It’s probably a safe bet none of the senior living professionals in this edition of Movers & Shakers will win Quicken Loan’s $1 billion prize for a perfect March Madness bracket, but they have plenty to celebrate anyway with plenty of promotions, new positions, and professional recognitions.
Looking for a new job, or even a new career? Check out senior housing employment opportunities nationwide on SHN’s job board, with Ecumen, Inverness at Home, and Blake Management Group among the senior living employers who are currently hiring.
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NHI’s Hutchens Makes Forbes Most Powerful CEOs Under 40 List
A healthcare REIT CEO is in good company after being named to Forbes’ annual young CEO power ranking, America’s Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under.
Topped by Google’s Larry Page, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer, National Health Investors, Inc.’s CEO Justin Hutchens ranked #18 on the 2014 list.
Hutchens, 39, runs the $2.1 billion market cap NHI, headquartered near Nashville, Tenn. This is the third year in a row he has made the list.
The Lasalle Group Names Joseph Jasmon as Chief Operating Officer
The LaSalle Group, Inc. has announced the appointment of Joseph E. Jasmon as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer. The creation of this new position was important in the overall scope of the organization and its focus for 2014 and beyond due to the amount of growth that the company is experiencing. In this capacity, Jasmon will provide operational leadership to The LaSalle Group, which builds and owns Autumn Leaves® memory care communities across the country; as well as oversee The LaSalle Group’s four divisions: Winfield Design, LLC; MWW Development, LLC; Lake Superior Contracting, LP and Constant Care Family Management.
As Chief Operating Officer, Jasmon will also participate as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, focusing on strategic initiatives for the overall company. Additionally he will direct and oversee the expansion efforts of the business, as well as research and develop new business opportunities in conjunction with the strategic vision of the CEO and long term goals of the company.
Jasmon joins The LaSalle Group from American Healthcare Management Group (AHMG) where he served as managing partner. During his time at AHMG, Jasmon served as Chief Implementation Officer for Good Shepherd Health System in Longview, Texas. Prior to that, Jasmon served as Executive Vice President/COO for Renown Health System and Executive Vice President/COO at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, both located in Reno, Nevada. Additional leadership roles with Caritas Christi Healthcare System, Memorial Health System and Quorum Health Resources, round out Jasmon’s 25+ years of experience in operational improvement and optimization of resources.
He earned both his Bachelor of Arts degree and Masters of Business Administration at the University of Illinois and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Medical Group Management Association.
Oak Trace Adds New Director of Nursing, Medical Director
Oak Trace senior living community recently welcomed Medical Director Dr. Pranjal Shah and Director of Nursing Josie Enriquez to its health services team. Shah and Enriquez add to the experience and quality of care offered in Oak Trace Health Services, which includes memory support, skilled care, catered living and short-term rehabilitation. The Health Center serves Oak Trace residents as well as residents of the greater community in need of short- and long-term care.
Dr. Shah, who also currently practices at the Woodridge Clinic in Woodridge, Illinois, oversees all health services residents and monitors their medical care through the continuum of care offered at Oak Trace.
Oak Trace also welcomed Josie Enriquez as the new director of nursing. Enriquez, whose background is in long-term care, oversees all day-to-day activities with nurses and residents. Enriquez also educates and trains nurses and residents’ families in preventive care. Previously, Enriquez was director of nursing at The Assisi Health Center at Clare Oaks.
The introduction of Enriquez and Shah to Oak Trace is another step toward increasing acuity levels they can serve, as well as quality of care for residents. The senior living community has built a staff of experienced specialists, so residents don’t have to leave the community for high-quality health care services. Through the addition of these various specialists, the Oak Trace Health Center offers accelerated services to get residents back to their previous quality of life even faster following an illness, injury or surgery.
Presbyterian Retirement Communities Northwest Names New President & CEO
Presbyterian Retirement Communities Northwest recently announced that Torsten Hirche will join the organization as the president and chief executive officer on March 31, 2014. Mr. Hirche brings more than 13 years of executive experience to his new role, including ten in the senior living business. He will oversee the strategic direction and growth of PRCN and its three communities: Park Shore, Exeter House, and Skyline at First Hill.
