ARLINGTON, Texas—HomeWell Care Services announced Soonhee Phillips, a caregiver from HomeWell Care Services in Anchorage, Alaska, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Heart of HomeWell Award—the brand’s annual award presented to one caregiver across its national franchise network. Phillips received the award during HomeWell’s 2026 national conference, held last month at Live! by Loews in Arlington, Texas.
“Caregivers like Soonhee represent the very best of HomeWell,” said Crystal Franz, CEO of HomeWell Franchising LLC, the franchisor of HomeWell Care Services. “The Heart of HomeWell isn’t just about what our caregivers do—it’s about who they are. It’s about the way they show up in life’s most vulnerable moments—when families are overwhelmed, when a diagnosis changes everything or when someone simply needs to know they’re not alone.”
HomeWell said Phillips was recognized for her compassion, consistency and unwavering commitment to the clients and families she serves. Throughout her time with HomeWell, Phillips has advocated for clients across care settings, supporting families through emotionally difficult moments and delivering care with dignity, empathy and respect. The company said she is also known for elevating those around her, serving as a trusted leader and role model among fellow caregivers.
As noted during the conference awards presentation, Phillips’s influence was first recognized when she was matched with an elderly client living with advanced dementia. This client had been referred through Adult Protective Services and was experiencing significant behavioral challenges. Previous caregivers had struggled to connect with the client, but through patience, cultural understanding and a calm, steady presence, Phillips built trust and helped significantly improve the client’s quality of life.
“The cases that Soonhee works tend to be high-need clients," said Josh Frommer, owner HomeWell Care Services in Anchorage. "When she’s part of the care team, everyone around her does better work because she’s there. She’s the captain of the team, and the other caregivers respect her. My greatest takeaway from this experience is seeing Soonhee win an award that I know she deserves and that was a long time coming.”
“Fourteen years I’ve worked at HomeWell, and still, when they give me a tough client—I’m excited,” said Phillips. “I like the challenge, and I try to be my best.”
Speaking about the clients she has served over the years, Phillips said, “I learned so much from them—it’s not that only I gave something to them; they gave something to me.”
Phillips was selected among three finalists recognized during the awards ceremony, alongside Cynthia Thomas of HomeWell Care Services in Evans, Georgia and Leekyra Demostene of HomeWell Care Services in Carmel, Indiana.