Our Story: Andrea Rich, DNP, RN, CEN, Founder of Taking Care of Mimi
Andrea Rich, DNP, RN, CEN, is the founder of Taking Care of Mimi, a concierge nursing and patient advocacy service in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Andrea Rich, DNP, RN, CEN, Founder & CEO
How It All Began
I have been a nurse for thirty years. Over that time, I have had the privilege of caring for families across a wide variety of settings, most notably the emergency department (where I earned my Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) certification), critical care, and flight nursing. Much of my career was devoted to advocating for children across Arizona and throughout the country, working to ensure that emergency departments are equipped to care for kids no matter where they live. Pediatric emergency preparedness became the focus of my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), with a concentration in Innovative Leadership, and it remains one of the causes closest to my heart.
During my doctoral program, one class required me to develop a business plan. That is the day Taking Care of Mimi was born. And then, as so many ideas do, it went into a file.
Until Mimi passed away in January 2024.
Later that same year, I lost my job. Heartbroken and uncertain about what came next, my mentor said something I will never forget: "Why don't you start the business in honor of your mom, the one from that assignment?" That conversation changed everything. That is the day this became real.
This is where I now sit, across from families who are overwhelmed, exhausted, and trying their best. Wanting to be the advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
My name is Andrea Rich, DNP, RN, CEN, and I am the founder of Taking Care of Mimi.
DNP graduation from ASU, with Mimi by my side.
Rita, known to everyone as Mimi.
This business was founded in honor of my late mother, Rita, known to everyone who loved her as Mimi. She had a complex medical history and was cared for by more than six different specialists. I attended every appointment, managed every medication, and coordinated her care across every provider. We used to say: what do families do when they do not have a "me" to make sure everyone is on the same page?
Every hospital visit seemed to improve one thing while disrupting another, most often her diabetes. It was my role to advocate directly with nurses and physicians for her specific needs. Hospitals are designed to treat patients who fit a standard protocol, and I was there, every single time, to redirect that care toward Mimi as an individual, not a set of guidelines.
Through it all, our goal was always the same: keep her home, with us, where she belonged. We brought Mimi to live with our family so we could care for her ourselves, surround her with love, and ensure she never had to face any of it alone. Home was where she was safest, and we were determined to make that possible.
That is the same commitment we bring to every family we serve. Whether your loved one is at home, in independent living, assisted living, or any other care setting, our goal is the same: thoughtful, consistent, expert coordination so they are safe, supported, and never navigating the healthcare system alone. That question drives everything we do.
That experience showed me, clearly, what families without a clinical advocate are left to face on their own. Taking Care of Mimi exists so that no family has to navigate that alone.
One more thing about Mimi, when I was growing up, she ran her own cleaning business, and she called it A Touch of Class. It was not easy work, and she never pretended otherwise. As a teenager, I worked alongside her, cleaning homes and businesses, watching her build something from nothing. She was teaching us, by example, what it looks like to struggle with grace and create something of your own.
That name is our tagline today, and it means exactly what it meant then. It is a tribute to her work ethic and her grace, and it speaks directly to how we show up for every family we serve.