Hirche is currently the senior executive director at Oakmont Senior Living in Santa Rosa, California. From 2005 to 2012, he served in senior executive roles with Pacific Retirement Services in Medford, Oregon.
Torsten, who is originally from Germany, holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration, both from Southern Oregon University. He also received a bachelor’s degree in international tourism studies from Hochschule Harz, University of Applied Sciences in Wernigerode, Germany. He is a member of Rotary International and a licensed Nursing Home Administrator and Preceptor.
OnShift Honors Senior Living Scheduler Award Recipients
OnShift, the leader in web-based staff scheduling and labor management software for long-term care and senior living, recently announced winners of the third annual OnShift Scheduler of the Year Awards. OnShift customers from across the country submitted nominations to recognize members of their team who are responsible for employee scheduling within their communities.
This year’s winners were selected based on their work to drive results through staff scheduling, including increasing employee morale, lowering overtime, saving time, and improving quality care through proper staffing. The recipients demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that schedules are right for both the organization and staff, blend flexibility, accountability and consistency in the day-to-day scheduling process, and exemplify commitment to scheduling and labor management.
The OnShift Scheduler of the Year Award winners are:
Lisa Battistelli, Osprey Village, Senior Living Communities
Shawna Garwood, Celina Manor, HCF Management Inc.
Chuck Hillier, Altercare of Mentor Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing Care, Altercare of Ohio
Beth Secord, Burcham Hills, Brookdale Senior Living
Hailey Wetherbee, Kendal at Hanover, The Kendal Corporation
Lynn Zeman, Tudor Oaks, American Baptist Homes of the Midwest
In addition, OnShift recognizes an “OnShift Champion” for creativity in scheduling practices and driving employee adoption of OnShift, which has helped support a culture to better serve employees and their residents.
Audrey Toepper, National Church Residences Mill Run, National Church Residences
Mark Longenecker Joins Oak Trace Community as Executive Director
Oak Trace has announced Mark Longenecker as its new executive director where he will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the entire senior living community, including dining, marketing, health services and activities. Longenecker brings nearly 20 years in senior living leadership to Oak Trace.
Before joining Oak Trace, Longenecker worked as the senior vice president of operations for three years at Christian Homes Inc., a senior living organization based in the Midwest. He also previously held senior leadership positions at Extendicare Health Services and Golden Living Senior Care.
Longenecker’s first major project at Oak Trace was for the community’s Health Center to join a Post-Acute Network and become an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Because Oak Trace is a continuing care retirement community, residents who first live in independent living have priority access to on-site health care, if they ever need it. The ACO designation ensures residents would receive high-quality care on site, with the convenient option of not having to leave the community for preventive treatment and regular physician appointments. As an ACO, Oak Trace will also reduce rehospitalization rates, collaborate with local specialists and improve care standards.
Corridor Group Appoints New VP to Lead Post-Acute Services Consulting Arm
The Corridor Group, a provider of compliance, consulting, coding, talent and education solutions to post-acute healthcare organizations, has announced the appointment of Marsha Lambert, MSN, PHN to the position of Vice President, leading TCG’s national consulting services practices and capabilities. Lambert will work in collaboration with TCG’s existing leadership team and report to Des Varady, President and COO.
Lambert joins TCG with an extensive background in healthcare consulting and compliance. Previously, she served as Chief Compliance Officer at AccentCare, and spent more than eight years leading a consulting team at Heartland Home Health Care and Hospice. She is a Registered Nurse with thorough, hands-on clinical and business knowledge in hospice, home health and other key services areas of the post-acute healthcare continuum.
Having such broad experience within organizations similar to those that TCG serves, Lambert is well positioned to assist clients with regulatory compliance and the emerging opportunities of the post-acute market. At TCG, she will be responsible for fortifying, expanding and integrating TCG’s current and future portfolio of consulting and transitional management service offerings.
NIC Hires Beth Burnham Mace as Chief Economist
Beth Burnham Mace has become NIC’s and the seniors housing and care industry’s first-ever Chief Economist. In this new position, which she began March 10, Burnham Mace also serves as Director of Capital Markets Outreach. Her economic forecasting experience spans more than 25 years.
