Dr. Bill Thomas joins Holiday Retirement as chief wellness officer
Bill Thomas, M.D., has joined Holiday Retirement as the company’s first chief wellness officer, Holiday announced Monday.
“Dr. Thomas’ vision for aging and senior longevity is an inspiration,” said Lilly Donohue, CEO of Holiday Retirement. “I had the honor of studying his perspective a few years ago. His forward-thinking approach to aging wellness will help us continue to modernize what we do here at Holiday as well as advance a new approach to aging in America. A new generation of older adults and their families is looking for operators like Holiday to think differently and offer services designed for what they want. Dr. Bill Thomas will help Holiday do just that.”
Thomas will help innovate the senior living provider’s enrichment programs to consistently improve residents’ quality of life. He also will be tasked with empowering employees to see their work as an opportunity to create meaningful relationships with seniors at Holiday Retirement’s 300+ senior living communities. And he will work with Holiday to identify new opportunities to better serve older adults.
“The story of aging is different for everyone,” Thomas said in a statement. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help Holiday residents write their own story, on their own terms and with their own positive, engaging experiences.”
Thomas is an author, entrepreneur, musician, teacher, farmer and recognized authority on geriatric medicine. He also is the founder of The Eden Alternative, an international non-profit dedicated to creating quality of life for seniors and their care partners. He was named a “top 10 innovator” by The Wall Street Journal and one of “America’s best leaders” by U.S. News and World Report for his work shaping the future of retirement.
Jill Ford is new executive director at Watermark at Beverly Hills
Jill Ford is the new executive director at The Watermark at Beverly Hills, a 58-residence assisted living community managed by Watermark Retirement Communities.
Born and raised approximately 10 minutes from her new place of employment, Ford began in her new role on March 1. The seasoned senior living professional was selected from a wide field of well-qualified candidates because of her proven skills in team-building, customer service and resident satisfaction, according to Watermark.
Dominion Senior Living of Bristol hires five directors
Dominion Senior Living of Bristol, an assisted living and memory care community opening soon in Bristol, TN, has hired five directors.
Shelby Skidmore is business office director; Larry Berryman is maintenance director; Samantha Cash is life enrichment director; Kimberly Hart, LPN, is wellness director; and Jake Jacobs is dining services director.
Each of these staff members will be under the direction of Senior Executive Director Michelle Bolling. All directors have experience in senior living. The team will collaborate to try to fulfill the daily mental, physical and spiritual needs of each resident.
Skidmore, a licensed assisted living administrator, joins Dominion after having managed varying responsibilities over many years in the senior living field, including helping residents with admissions and managing accounting and insurance responsibilities.
Berryman has worked in assisted living and memory care communities for more than 16 years. He also is focused on preventive maintenance, compliance management and safety.
Cash will plan and execute an individualized life enrichment program. She has experience working with both children and seniors.
Hart has been a licensed practical nurse for 26 years and is experienced in serving residents in assisted living and memory care communities as well as primary care, clinical research and case management. She is a graduate of Morristown State Area Vocational College, where she earned her LPN licensure and graduated with honors.
Jacobs will oversee the dining staff as dining services director. He has many years of experience cooking nutritious meals for seniors with various dietary needs, is ServSafe certified and has managed kitchen inventory across five different senior living communities.
From left: Larry Berryman, Kim Hart, LPN, Samantha Cash, Michelle Bolling, Shelby Skidmore and Jake Jacobs.
Suzanne Gramuglia joins Van Dyk Health Care as director of memory care unit
Van Dyk Health Care has hired Suzanne Gramuglia as director of Reflections, a distinct unit in its Park Place assisted living facility that provides specialized care to residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia needs.
She will serve as the company’s expert on Alzheimer’s and dementia care, providing families with educational opportunities, resources and events across the Van Dyk continuum of care, including assisted living, secure memory care, long-term care, skilled care, post-acute care, home care and a soon-to-open adult day care center for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
A certified assisted living administrator, Gramuglia brings 18 years of experience in managing multi-level therapeutic programming in long-term care, post-acute care and memory care units, working extensively with families affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia. She holds an undergraduate degree in gerontology and health and science studies from Quinnipiac University.
Tim Amato named director of nursing at Baycrest Village
Tim Amato is the new director of nursing at Baycrest Village, North Bend, OR.
In his new role, he oversees the Baycrest Village Health Center’s nursing staff, compliance and staff education. Amato also will act as a physician and hospital liaison.
Before joining Baycrest Village, Amato was director of nursing at Coquille Valley Hospital and was a patient care supervisor at Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay. He earned his undergraduate degree in nursing at Western Governor’s University in Utah. He has received multiple awards, including the “Silver Star Award” for excellence in resident/patient care and customer service and the “Nursing Merit of Order” Award.
Baycrest Village offers independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, hospice and respite care on a 14-acre campus.
Oak Crest names Kevin Goedeke associate executive director
Kevin Goedeke has been named associate executive director at Oak Crest retirement community in Parkville, MD, where his grandparents have been residents since last year.
In his new role, Goedeke will focus on strategic planning and development of the 87-acre campus, which is home to more than 2,100 residents in independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing neighborhoods. He also will coordinate operations with Erickson Living, the community’s Baltimore-based manager and developer.
Previously, Goedeke spent seven years as an administrator and executive administrator with Mid-Atlantic Healthcare LLC, where he supported and operated skilled nursing facilities within its portfolio. Last year, he founded Lighthouse Care Updates, a software company that provides communication and family experience solutions to senior care providers.
“As we are in the midst of fulfilling our long-term strategic plan, Kevin’s wealth of experience and innovation in the senior living industry will help us to better serve current residents with an eye to a bright future,” said Mark Roussey, Oak Crest’s executive director.
Goedeke is a graduate of The Erickson School at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a degree in management of aging services.
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