Maxim Healthcare Names National Award Recipients in Home Healthcare and Behavioral Care

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 21, 2026--

Maxim Healthcare (Maxim), a national provider of continuous skilled nursing services and personal and behavioral care, is proud to announce its National Caregiver of the Year award recipients, recognizing two exceptional individuals whose compassion and dedication exemplify Maxim’s mission to enhance the quality of life for their patients. This year’s national honorees are Sothavy Pfaff (Pfaff), an LVN from San Diego, recognized in the Home Healthcare category, and Mackenzie Leischner (Leischner), a Lead Registered Behavior Technician from Orlando, recognized in the Behavioral Health category. Pfaff and Leischner were honored with the John “Doc” Langley Caregiver of the Year awards during a ceremony in Dallas on April 15, surrounded by their colleagues, fellow nominees and loved ones.

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“Sothavy and Mackenzie represent the very best of who we are as an organization,” said Maxim Healthcare’s Chief Executive Officer, Jarrod DePriest. “Sothavy’s lifelong dedication to her patients and Mackenzie’s transformative impact in behavioral health embody our organization’s mission and values in action. We deeply admire both Sothavy and Mackenzie for their respective years of service and are thrilled to present them both with this much deserved recognition."

Sothavy Pfaff has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to service through her decades-long care for two sisters who have been patients since infancy and are now in their forties. Pfaff’s unwavering dedication gives her patients continuity and dignity in their care, even in the face of industry-wide staffing challenges.

Pfaff provides reliable, compassionate, respectful service, which not only enhances the lives of her patients, but also the entire family. Pfaff’s work makes her patients feel valued and receive the level of care anyone would want for their loved ones. She is described by her patients, who have known Pfaff for more than 35 years, as not only a vital part of their life but also a member of their family.

“Sothavy is one of the most constant, compassionate and supportive figures in my life,” said Janelle Eckardt. “She has supported me through every chapter with a steady hand and a loving heart. Her medical expertise aside, her empathy, humor and dedication to both my sister and me is what truly makes her stand out.”

Pfaff’s commitment to care is not only evident to her patients, but also her fellow nurses. She regularly volunteers to train new caregivers both for Maxim and for a local college’s nursing program. When asked what this recognition means, Pfaff said, “I have always wanted to help others, and I am truly fortunate to call this job my life’s work. Thank you, Maxim, for recognizing me with this incredible honor.”

Mackenzie Leischner has made a profound impact in behavioral health through her leadership, empathy and client-centered approach. As a Lead Registered Behavior Technician for Maxim, she consistently sets the standard for excellence, transforming challenges into meaningful breakthroughs for her clients.

In one notable instance, Leischner helped a newly diagnosed child who was struggling emotionally by meeting the child at their level, sitting on the floor and engaging in play, to build trust. In their work together, she adapted the client’s care plan, and in doing so created a safe, supportive environment. The child’s parents later shared that this interaction with Leischner was the first time they had seen their child smile and connect with someone outside of their family.

“Mackenzie is truly phenomenal,” said Lauren McCastlain, Maxim Clinical Manager. “She begins every session with a smile and develops an easy rapport with her clients. Not only is she the epitome of class and professionalism, she is also truly kind and understanding. Maxim is so lucky to have Mackenzie, and I am confident she will continue to have a positive impact on any client or coworker she engages with.”

Leischner's leadership also extends to her colleagues. She regularly mentors new team members, supporting and coaching them through difficult cases. Her collaborative spirit and innovative thinking foster an environment where both clients and caregivers can thrive. When asked what this national recognition means to her personally, Leischner said, “The nature of our work is delicate, but there is no greater reward than seeing our clients succeed. I am lucky to work for Maxim and very thankful to be honored in this incredibly special way.”

Maxim’s Caregiver of the Year Award program celebrates nurses, home healthcare aides and behavioral direct care workers for their impactful contributions to the home healthcare community. This year’s 15th annual National Caregiver of the Year event, celebrated Pfaff and Leischner, who were selected from hundreds of nominations across the country.

About Maxim Healthcare

For more than 35 years, Maxim Healthcare has been making a difference in patients’ lives by providing excellent service and compassionate care. We offer skilled nursing, personal care, respite care, behavioral care and physical rehabilitation for individuals with chronic and acute illnesses and disabilities. Visit maximhealthcare.com for more information.

Maxim Healthcare Leaders Jarrod DePriest and Kellie Lanier present Sothavy Pfaff, an LVN from San Diego, and Mackenzie Leischner, a Lead Registered Behavior Technician from Orlando, with the National Caregiver of the Year awards. Pfaff and Leischner were honored during a national awards ceremony in Dallas on April 15th.

LONDON (AP) — Apple's next CEO John Ternus is a company veteran who rose through the iPhone maker's hardware engineering ranks but until now has maintained a low profile.

Ternus will take over as chief executive in September for Tim Cook, who turned Apple into a $4 trillion, tech colossus during his 15-year reign after the death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

Ternus, 50, has spent almost his entire career with Apple. He joined the company 25 years ago and has spent the past five years overseeing the engineering that underlies the iPhone, iPad and Mac.

It's made him a prime contender to succeed Cook who on Monday, when Apple announced the change in leadership, hailed Ternus as “without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”

Ternus worked on some of Apple's signature products under Cook, including the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro. He was also involved in the MacBook Neo, "arguably one of the most disruptive products” that Apple has released in a while, said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight.

“This mentorship will undoubtedly ensure a smooth transition, and initially, I expect very few changes to the company’s strategy,” Wood said.

The appointment appeared to be carefully timed, following Apple's 50th anniversary celebrations and ahead of its annual WWDC developers conference in June.

The change also arrives at a pivotal time for the Cupertino, California, company. While Cook led Apple through an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity, Apple has fallen behind in the artificial intelligence race. Apple has stumbled in its efforts to deliver new features built on AI, as was promised nearly two years ago.

“The challenge for the new CEO is really to make sure Apple is able to crack AI as the new user interface and reinvent human machine interaction," Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said.

Wood says attention at WWDC will be on the new CEO's AI strategy, and what the company will do next after turning earlier this year to Google — an early leader in the AI race — to help make the iPhone’s virtual assistant Siri more conversational and versatile.

“A big strategic question is how far Apple will invest in building its own AI platform versus relying on other companies’ models and platforms,” Wood said.

Ternus will also be tested by host of other challenges that don't involve his expertise in hardware.

“Apple faces a turbulent market amid geopolitical uncertainty and macroeconomic pressures,” Wood said. “The consumer electronics industry faces a perfect storm, with memory chip shortages and the war in the Middle East having widespread implications for consumer confidence. Apple will also need to decide how much it wants to continue its deep reliance on China for manufacturing.”

Ternus is not well known outside of the Apple universe. He joined the company in July 2001, according to his LinkedIn profile, which does not have any posts.

Before joining Apple, he spent four years as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He graduated in 1997 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the swim team and for his senior project developed a mechanical feeding arm for quadriplegics controlled by head movements.

In a 2024 commencement speech to the university's engineering school, Ternus said he was intimidated when he first started working at Apple and wasn't sure he belonged. He learned to “always assume you’re as smart as anyone else in the room but never assume you know as much as they do.”

“There will always be new skills to master and new people to learn from,” he said.

Ternus said in Apple's announcement that he was "humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”

FILE - Apple's John Ternus speaks during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., Monday, June 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)