strong and so trusted for so many years.

Susan Martin | CEO

By The Numbers

Total Customers Served
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Supported Employment
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Community Integration
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Recovery & Resource Center Visits
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Crisis Evaluations Performed by SEIA Behavioral Health
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View Our Annual Report

Annual Report 2024

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