Ann Baiada, co‑founder of Bayada Home Health Care with her husband Mark, has been a devoted supporter of the IHM community for many years — a commitment that began in first grade at Immaculate Conception School in East Germantown, where she met Sister Miriam Irene Keenan. Ann, an early reader, quickly became Sister Keenan’s little helper, running errands and operating the mimeograph machine in the principal’s office. Their bond lasted a lifetime, and Ann continued visiting Sister Keenan at Camilla Hall until her passing in 2020.
That early connection shaped Ann’s deep appreciation for the IHM sisters and their lifelong service. She has remained closely involved with the community, even donating a wing of Camilla Hall in Sister Keenan’s honor. “The sisters all over America have made such an unbelievable impact,” she says. “Hospitals, schools, missions — they sacrifice their whole lives for us. I think everybody who was taught by a sister should remember that and give back.”
Ann’s admiration is shared by her husband, Mark, whose own education was shaped by Franciscan sisters. Together they often reflect on the influence of the congregations who taught them — the St. Joseph Sisters, the Grey Nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Ann credits those formative years with helping guide them toward the lives of service and philanthropy they lead today. “They were determined to set us off on the right path, and they did,” she says. “And I think we should honor them and take care of them.”