Our History

Where Care and Compassion Meet Innovation

Our story began in 1987. Optimae LifeServices has grown from the kernel of an idea focused on a singular vision around delivering supported community living services in southeast Iowa to becoming a comprehensive health care and human services provider in six regions throughout Iowa. While so much has changed, our passion to be at the side and on the side of our customers, colleagues and communities has remained the same.

Doing Good is Doing the Right Thing

Our origin story begins in Fairfield, Iowa, with founders John Kuster and Harvey Hensley, who sought to improve the quality of life available in their community 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.

Leading the Way

We’re proud of the fact we have helped lead and shape the conversation in the state of Iowa and beyond when it comes to the quality of services and standard of care needed to meet the growing and changing needs of customers in health care and human services. Over nearly four decades, we’ve grown from a two-person company to a place where more than 1,300 people deliver services every day — and nearly 40 of those are now employee owners. We have grown from a single location in Jefferson County to locations in over 20 Iowa counties — serving customers who live in more than 50 counties in central, southeastern, northeastern and south-central Iowa.

Setting the Standard

Optimae has also set the standard for delivering innovative and high-quality services. In 1995, under our previously known name, ResCare, we opened Davis Center, Iowa’s first community-based intermediate care facility for the elderly with severe and persistent mental illness. A few years later, we became one of the first eight providers accredited in Iowa to provide intensive psychiatric rehabilitation. This tradition of innovation and pushing to elevate the standard and breadth of care is at the core of Optimae’s origin.

At the Heart of Iowa Communities

We know that part of our rich history is our deep connections to Iowa communities. That’s why, as an Iowa-based company, we have always believed in investing back in the places where we serve our customers. We do this in many ways. Some are more obvious, such as creating new service locations, but also in other, more surprising ways.

In 2009, Optimae began to create what we call microbusinesses. These are businesses owned and operated by us and designed to create a place for customers to work in our supported employment program. Over the years, we’ve opened nine businesses, the first of which was Plain Talk Books & Coffee in Des Moines’ East Village, a neighborhood coffee shop and used bookstore that has become a neighborhood fixture.

Today, more than 220 customers gain diverse skills and experiences at restaurants, stores, farms and more across Iowa — through both our microbusinesses and community partners.

Want to Know more about our history?

Step back in time to understand how our customers, our employees and our communities have helped shape who we are today. We are so grateful to be part of the fabric of Iowa communities and to be part of so many customers’ lives.

1987
ResCare Inc. is founded by John Kuster and Harvey Hensley to provide disability and health care services in Iowa. ResCare begins operations by winning contracts to manage residential care facilities in Jefferson and Wapello counties. The company discontinued operations of the Wapello County facility in 1997 and the Jefferson County facility in 2006.
1987
1988
ResCare begins managing the Washington County residential care facility. It closed the facility in 2006 to allow people to move to community-based living.

ResCare begins providing supported community living services in Jefferson, Wapello and Washington counties to offer more independent living opportunities in the community.
1988
1989
ResCare begins managing the Davis County residential care facility. ResCare later turned the facility into a specialized nursing home for the elderly with severe and persistent mental illness.
1989
1990
ResCare expands supported community living services in response to growing needs. It begins building and buying affordable housing throughout southeast Iowa to provide persons being served in the community with decent, safe and affordable housing.
1990
1992
ResCare receives accreditation to provide home and community-based services and expands its services for those with intellectual disabilities in southern and southeastern Iowa, making it one of the largest providers in the state.
1992
1993
ResCare begins providing residential care for persons with a mental illness at Highland Place in Wapello County. It ceased management of the facility in 1997.

ResCare begins providing supported employment services through Supporting the Employment Process (STEP).
1993
1995
ResCare opens the Davis Center in Bloomfield, Iowa, making it Iowa’s first community-based intermediate care facility for the elderly with severe and persistent mental illness.

Iowa accredits ResCare as a mental health provider, and the company begins operation of mental health centers.