Prior to joining NIC, Burnham Mace was a Director with AEW Capital Management in AEW’s Research Group. She worked with the firm’s Direct Investment Group to provide primary research support to its core and value-added investment strategies and supported the group in underwriting, asset and portfolio management decisions.
In addition to Burnham Mace assisting NIC with its mission to facilitate informed investment decisions in the seniors housing and care industry through outreach to the capital markets, she will collaborate with NIC’s research and analytics team in the development of data products, the shaping of analytics, and advancing NIC’s research initiatives.
As a member of NIC’s Board of Directors and chair of NIC’s Research Committee and as one of the organization’s most active volunteer leaders, Burnham Mace is already familiar with NIC and plans to capitalize on her previous accomplishments. In these roles, Mace helped developed NIC MAP’s seniors housing and care property type definitions, led NCREIF’s initiative for seniors housing investment performance indices, and initiated NIC’s strategic alliance with Real Capital Analytics (RCA) for the reporting of property sales transactions data.
In her position of Chief Economist and Director, Capital Markets Outreach, Burnham Mace will serve as a member of NIC’s Senior Management Team and will report to the President.
Pathway Senior Living Names Lynn Bunnell Regional Community Life Manager
Des Plaines, Ill.-based Pathway Senior Living has named Lynn Bunnell regional community life manager. In this role, she will oversee the overall programming and approach to daily living that supports Pathway’s VIVA! philosophy, which provides seniors with opportunities to “live life to the fullest.”
Bunnell has more than 30 years of experience working in areas such as long-term care with senior adults, in-patient and partial-hospital mental health and chemical dependency programs, and community programs for all ages.
She is a certified therapeutic recreational specialist, with more than 20 years of experience as a certified drug and alcohol counselor.
Bunnell has bachelor’s degrees in both therapeutic recreation and psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in adult education from Northern Illinois University.
Bunnell worked most recently as an activities consultant, providing support to activity directors in long-term care facilities to help them improve programs and comply with regulatory standards.
Roland Park CCRC Welcomes Two to Board of Directors
Roland Park Place, a not-for-profit CCRC in Baltimore, recently announced the appointments of Joseph B. Smith, Jr. and Leslie R. Simmons to its board of 15.
Joseph B. Smith, Jr. was unanimously elected to begin his first three-year term as a board member on February 7, 2014. He is the Vice President of Finance at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. A certified public accountant in the state of Maryland, Smith also earned his MBA from Loyola University Maryland and is a member of both the Maryland Hospital Association and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. With more than 20 years of experience in health care financial management, Smith’s extensive background in strategic planning, budgeting and financial reporting will add valuable experience and perspective to the RPP Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors for MedBank of Maryland, as well as the Accounting Advisory Board for Loyola University Maryland.
Leslie R. Simmons, President of the Carroll Hospital Center, also began her first three-year term as a board member on February 7, 2014 after serving a partial two-month term beginning in December, 2013. Simmons brings more than 24 years of diverse experience in the healthcare industry to the board, including knowledge of hospital operations, management and quality improvement. Voted as one of The Daily Record’s “Top 100 Women” in 2012, she holds a bachelor of science in nursing degree and a master’s degree in management from the Notre Dame of Maryland University (formerly known as the College of Notre Dame of Maryland). Simmons is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves as a member of the Council on Clinical & Quality Issues at the Maryland Hospital Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Central Maryland.
The LaSalle Group Appoints David Starr as VP and General Counsel
Memory care community developer, builder, owner and manager The LaSalle Group has announced the appointment of David Starr as Vice President and General Counsel. Starr will oversee the legal department which services The LaSalle Group and its four divisions: Winfield Design, LLC; MWW Development, LLC; Lake Superior Contracting, LP; and Constant Care Family Management; as well as The LaSalle Group’s Autumn Leaves memory care assisted living communities and other businesses throughout the country.
