Meet Katie Cortes | CEO of KCare

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Cortes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what do you attribute your success to?
Hands down the most important factor behind KCare’s success to date is our commitment to our team and culture. Our people are the company’s most valuable asset. We’re able to better support our customers and accomplish much more with an engaged and motivated team.

Since I joined as KCare’s CEO in 2020, we have worked incredibly hard to invest in our culture while rapidly growing the team. We more than doubled headcount while making drastic improvements to our employee engagement and net promoter scores each quarter. We now have over 100 mission-driven team members who live our core values daily, work hard to hit our ambitious goals, and laugh with each other along the way. I have so much fun working with this team and am incredibly excited about what we’ll accomplish together next.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
KCare is committed to driving positive outcomes for children and families through technology. We build software for providers operating across community mental health and child welfare with our suite of solutions (Exym, extendedReach, and Stabilify). Our Exym behavioral health EHR solution has a strong presence in LA County, with billing functionality that was developed to meet California’s unique electronic data interchange requirements. Exym was built by local industry experts who understand the state’s infrastructure and we partner local regulatory bodies to ensure that we are staying up to date with evolving California requirements.

The KCare team has been in our customers’ shoes, bringing substantial prior experience in clinical, technical, and administrative roles with providers. Our customers have some of the hardest and most important jobs that exist. We’re here to make their jobs easier and more efficient with KCare technology, so they can spend more time with clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is so much to do in Los Angeles, the trickiest part is choosing activities and restaurants that don’t have you running all over the city, as LA is home to some of the worst traffic in the country. I would recommend breaking up days by area.

On the west side, brunch at Elephante is a must, followed by a beach day in Santa Monica. While Los Angeles isn’t known for its pizza, Lodge Bread has fantastic pizza and baked goods. Ramen fans should check out Killer Noodle in Sawtelle, which has a cult following for its Tokyo-style ramen. Be ready for a wait, but it’s so, so worth it.

If you’re heading downtown for a more “big city” feel with skyscrapers and decent public transportation (at least for LA standards), the Broad is a fantastic contemporary museum featuring Warhol to Yayoi Kusama. The Last Bookstore is a unique, multilevel record and bookstore featuring local artwork, highly recommend. And, for a night out, Death & Co. serves creative craft cocktails with a speakeasy vibe.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m grateful to have such an extraordinary community of supporters who help me do my job better. My husband, who is my favorite brainstorming partner and an impressive leader in his career, reminds me to prioritize self-care and is an equal (often more than equal) partner in managing our home life. My parents, who sparked my early interest in child welfare and mental health, always modeled a growth mindset as entrepreneurs and made me honestly believe that I could accomplish anything. My therapist, who helps me step into my confidence and manage the stress of this role. And an incredible group of women (colleagues, mentors, friends) who inspire me with their stories, challenge my thinking and make me laugh constantly.

Website: k-care.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynleininger/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekatiecortes

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/kcaresoftware/