Mission and Board

EVP PAC Regulatory Affairs and Education, Broad River Rehab |  Arden, NC 

Joel began his career in LTC over 20 years ago as an MDS coordinator and worked for many years as the director of clinical reimbursement and RAI for a group of nursing facilities in the southeast. Joel writes a monthly column for McKnight’s LTC News and contributes regularly to Skilled Nursing News. He currently serves on the AAPACN Expert Advisory Panel and has contributed to the AAPACN Leader for the NAC and ASHA Voices podcast. Joel presents nationally on all subjects related to state and federal regulation, the MDS, clinical reimbursement.

President, Care Navigation Consulting, LLC |  Simpsonville, SC 

Leigh Ann is a licensed physical therapist and has spent her entire career in the post-acute space. She started as a treating therapist when she quickly realized her passion was teaching and training clinicians about best practices, regulatory compliance, documentation and billing. She moved through various operational and clinical positions eventually becoming the chief clinical officer for a large contract therapy company.  Seeing the opportunity to help a variety of providers handle the need for clinical integration in the changing world of healthcare reform initiatives, she decided to start a consulting practice in 2017. Throughout Leigh Ann’s career, she has been a successful contributor and presenter at both the state and national levels. She has been highly active in the trade associations, NASL and NARA. Leigh Ann has been a member of the APTA since 1993, received her RAC-CT in 2016, and is a professional member of the National Academies of Practice.

Chief Operating Officer, Pathway Health |  Lake Elmo, MN 

Lisa has over 30 years experience in the post-acute and long-term care and currently serves as COO at Pathway Health Services. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in supporting leadership teams from all levels through a number of organizational changes to establish regulatory compliance, standards of practice, operational strategies, as well as Joint Commission Accreditation. Lisa is skilled in the coordination and leadership of compliance teams that aide facilities in achieving regulatory, clinical, operational, and financial turnaround. She is a sought-after national thought leader in the healthcare, presenting to a variety of healthcare and other business provider types and is a known keynote and international speaker. She has written numerous articles and has been published in national communications across the healthcare provider continuum. Lisa has been voted as a “Top Female Healthcare Executive” and serves as a mentor for healthcare leaders across the country.

NHA, WeCare Centers, Sugar Creek Care Center | Franklin, PA 

Cathy has been a nurse for over 20 years with most of that time being spent in long-term care. She has a Doctoral degree in nursing (DNP) and received her NHA license for the state of Pennsylvania. Cathy currently works as an administrator for WeCare Centers. She has a passion for long-term care and loves teaching and sharing her knowledge of nursing with new nurses and long-term care leaders.

Chief Learning Officer, Lindashell.com |  Oklahoma City, OK  

Linda has worked in post-acute care for over 30 years serving in a variety of roles including staff development, director of nursing, quality improvement, and consultant. She also serves as professor of nursing at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. During her 17 years at Volunteers of America, Linda was part of a leadership team that received two grants from the state of Minnesota to reduce falls and improve sleep in the nursing home setting. Her passion for evidence based practice and subsequent research played a significant role in the success of those grants. In 2017, Linda began her own consulting practice and has since inspired and coached thousands of post-acute leaders through her keynote presentations and SurTHRIVELeadership™ program to develop the resilient characteristics they need to navigate the challenging work environment.

System Director of Clinical Reimbursement and Quality, Zimmet Healthcare Consulting |  Warwick, RI 

Melanie has over 30 years of long-term care experience. She has held various positions, from CNA to corporate clinical reimbursement, and now uses that knowledge to consult for long-term care facilities. She is an AAPACN Master Teacher for both the RAC-CT and RAC-CTA courses. She also has earned her QCP and DNS-CT. Melanie has consulted for long-term care facilities and has had excellent results in improving RAI systems, quality measures, and survey outcomes. She has provided educational programs and presentations on various topics that impact skilled nursing facilities.

Chief Operating Officer, Reimbursement Reimagined | Prospect, KY 

Amy has been working in the post-acute skilled nursing space for more than 23 years. She has an impressive track record in team development and process enhancement across various payer segments, consistently adapting to the unique requirements of facility teams. Having spent most of her career in operations, she notably served as senior vice president of clinical reimbursement where she championed the creation of an in-house case management team. Amy enhanced the MDS team support with the establishment of education and reimbursement specialists, benefiting over 200 facilities spanning 24 states. Her dedication to supporting the elderly, combined with her aptitude for fostering productive collaboration within diverse teams, has enabled her to guide assessment coordination teams, rehabilitation groups, and care coordination nurses.

Regional Director, Complex Placement Hub - Southern California Region, Kaiser Permanente | Moorpark, CA 

Dr. Okah is an accomplished APRN with extensive experience across various healthcare settings including emergency room, acute care units, outpatient, and community care settings. As an adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist, her expertise lies in staff education, clinical competency, and evidence-based care. Her goal is to improve care and quality outcomes across the continuum through clinical practice, collaboration, consultation, education, and research. In her current role as Regional Director of the Complex Placement Hub at Kaiser Permanente, she manages the post-acute transitional care services involving the discharge of complex patients to skilled nursing and sub-acute care settings across the region. Dr. Okah is also a lecturer at UCLA School of Nursing and adjunct faculty at West Coast University. She is a knowledgeable and skilled instructor who continues to demonstrate pedagogically effective teaching approaches and outcomes.