Griswold, the over 170-unit franchise that is one of the first non-medical home care franchises in the U.S., is an organization full of shining stars and operators committed to making a real difference in their communities. Lesley Mills, the New Haven, Connecticut-based franchisee, is a prime example. Mills has not only successfully managed five territories in the state for almost three decades, securing a spot among the top 10 Griswold franchisees nationwide, but has also emerged as a luminary in the healthcare industry. Now, retiring from her illustrious career, Mills leaves behind an impressive legacy that continues to echo within the walls of her Griswold franchises and community. This is her inspiring story..
Born in England, Mills originally came over to the U.S. with her family at the age of 13. “I felt very out of place and wanted to go home,” she said. “My father told me he would never tell me what to do with my money. That was all I needed to hear. From an early age, I collected bottles, did house cleaning, and took up ironing. I sold everything door-to-door, from greeting cards to seeds. I knew how much money I would need to go back in four years and tracked my money every week.”
Despite returning to England intermittently, Mills eventually ended up in New Haven and was educated at Yale University in Health Services Research. Her early career was marked by her involvement in medical research with statistics at Yale, developing DRGs (Diagnosis Related Groups).
“We were predicting what hospitals should be paid for their services by Medicare,” said Mills. “We received federal grants and it took us 14 years, but we developed computer languages that doctors could interact with to analyze very large databases. Through that, we determined 320 or so definitions of patient groups that the Medicare system could utilize.”
Today, DRGs are still the national Medicare hospital reimbursement system. DRGs have evolved into methodologies for insurance companies and others, for cost control, utilization and quality review. This impressive achievement proved to be just the beginning of Mills’ long and fruitful commitment to innovating within the healthcare industry.
Mills eventually invited her grandfather to come live with her and her new husband in New Haven, as her grandmother passed away five months after Mills arrived in the US and Mills wanted to make sure that he was doing alright. She had been born in her grandparents home and had a very close relationship with them, so this transition felt natural. “My grandfather was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” said Mills. “I looked after him until the end. Shortly afterwards, my father died and I brought my mother to live near me, and then she also died of Alzheimer’s.”
Her experiences looking after her family members and witnessing their Alzheimer’s progression, along with her growing passion for eldercare, motivated her to look into the Griswold franchise opportunity. Founded in 1982, Griswold is backed by over 40 years of experience providing quality home care to the elderly, disabled adults and individuals recovering from illnesses. Griswold was founded by Dr. Jean Griswold, a senior care professional who had multiple sclerosis (MS) and recognized firsthand that the elderly often lack the assistance they need to remain independent at home.
“Just like when Dr. Jean Griswold and her husband Rev. Griswold created the business,” said Mills, “the primary objective was to provide good jobs for good people in their parish, and simultaneously, provide non-nursing care to those who couldn’t afford, or didn’t want, to go into assisted living or a nursing home.”
In 1993, Mills signed on to open five Griswold offices in Connecticut and never looked back. In the nearly 30 years since franchising with the brand, she has become one of the most successful and tenured owners in the system.
Although Mills has witnessed numerous changes and challenges in the senior care industry over the years, her mission has always stayed the same — provide care to those in need and help caregivers follow their passion.
"Interacting with our caregivers has been such an important part of the experience for my staff,” said Mills. “We’ve built a terrific staff and many of them have been with us for over 20 years. Getting to know those people and what they would do for the mission has been so inspiring. They do what they need to do to get the work done. They are loyal and wonderful people, and I will cherish our relationships for the rest of my life.”
Mills' passion emphasizes Griswold’s simple philosophy: Live Assured. Clients live assured they have the care they need to live life to its fullest. Families live assured that their loved ones are being cared for so they can live a worry-free life. Caregivers live assured that they work with a company that cares about them and their well-being. Employees live assured that they work for a company with a solid foundation and bright future. The community lives assured that Griswold is there to support those members who need help, thereby making the community a happier, healthier place to live.
Mills has become a true pioneer and thought-leader in the world of both business and health care, which she explains is in large part due to her experience with Griswold. She has published and presented papers for the CT Alzheimer’s Association, Parkinson’s Association, Yale University Women, National Meeting GHC, Senior Go To Guide, CT Dept Public Health and more. She has also been a keynote speaker nationally and internationally for groups including the National Medical Records Association, State Medical Societies, Professional Standards Review Organizations, State Hospital Associations, the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization.