Starr will lead the legal team in the oversight of transactional start-up through day-to-day operations and ensuring that all company legal and regulatory matters are maintained at the highest level. Starr will also oversee the company’s risk management program and will serve as Corporate Secretary.
Starr joins The LaSalle Group from Belo Corp., one of the nation’s largest media companies, where he served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. Prior to his time with Belo, Starr served as in-house counsel for American Airlines and as an attorney with the international law firm of White & Case. Starr is licensed to practice in the states of Texas, California and New York.
North Hill Hires New Director of Sales and New VP of Marketing
Massachusetts senior living community North Hills has hired Paul Duffy as Vice President of Marketing and Maria Hutchings as Director of Sales.
Previously Duffy served as a consultant for North Hill, leading the development of award-winning, innovative programs offered at the community including the nationally recognized “True North Courses & Events.” As VP of Marketing, Duffy will be responsible for the oversight of internal and external marketing initiatives.
Hutchings brings years of senior living sales experience to her new position, and will be responsible for achieving sales and occupancy goals for the community. She first joined the North Hill as a Sales Associate in 2012. She will oversee the sales team and be responsible for achieving established occupancy goals.
Lifespace Communities CCRC Names Leon Bahlmann as New Executive Chef
Leon Bahlmann is the new executive chef at Claridge Court, a Lifespace Communities senior living community in Prairie Village. Bahlmann is well known throughout the Kansas City area, with a culinary background that includes experience at Café Trio, Café Maison, Frondizi’s Ristorante, Plaza III Steakhouse and Ritz-Carlton.
At Claridge Court, Bahlmann is responsible for creating inventive, upscale menus and dishes for the community’s multiple dining venues. These include a bistro, restaurant-style dining room and a private dining room, with menu options that change daily. He also manages the 13-member culinary team, along with Sous-Chef Will Whiting.
Bahlmann’s culinary education is based on classic French cooking and modern American cuisine, giving his food a unique blend of international flavors. He experiments with seafood, pasta dishes and sandwiches. Bahlmann was trained at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Prestige Care Exec Appointed to Governor’s Board of Nursing Home Admins
Prestige Care’s regional director of operations Buffy Howard has been appointed to the Washington State Board of Nursing Home Administrators (BNHA) by Gov. Jay Inslee.
The nine-person board consists of administrators and health care professionals from various skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers across the state. Members of the board work to protect the public’s health and safety by regulating the competency and quality of skilled nursing administrators in Washington state.
Candidates for the BNHA go through a rigorous application and selection process where they must demonstrate their experience, industry knowledge and qualifications for the role. Other factors like community service activities and membership in civic or professional organizations is also taken into consideration. The governor reviews candidate applications and determines the final selection.
Howard has 20 years of experience in long term care, including 15 years as a licensed nursing home administrator. Throughout her career, she has paved the way for her communities to receive exemplary reviews from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, developed successful outpatient therapy programs, decreased re-hospitalization rates and improved resident and employee satisfaction.
In addition to her established success in her role as a skilled nursing administrator, Howard has proven her commitment to skilled nursing in Washington state by serving in a number of civic organizations, such as the WA Hospital Initiative, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Washington Healthcare Association and the Washington Health Care Administration.
ConnectedLiving CEO Sarah HOIT Honored as 2014 Woman to Watch
Mass High Tech announced that it has named Sarah Hoit, CEO of ConnectedLiving, as one of the 20 recipients of its 2014 Women to Watch Awards. Hoit, along with fellow award winners, was selected based on her entrepreneurial drive and influence and mentorship within the Boston community.
Hoit is the co-founder and CEO of ConnectedLiving, a company that is using technology to change the experience of aging, helping older adults get online in a fun, secure, easy and social way. ConnectedLiving is the senior living industry’s leading resident, family and staff engagement solution. The company currently serves 35,000 seniors in 30 states and more than 300 communities across the range of senior living communities. By combining senior-focused technology with the personal training and support to ensure adoption, ConnectedLiving is enriching the lives of seniors, their family members, and caregivers around the country.
