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Owner, Homecare Companions

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Kristi M. Vitale, MD (formerly Kristi Esses) comes from a diverse heritage, with her father’s family originating from Italy and her mother’s from Latvia. Raised in various countries, including the Dominican Republic and Libya, due to her father’s career as a pilot, Kristi developed a unique worldview early in life. After returning to the United States as a young girl, she completed primary education in Boxford, MA, and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in International Business Studies (Magna Cum Laude) from Babson College in Wellesley, MA, in 1994.

Kristi initially pursued a career in International Business, working with high-tech companies to set up distribution networks in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. She would go on to move to Mobile, Alabama, to support her then-husband in pursuing his career. As she built her life in the Mobile and Baldwin County communities, she would eventually return to school. Finding her calling in medicine. She returned to school at Spring Hill College (2001–2003) to complete her Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Studies and later earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 2008. During this time, Kristi balanced medical school with raising her three young sons, including giving birth to her third child while a second-year medical school student.

Kristi completed her Internship in Pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, finishing in 2010, and previously trained in the Department of Pathology. She would go on to receive her Alabama Medical License.

After gaining significant experience in both business and healthcare, Kristi made the decision to step away from clinical practice to support her then-husband’s vascular surgery career. She played an integral role in building and managing the Vascular Center of Mobile with a catheter-based procedure lab and on-site ultrasound suites. Once her sons became more independent, Kristi sought to pursue a business of her own and was introduced to Sue Alford, the founder of Homecare Companions. On November 1st, 2021, Kristi acquired the business and has since combined her medical expertise and business acumen to continue providing compassionate, personalized in-home care for seniors and disabled adults in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

Kristi is passionate about making a difference in the lives of her clients, ensuring that they receive high-quality, personalized care from a team of dedicated professionals. Outside of work, Kristi enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, being outdoors or on the water, cycling, skiing and being with her dogs.