ResCare expands ownership of the company to include employee stockholders.
1995
1996
ResCare begins offering behavioral health services in southeast Iowa.
1996
1997
ResCare is designated the community mental health provider for Henry and Jefferson counties, in addition to Des Moines, Louisa, Lee, Van Buren and Muscatine counties.

ResCare begins managing facility-based services and providing community services in Lee County. The facility closed in 2001 to move customers to community-based living with ResCare supports.
1997
1998
ResCare begins providing intensive psychiatric rehabilitation as one of the first eight providers accredited in Iowa.

ResCare builds and begins managing a 24-unit affordable housing project in Washington.

ResCare acquires Des Moines County’s residential care facility. It discontinued management in 2007 to focus on providing community-based services.

ResCare begins providing community services in central Iowa.
1998
2000
The Central Iowa Region expands its footprint to include additional counties.

ResCare begins providing peer support services through the Hope Center in Des Moines and, later, in other service areas.

2000
2001
ResCare begins managing Muscatine County’s residential care facility and providing community-based services in that county. The facility closed in 2006 to allow customers greater community integration.

Fulliam and Tanglefoot properties, both Section 811 housing in Muscatine, begin operating under ResCare.

ResCare begins providing children’s home and community-based services in central Iowa and expands into other service areas.

In conjunction with the closing of Lee County’s facility, ResCare begins development of a 16-unit affordable housing project in Keokuk with intensive services for those with mental illness.
2001
2003
ResCare begins providing community-based services in Iowa County.

ResCare takes over management of 34 apartment units in Bloomfield and Ottumwa.
2003
optimae-life-services-Fairfield-OCS-OBH
2006
ResCare acquires a home health care agency and begins its home health services under the Nurse in the House brand name, which later becomes Optimae Home Health Services.

ResCare’s mission, vision and core values are revised to better represent present and future company operations.

ResCare acquires its central business office at 301 West Burlington Avenue in Fairfield, Iowa.

Fulton Place, a 22-unit low-income housing complex for people with disabilities in Muscatine County, and Jackson Point, an 18-unit low-income housing complex for people with disabilities in Jefferson County, opens after ResCare secures Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the then-Iowa Finance Authority and Iowa Department of Economic Development.
2006
2007
President William “Bill” Dodds and CEO Rod Hotek purchase a majority of stock ownership in ResCare and take over management of the company.

An updated structure and senior management team is created.
2007
2008
ResCare creates five regions (Central Iowa, Great River, Mississippi Bend, Old Capitol and Southern Prairie) overseen by regional directors. A core leadership team of regional directors and senior management is created to oversee the company.

Habilitation, supported employment and home and community-based services begin in Johnson County.
2008
Optimae LifeServices
2009
ResCare rebrands itself as Optimae LifeServices to better reflect the services it offers.

Optimae opens Plain Talk Books & Coffee, the first of many microbusinesses that provide supported employment.

Optimae opens its first farm in Redfield, later named Raccoon Forks Farm, producing locally grown, chemical-free food by practicing sustainable farming and animal husbandry.
2009
2011
Optimae LifeServices opens Brick Street Books & Cafe in Adel to provide additional employment and support to customers in Dallas County.
2011
2012
Optimae LifeServices creates Dovetail Business Services to provide business services to Optimae and other health and human services providers. The business was later consolidated with Optimae in 2014.
2012
2014
Optimae LifeServices expands Davis Center from a 25- to 32-bed facility.

Optimae Home Health Services in central Iowa receives Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) accreditation for the first time.

Optimae LifeServices opens a second Raccoon Forks Farm in Runnells to provide additional employment and support to customers in Polk County.
2014
2015
Optimae’s sixth region, Cedar Valley Region, is formed.

Optimae LifeServices takes over service provision from Healthy Connections in Lucas and surrounding counties.

Optimae LifeServices acquires the Story Community Life Program in Story County and restarts jail diversion services, which then expand into surrounding counties.

Optimae LifeServices begins offering services in Marion and Mahaska counties.
Optimae LifeServices significantly expands its behavioral and home health divisions in central Iowa.