Even beyond her commitment to Griswold, Mills has made significant philanthropic contributions, donating over $2 million for the Aging and Medical Enterprises and Immigrant support groups in New Haven. In 2000, Mills established the "LifeTales" trust, a grant program, which offered aspiring writers an opportunity to write about elders' stories. In 2011, she endowed the Yale School of Nursing's creative writing program, nurturing the next generation of empathetic caregivers. More recently, Mills was part of a commision that aimed to require more government oversight in the payment for healthcare.
All of this hard work certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Her professional honors include: the national Small Business Association’s CT Small Business of the Year, 2001 International Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year; the 2005 National Association of Women Business Owners, Connecticut Business of the Year, the 2008 Corporate Citizen of the Year by Business New Haven Magazine, 1999 Business Leader of the Year by the New Haven Chamber of Commerce and more.
“I couldn’t have achieved any of those things without Griswold,” Mills said. “They really supported me and gave me the foundation to branch out into different ventures. It has been an amazing experience, and I am very proud to have been a part of the Griswold family.”
Now, as she steps into retirement, Mills plans to focus on writing and spending more time with her family, including her four grandchildren. Her expansive career at Griswold, coupled with her numerous philanthropic endeavors and support of healthcare reform, have left an indelible mark on her community. As Mills prepares to hand over her franchises to a neighboring owner, it's clear that her legacy will continue to influence and inspire for many years to come.
“Lesley's journey is a testament to her indomitable spirit, her relentless pursuit of her mission and her enduring belief in the power of care,” said Mike Slupecki, CEO of Griswold. “As she retires, the Griswold community extends its heartfelt gratitude for her decades of service and wishes her well for the next chapter of her life.”
Franchise opportunities range from $95,850 to $174,100 including a $49,500 franchise fee. For more information about franchising with Griswold, please visit https://www.griswoldhomecare.com/franchising/investment-info/.
Griswold
SPONSORED
As one of the most successful franchise owners in the Griswold system, Mills has not only altered the senior care landscape in her community of New Haven, but has also acted as a significant thought-leader in the healthcare industry at large.
Griswold, the over 170-unit franchise that is one of the first non-medical home care franchises in the U.S., is an organization full of shining stars and operators committed to making a real difference in their communities. Lesley Mills, the New Haven, Connecticut-based franchisee, is a prime example. Mills has not only successfully managed five territories in the state for almost three decades, securing a spot among the top 10 Griswold franchisees nationwide, but has also emerged as a luminary in the healthcare industry. Now, retiring from her illustrious career, Mills leaves behind an impressive legacy that continues to echo within the walls of her Griswold franchises and community. This is her inspiring story..
Born in England, Mills originally came over to the U.S. with her family at the age of 13. “I felt very out of place and wanted to go home,” she said. “My father told me he would never tell me what to do with my money. That was all I needed to hear. From an early age, I collected bottles, did house cleaning, and took up ironing. I sold everything door-to-door, from greeting cards to seeds. I knew how much money I would need to go back in four years and tracked my money every week.”
Despite returning to England intermittently, Mills eventually ended up in New Haven and was educated at Yale University in Health Services Research. Her early career was marked by her involvement in medical research with statistics at Yale, developing DRGs (Diagnosis Related Groups).
“We were predicting what hospitals should be paid for their services by Medicare,” said Mills. “We received federal grants and it took us 14 years, but we developed computer languages that doctors could interact with to analyze very large databases. Through that, we determined 320 or so definitions of patient groups that the Medicare system could utilize.”
Today, DRGs are still the national Medicare hospital reimbursement system. DRGs have evolved into methodologies for insurance companies and others, for cost control, utilization and quality review. This impressive achievement proved to be just the beginning of Mills’ long and fruitful commitment to innovating within the healthcare industry.
Mills eventually invited her grandfather to come live with her and her new husband in New Haven, as her grandmother passed away five months after Mills arrived in the US and Mills wanted to make sure that he was doing alright. She had been born in her grandparents home and had a very close relationship with them, so this transition felt natural. “My grandfather was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” said Mills. “I looked after him until the end. Shortly afterwards, my father died and I brought my mother to live near me, and then she also died of Alzheimer’s.”
