Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards honorees daily in April and May. For additional McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards content, visit this page.
David Totaro took an unusual path to the long-term care sector, and his varied experience served him well as he developed a national, legislative advocacy program for BAYADA Hearts for Home Care.
He didn’t stop there, though.
Totaro joined BAYADA in June 2009 as the company’s chief government affairs officer. Prior to that, he worked for Avon Products, Dime Bancorp and Caesars Entertainment in various executive roles, including chief marketing officer and chief of staff.
While the US and international marketing manager for Avon, he introduced more than 60 new products and grew the gift and decorative business line by 30% as a percentage of the company’s total sales. He took his first steps into healthcare and the care community in September 2002 when he joined the RehabCare Group as its chief marketing officer.
Totaro said he recognized that a team of lobbyists — no matter how talented they are — can effect change on their own. So he founded Hearts for Home Care, or H4HC, a nonprofit organization to connect the stories and experience of home healthcare users, their families and caregivers to legislators and regulators. H4HC is using all of the technology and in-person tools available to showcase the sector’s professional approach to home care.
Totaro continues to serve as BAYADA’s chief government affairs officer. He holds an MBA in marketing from the Wharton School and was editor-in-chief of The Dickinsonian, the newspaper for Dickinson College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history.
- He is chair of the Pennsylvania Home Care Foundation.
- Totaro serves on the board of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice and the Hospice Action Network.
- He is a founding member and chair emeritus of the Partnership for Medicaid Home-Based Care, an alliance of Medicaid home care providers, managed care companies and national and state home care associations.
The McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Honorees were recognized March 21 at a dinner and awards ceremony in Chicago. Omnicare was the Silver sponsor for the 2024 Pinnacle Awards program. Parker Health Group and Sentrics were event sponsors.