2015
2016
CEO Rod Hotek retires and Bill Dodds is named president and CEO.

A new leadership structure is adopted with the creation of three chief operating officer positions to oversee Optimae’s Central Iowa Region, its southern and eastern regions and service divisions, and business operations.

Optimae Behavioral Health Services adds in-house medication management to its list of services with the hiring of prescribers in central and southeastern Iowa.

Optimae launches two new microbusinesses in central Iowa: Railroad Bill’s Dining Car in Des Moines and Brick Street Bakery in Adel. Its microbusinesses expand to employ nearly 100 individuals with mental illness and disabilities.

Optimae expands its microbusinesses outside of central Iowa with the opening of Coal Palace Cafe and Books in Ottumwa.
2016
2017
Optimae LifeServices celebrates its 30th anniversary of providing services to individuals with disabilities and mental illness in Iowa.

Optimae Home Health Services in central Iowa receives a three-year Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) re-accreditation.
2017
2018
Optimae Behavioral Health adds telepsychiatry services to its offerings for southeastern Iowa.

Optimae’s Community Services division expands in Johnson County, housed in a new building that includes a free lunch program and dedicated space for intensive psychiatric rehabilitation.

Optimae LifeServices begins offering services in Black Hawk County.

Optimae LifeServices launches its Optimae Rehabilitation Services division in Des Moines, Iowa’s first outpatient rehabilitation clinic to specialize in providing occupational therapy to individuals with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.

Optimae Home Health Services in southeastern Iowa earns CHAP accreditation for the first time.

Optimae’s executive leadership team, or operations team, initiates its “Forever Listening Tour,” visiting one county office a month, forever.

2018
2019
Optimae adds a mini-golf microbusiness in Ottumwa.

Optimae purchases the historic Hutchison Building in Ottumwa.

Optimae expands community, behavioral health and home health services to Marshall County.

Optimae establishes a Knowledge Acquisition and Transfer team to significantly upgrade all aspects of its training program.

Optimae Behavioral Health adds telepsychiatry services to its offerings for central Iowa.
2019
2020
Optimae expands into Hardin County.

Optimae Behavioral Health Services begins to provide therapy and medication management in Johnson and Washington counties.

Optimae secures a $40,000 grant from the Iowa Employer Innovation Fund to further develop frontline supervisor training.

The Optimae Behavioral Health and Information Technology teams collaborate to bring telehealth services to all areas of the behavioral health division at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020
2021
Optimae earns a three-year, full accreditation from the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for its employee training program.

Optimae Behavioral Health begins to provide mental health crisis assessments to residents of Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Van Buren and Washington counties.

Optimae forms a Recruitment and Retention team and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team and initiative and hires a DEI director. The team and initiative is later expanded and renamed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

DEIB
2021
2022
By securing an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant of $291,000, Optimae funds a data center infrastructure hardware and networking refresh.

Bill Dodds becomes chair of Optimae's board of directors, Sheryl "Sheri" Gill becomes president, Susan Martin becomes chief executive officer, and James Maize becomes chief financial officer. Optimae expands its operations team to include an additional member, Meghan Foster, who becomes chief operating officer of central Iowa services.

Optimae observes Juneteenth as a paid holiday for the first time in the company's history.

Optimae is awarded a Large Workplace Award by the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative organization.
Healthiest State Award
2022
2023
Optimae expands into Dubuque County.

Optimae’s home health divisions in central and southeastern Iowa are awarded a three-year CHAP re-accreditation.

Optimae Behavioral Health is approved as a designated community mental health center (CMHC) for Jefferson County.

Optimae’s Central Iowa Region expands services into Boone County.

Optimae LifeServices joins the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) initiative.
2023
2024
Optimae's Central Iowa Region expands services into Hamilton and Webster counties.

Optimae's community services division begins to provide Intensive Residential Service Home (IRSH) and Transitional Age Youth (TAY) services in central Iowa.
2024