Celebrating National Hospice and Palliative Care Month: Honoring Compassionate Caregivers at YAD Healthcare

Amy Vines

Regional Clinical Director

Amy Vines, RN, is an accomplished nursing leader with nearly two decades of clinical and administrative experience and a proven record of elevating quality of care across diverse healthcare settings. In November, 2025, she joined YAD Healthcare as the Regional Director of Clinical Services, where she oversees clinical operations, supports Director of Nursing (DON) teams, and drives systemwide excellence in patient outcomes and regulatory compliance.

Throughout her career, Amy has established herself as a results‑driven leader with a passion for staff development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and building strong, empowered nursing teams. One of her greatest professional achievements has been consistently guiding facilities to successful survey outcomes. She is well‑known for introducing effective processes, innovative strategies, and supportive coaching that help DONs strengthen their leadership, improve care delivery, and reach their fullest potential.

Amy’s expertise spans CMS compliance, quality improvement, infection control, policy development, and geriatric and acute care. Her leadership style blends compassion with accountability, creating an environment where teams feel motivated, confident, and equipped to succeed.

Dedicated to improving the lives of patients, families, and healthcare professionals, Amy continues to champion safe, high‑quality clinical care while fostering growth and operational excellence across all the facilities she serves.

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.

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.

MEREDITH WILLITS

REGIONAL CLINICAL DIRECTOR

Meredith Willits is the Regional Clinical Director for the Eastern Region of North Carolina, bringing 14 years of experience in clinical operations, regulatory compliance, and quality performance across acute and long-term care settings. She graduated from the University of South Dakota and holds advanced certifications including RAC-CTA, DNS, SPICE, and ICD-10 coding, reflecting strong expertise in reimbursement, regulatory readiness, and clinical documentation.

Meredith began her career in the hospital setting, followed by enterprise-level EMR training and clinical workflow optimization. She transitioned into long-term care leadership through roles in MDS and as Assistant Director of Nursing before serving as Director of Nursing. Her five years as DON provided executive oversight of clinical operations, with a focused expertise in quality measures, performance improvement, and regulatory compliance. Meredith’s leadership emphasizes measurable outcomes, sustainable quality improvements, and alignment of clinical excellence with organizational strategy.

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.

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.

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

KRISTEN PIERPONT

CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER

Kristen Pierpont now serves as Chief Clinical Officer at YAD Healthcare, where she oversees all clinical systems, processes, and nursing operations across our regions. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring consistent excellence in quality measures, survey and regulatory management, and providing guidance and education to nursing departments. Her leadership is central to maintaining high standards of clinical care and advancing YAD’s mission of excellence.

Kristen 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 the Florence Nightingale Award of Clinical Excellence. She is a member of the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care and the American Nursing Association, and she is also a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

Her nursing career began in acute care at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, as an Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant Care Manager. She later discovered her passion for caring for the elderly population while working as an evening supervisor in a 360-bed skilled nursing facility. Over the years, she has held progressive leadership roles including Supervisor, Charge Nurse, Unit Manager, MDS Coordinator, Infection Preventionist, Assistant Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing, Regional Clinical Educator, and District Director of Clinical Services in Eastern North Carolina.

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.

ED GARRETT

VP OF REHAB SERVICES

Ed Garrett is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing our compliance strategy across the organization. He brings over 30 years of experience in senior healthcare, with a strong background in program development and regulatory compliance. Ed has overseen rehabilitation programs and consistently ensured alignment with state and federal regulations, as well as internal policies and procedures.

He is a former member of the Professional-Technical Advisory Committee for Long Term Care with The Joint Commission. A licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Ed has presented at both state and national levels on a variety of topics impacting the senior healthcare industry.

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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.

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.

AMY DEAN, RN, LNHA

Regional Clinical Director

As Regional Clinical Director, Amy oversees the clinical operations of each facility, ensuring that the highest standards of resident care are consistently met. She supports and mentors Directors of Nursing and other key clinical leaders, providing guidance in areas such as regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and staff development. Amy is responsible for monitoring clinical outcomes, implementing best practices, and driving initiatives that promote excellence in resident care. She works closely with facility leadership to ensure that clinical teams are well-trained, engaged, and equipped to deliver compassionate, effective care while meeting organizational goals.

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.

FESTUS BOANOH, MBA, BSN

CHIEF RISK 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.

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).