Embrace a Healthy Heart: Seven Tips from YAD Healthcare for American Heart Month

Lisa Merluzzo

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL REIMBURSEMENT

As the Regional Director of Clinical Reimbursement for our Virginia region, Lisa Merluzzo brings over 34 years of nursing experience to the team. Beginning her journey in acute care as a neurosurgical nurse, Lisa’s commitment to patient well-being soon led her to transition to skilled nursing facilities in 1998.

Over the last 25 years, Lisa has discovered her true passion in clinical reimbursement, making significant contributions to this vital aspect of healthcare. With extensive regional experience covering multiple states on the east coast, Lisa has become a respected figure in the field. Lisa Merluzzo’s commitment to professional growth is evident in her achievement of advanced certification as a RAC-CTA, showcasing her dedication to staying at the forefront of industry knowledge. Her wealth of experience and expertise positions her as a valuable asset to the healthcare community, ensuring the delivery of high-quality care and adherence to regulatory standards.

SARA FITZGERALD

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF POPS IN NC REGION

Sara transitioned into the Regional Director of Personnel Operations (POPS) for the North Carolina division from the Clayton Rehabilitation and Health facility. She graduated college in 2003 as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and has been an OTA at the Clayton facility. Sara has played as a vital team and has always been willing to help wherever needed.

STEVEN WEIDBERG, CPA

CFO

Steven Weidberg currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Yad Healthcare. Prior to the joining Yad, Steven served in finance and revenue cycle management leadership positions in the senior living and behavior health industry. Steven previously spent more than 10 years with PwC’s Audit & Assurance practice, where he led client service engagements in the real estate and healthcare sectors. Steven is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and earned a Masters in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). Steven is also an adjunct professor of accounting at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU).

Krista Carter

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Krista started her Healthcare career in the hospital setting and transitioned into long-term care with a social work background.

ED GARRETT

VP OF REHAB SERVICES

Ed provides oversight to Yad Healthcare’s rehabilitation teams. He facilitates, hires, and trains new Directors of Rehab and other rehab professionals. Ed is responsible for program development, rehab operational needs, and compliance with state and federal regulations as well as company policies and procedures. Ed works alongside the Directors of Rehab to assure the highest quality therapy services for our residents.
Ed is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 30 years of management and program development experience in Senior Healthcare. He has had oversight of rehab programs at all levels, from facility rehab director to National Director of Rehab for a large healthcare provider. Ed is a former member of the Professional-Technical Advisory Committee for Long Term Care with the Joint Commission. He has made presentations on a state and national basis on a variety of topics impacting Senior Healthcare.

JENNIFER HARRIS EGGERS

REGIONAL VP OF CLINICAL SERVICES

Jennifer has been in the long-term care industry for 27 years. Her experience includes Certified Nursing Assistant, Charge Nurse, MDS Coordinator, Director of Nursing, Regional Vice President of Clinical Operations, and Regional Director of MDS/Case Management and Reimbursement.  Her career has always followed her passion for advocating for resident quality and experience.

In her focus on Quality Care and Reimbursement, in her prior role overseeing 21 centers in Virginia, Jennifer improved her Overall Star Ratings with a driven focus on Quality Measures.   She also improved the Quality of Regulatory outcomes in her assigned centers as Regional Director of Clinical Operations.  Jennifer also improved the reimbursement in her 21 centers through her focus on quality care, documentation, assigning appropriate diagnoses, and education of MDS Coordinators and direct care staff in capturing areas of cost in the care delivery of residents.

Katie Hinchey

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF POP’S

Katie transitioned into the Virginia region’s Regional Director of Personnel Operations (POPS) from the Amelia Rehabilitation and Healthcare facility. She has served at our Amelia location for 15 years, starting there in 2007 as an ancillary aide, obtaining her CNA in 2008, and later that year, working her way to Medical Records and Inventory, on up to Activity Director in 2016.

Katie is a compassionate asset to our team, bringing years of experience in creating engaging activities that promote a fun environment for all present. Katie’s priorities focus on employee appreciation, communication with team members, and maintaining a positive work environment. Our YAD Family is delighted to have her on board.

FESTUS BOANOH, MBA, BSN

CHIEF NURSING OFFICER

Festus provides oversight to Yad Healthcare’s nursing leadership in policy and procedure development and implementation, regulatory and compliance, EHR implementation and education. He also oversees the advancement, execution, and maintenance of our various clinical programs. Festus prepares each facility for their annual health inspection surveys and works closely with front line staff in identifying and addressing nursing goals. Furthermore, he oversees all clinical aspects of the facilities, such as wound care, falls, medication management, and resident care planning.

Festus graduated from the College of New Rochelle in 2002, and has since practiced as a Staff Nurse, Assistant Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing, and most recently as VP of Clinical Services. He joins Yad with a proven track record of achieving excellent survey results and patient outcomes.

MARIA CRAWFORD

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Maria has been a nurse for 22 years and has worked in long term care for the last 18 years. She graduated as an LPN in 2000 and worked while going to school and ultimately became an RN in 2002. Maria has a strong passion for supporting and meeting the needs of our elderly and rehab population. Over the last 7 years, Maria has overseen marketing and development for a national brand, focusing on the transition of referrals into admissions.

KRISTEN PIERPONT

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES

Kristen Pierpont has joined our team as a Regional Vice President of Clinical Services for the North Carolina Region and has the responsibility to oversee the nursing facilities focusing on quality measures, survey management, regulatory management, guidance and education to the nursing departments, and overall quality monitoring to ensure excellent, competent resident care is given to our residents on a daily basis.