PCS Appoints Dr. On a Nwosu as Medical Director for Hospice Division
Presbyterian Communities and Services, a faith-based nonprofit organization comprised of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and hospice services, has named Dr. Ona Nwosu as medical director for Faith Presbyterian Hospice, the largest non-profit hospice in Dallas.
Dr. Nwosu received her doctorate degree from University of Nigeria’s College of Medicine, and spent the first five years of her career as a general practice physician at various hospitals in Nigeria. In 2001, she moved to New York and began an internal medicine internship and residency at the Columbia University affiliated Harlem Hospital Center. During this time, she was trained in acute care, including rotations through the emergency room at Harlem Hospital Center, one of the busiest emergency rooms in the nation.
Upon completing her residency, Nwosu moved to Houston in 2005 and worked for six years as a hospitalist for Inpatient Consultants of Texas (IPC). She then received her hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Here, she gained more experience in inpatient hospice care at Dallas VA Medical Center.
As medical director, Dr. Nwosu will be responsible for the clinical and medical management of patients and families with five physicians reporting directly to her. She will ensure the compliance of Faith Presbyterian Hospice’s services, define standards of care and ensure staff is up-to-date on current research. Dr. Nwosu will also complete patient visits for those residents who have eligibility concerns or a more challenging medical situation. As overseer of hospice and palliative care, she will manage an average of 200 patient cases daily.
The Arbors of Bedford Welcomes Lori Dodge as Executive Director
The Arbors of Bedford recently named Lori S. Dodge as its new Executive Director, effective March 17th. Dodge has enormous experience working with seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other memory issues, along with helping their families to cope with and manage their loved ones’ care.
Dodge spent the past eight years at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua, where she was the Director of Senior Services, while overseeing the Senior Adult Mental Health department. Her career has spanned the gamut of senior health and wellbeing, while leading St. Joseph’s to becoming the first New Hampshire hospital given the prestigious NICHE designation, as an institution committed to delivering patient-centered care for older adult patients. She is also an accomplished administrator who has led her organizations with sound business acumen and success.
Dodge is also well-known among the Greater Manchester Alzheimer’s Association, the New England Society for Healthcare Strategy, Senior and Family Enterprises (S.A.F.E.), and the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce.
Earl Shaw Named Housekeeping & Laundry Manager at Erickson Community
Charlestown retirement community, managed by Erickson Living, has named Earl Shaw its Housekeeping and Laundry Manager. Shaw has more than 10 years of experience in the senior living industry and more than 20 years of managerial experience in housekeeping and laundry.
For the past five years Shaw was the Housekeeping and Laundry Operations Manager for Sodexo Senior Living Division serving all phases of resident life at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. His strategic initiatives with Asbury Methodist Village included continuous development of resident satisfaction, employee engagement and operational excellence.
Shaw served seven years in the U.S. Army as a Quartermaster Chemical Specialist. During his military service he attended Austin Peay College in Tennessee and Hampton University in Virginia to earn a degree in Business Management.
Shaw lives in Bowie, Maryland, with his wife and five-year-old daughter. His son recently graduated from Virginia Tech.
Love & Company Adds Chris Carruthers as Senior Living Sales & Marketing Specialist
Senior living sales consultant firm Love & Company recently welcomed 28-year veteran Christine (Chris) Carruthers.
Love & Company’s newest sales and marketing specialist offers a unique perspective of selling strategies through her background that blends operational and marketing experience in assisted living, independent living and healthcare communities. Her experience in healthcare and senior living includes consulting expertise in both blue sky development and growing and maintaining census in existing communities across the country.
Carruthers’ effective hands-on technique brings her years of experience as a marketing director to the forefront with the ability to provide the services communities need to achieve their operational goals including sales team development, comprehensive audits, marketing plan and budget development, and public speaking
Freida Williams Named Assistant Administrator at Erickson CCRC
Erickson Living has named Freida Williams the Assistant Administrator of the Continuing Care neighborhood at Charlestown retirement community. She is responsible for assisting in managing the overall operations of Continuing Care including resident satisfaction and employee engagement.
Williams has held several leadership roles in health care administration prior to joining Erickson Living. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Gerontology from the University of South Florida, Tampa and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship in Davie, Florida.