Her experiences looking after her family members and witnessing their Alzheimer’s progression, along with her growing passion for eldercare, motivated her to look into the Griswold franchise opportunity. Founded in 1982, Griswold is backed by over 40 years of experience providing quality home care to the elderly, disabled adults and individuals recovering from illnesses. Griswold was founded by Dr. Jean Griswold, a senior care professional who had multiple sclerosis (MS) and recognized firsthand that the elderly often lack the assistance they need to remain independent at home.
“Just like when Dr. Jean Griswold and her husband Rev. Griswold created the business,” said Mills, “the primary objective was to provide good jobs for good people in their parish, and simultaneously, provide non-nursing care to those who couldn’t afford, or didn’t want, to go into assisted living or a nursing home.”
In 1993, Mills signed on to open five Griswold offices in Connecticut and never looked back. In the nearly 30 years since franchising with the brand, she has become one of the most successful and tenured owners in the system.
Although Mills has witnessed numerous changes and challenges in the senior care industry over the years, her mission has always stayed the same — provide care to those in need and help caregivers follow their passion.
"Interacting with our caregivers has been such an important part of the experience for my staff,” said Mills. “We’ve built a terrific staff and many of them have been with us for over 20 years. Getting to know those people and what they would do for the mission has been so inspiring. They do what they need to do to get the work done. They are loyal and wonderful people, and I will cherish our relationships for the rest of my life.”
Mills' passion emphasizes Griswold’s simple philosophy: Live Assured. Clients live assured they have the care they need to live life to its fullest. Families live assured that their loved ones are being cared for so they can live a worry-free life. Caregivers live assured that they work with a company that cares about them and their well-being. Employees live assured that they work for a company with a solid foundation and bright future. The community lives assured that Griswold is there to support those members who need help, thereby making the community a happier, healthier place to live.
Mills has become a true pioneer and thought-leader in the world of both business and health care, which she explains is in large part due to her experience with Griswold. She has published and presented papers for the CT Alzheimer’s Association, Parkinson’s Association, Yale University Women, National Meeting GHC, Senior Go To Guide, CT Dept Public Health and more. She has also been a keynote speaker nationally and internationally for groups including the National Medical Records Association, State Medical Societies, Professional Standards Review Organizations, State Hospital Associations, the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization.
Even beyond her commitment to Griswold, Mills has made significant philanthropic contributions, donating over $2 million for the Aging and Medical Enterprises and Immigrant support groups in New Haven. In 2000, Mills established the "LifeTales" trust, a grant program, which offered aspiring writers an opportunity to write about elders' stories. In 2011, she endowed the Yale School of Nursing's creative writing program, nurturing the next generation of empathetic caregivers. More recently, Mills was part of a commision that aimed to require more government oversight in the payment for healthcare.
All of this hard work certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Her professional honors include: the national Small Business Association’s CT Small Business of the Year, 2001 International Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year; the 2005 National Association of Women Business Owners, Connecticut Business of the Year, the 2008 Corporate Citizen of the Year by Business New Haven Magazine, 1999 Business Leader of the Year by the New Haven Chamber of Commerce and more.
“I couldn’t have achieved any of those things without Griswold,” Mills said. “They really supported me and gave me the foundation to branch out into different ventures. It has been an amazing experience, and I am very proud to have been a part of the Griswold family.”
Now, as she steps into retirement, Mills plans to focus on writing and spending more time with her family, including her four grandchildren. Her expansive career at Griswold, coupled with her numerous philanthropic endeavors and support of healthcare reform, have left an indelible mark on her community. As Mills prepares to hand over her franchises to a neighboring owner, it's clear that her legacy will continue to influence and inspire for many years to come.
“Lesley's journey is a testament to her indomitable spirit, her relentless pursuit of her mission and her enduring belief in the power of care,” said Mike Slupecki, CEO of Griswold. “As she retires, the Griswold community extends its heartfelt gratitude for her decades of service and wishes her well for the next chapter of her life.”
Franchise opportunities range from $95,850 to $174,100 including a $49,500 franchise fee. For more information about franchising with Griswold, please visit https://www.griswoldhomecare.com/franchising/investment-info/.
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