Kristen Pierpont has been a Registered Nurse for 28 years. She graduated from Saint Joseph’s University, West Hartford Connecticut, in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, where she received high honors and was the recipient of the Florence Nightingale award of clinical excellence in her studies. She is a member of the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care and the American Nursing Association. She is also a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

Initially, Kristen’s nursing practice started in an acute care setting at Yale New Haven Hospital, in New Haven Connecticut as an Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant care manager. Her career progressed toward Skilled Nursing Care when she was given an opportunity to work in an evening supervisor position, in a 360 bed Skilled Nursing Care facility. Her love and passion for caring for the elderly population grew from that moment. Over her years in Skilled Nursing care, Kristen has held several roles as a Supervisor, Charge Nurse, Unit Manager, MDS Coordinator, Infection Preventionist, Assistant Director of Nursing, and lastly, a Director of Nursing. Kristen has also functioned as a Regional Clinical Educator and District Director of Clinical Services in Eastern North Carolina.

LORI AUSLEY

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL REIMBURSEMENT

As the Regional Director of Clinical Reimbursement, Lori provides oversight and guidance related to the Resident Assessment Instrument, Patient Driven Payment Model, Quality Measures, Medicaid Case Mix and adherence to Medicare/Medicaid guidelines.

Lori joins the Yad Healthcare team with over 30 years of nursing experience. Lori started her career in the hospital setting and determined early on that her true passion was the desire to work within Skilled Nursing Facility setting. Initially Lori provided direct patient care and later transitioned to working as a MDS Coordinator. In 2007, Lori expanded her career in the Senior Heath care journey serving as the Regional Case Mix Specialist, then as the District Director of Care Management.

Lori partners with the facility teams to ensure we have interdisciplinary processes in place to hear the voice of our residents and through bedside validation, resident, and staff assessment that we accurately capture the needs and acuity of the residents we serve

MEIR PREIS

REGIONAL VP OF OPERATIONS

Meir brings to YAD Healthcare multi state Health Care knowledge combined with data driven analysis geared towards patient care and quality outcomes. Meir has served as an Administrator for both large and small corporations and most recently was a Regional Director of operations overseeing Skilled Nursing Facilities in Virginia and Maryland. Combined with his MBA and people driven mindset he provides strong leadership to the teams that he operates with to ensure high a level of patient quality care while operating in a financially viable structure.

JOSEPH BRAUN

REGIONAL VP OF OPERATIONS

Joseph manages the daily operations of our facilities. His goal is to provide the highest quality of care, which he achieves together with the company’s exceptional group of administrators. Joseph oversees our staff’s hiring and training, as well ensuring a high staff retention and morale. He has the heart and a genuine compassion for his staff and residents. With his extensive experience as an Administrator in Nursing Homes in NJ, Joseph has his pulse on healthcare trends, that will help us expand our brand while upholding the best standard practices.

GLENDA MANTYCH

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES

Glenda began her career in Long Term Care in 2001 in an AP/Payroll position. Within a year, she was promoted to Business Office Manager where she was responsible for billing and collections for a 140 bed skilled nursing facility. After several years as a BOM, she was promoted to an Area Business Office Manager, overseeing 5 nursing facilities. The last 11 years have been spent as a District Director for a large corporation. Glenda has managed anywhere from 9-21 facilities across several states. Long Term Care is her passion, and she is bringing her many years’ of experience to Yad Healthcare.

ANITA MOORE

REGIONAL VP OF CLINICAL SERVICES

Anita provides oversight to Yad Healthcare’s nursing leadership in policy and procedure development and implementation, regulatory and compliance, EHR implementation and education. She also oversees the advancement, execution, and maintenance of our various clinical programs. Anita prepares each facility for their annual health inspection surveys and works closely with front line staff in identifying and addressing nursing goals. Furthermore, she oversees all clinical aspects of the facilities, such as wound care, falls, medication management, and resident care planning. Anita has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years. Initially, Anita spent 18 years in acute care hospitals in critical care nursing with direct patient care. She then transitioned into long term care and has spent the last 13 years working in skilled nursing facilities as a facility educator, Assistant Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing and a Quality Assurance Consultant. She joined the YAD team with decades of nursing experience.

AMY DEAN, RN, LNHA

REGIONAL VP OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

Amy manages all the day to day operations of each facility. She facilitates, hires, and trains new administrators and other key nursing home staff. Amy is responsible for census growth, employee relations, business trends, and ensuring that company policies and standards are being met by each facility. Amy manages the administrators in each facility and works alongside them to ensure that the facilities are maintaining productivity and profitability while upholding the highest standard of resident care.

Amy spent the majority of her career in Virginia long term care, working across the continuum as a CNA, charge nurse, and Director of Nursing. She joined Yad with decades of nursing experience.

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Hershy Alter, LNHA

CEO

Hershy Alter founded Yad Healthcare in 2019. He has experience in the senior care space and healthcare as a whole. As a LHNA he knows the ins and outs of quality, efficient, and profitable SNF operations, making him highly qualified to turn around relatively underperforming assets. He also has experience in NJ, MD, MI, and VA and has seen significant success within each region.

In his capacity as CEO, Hershy facilitates, hires, and trains new administrators and other key corporate nursing home staff. Working together with his impressive team, he has created clinical systems that have significantly reduced adverse patient outcomes.

Hershy has an exceptional understanding of the healthcare and reimbursement environment in Virginia. He has fostered strong relationships with the VHCA as well as various consultants within the state. He has a keen financial perspective of the market and is able to identify areas where facilities, both urban and rural, can improve.

Prior to forming Yad Healthcare, Hershy served as a nursing home administrator for a large healthcare provider for a number of years. He also served as CEO of a midsize healthcare management group, successfully turning a mediocre-performing company into a consistently strong performer. Hershy was extremely effective in expense management and driving down overall cost, while delivering a superior product.