Introductions are in order so that all members of this group are aware of who the other members are. Currently we have a group of 10 people. We'll likely add others as we go along. Not everyone has signed on to the Pioneer Exchange at this point but we expect everyone to be here soon. We have:
Joe Angelelli: Joe is our leader here on the Pioneer Exchange, He is Director of Networking & Development for the Pioneer Network and the person primarily responsible for running this web site. He's a much sought-after expert on Culture Change. and hangs out in Pittsburgh, PA. He brings a wealth of knowledge on the Culture Change movement to the group.
Carol Benner: Carol was the Director of the Maryland Office of Health Care Quality, our long-term care licensing agency, for many years. In order of importance, she recently joined Voices for Quality Care as a member, become a consultant for Delmarva, our Quality Insurance Organization, and retired from OHCQ. Carol is working with the QIO to bring Culture Change to our long-term care facilities. She brings considerable information on how things work in Maryland as well as on what is currently happening in the Culture Change movement in Maryland to the group.
Bob Bronaugh: Bob is vice-chair of Voices for Quality Care and a member of the Board of Directors. He's also President of the family council at Manor Care Chevy Chase. He has had many years of experience in the family side of long-term care. He brings considerable skill as a public relations person and an advertising whizz to the group and he's a great organizer.
Dianne Bryant: (not yet logged on) Dianne is a co-founder of Voices, a member of the board and chair of the Family Council Committee. She's also President of the family council at Spring Brook. She brings a great deal of knowledge about the family side of long term care and is very good at keeping things on track.
Sharon Christie: Sharon is a member of the board of Voices. She's a nurse/lawyer by profession. This makes her an expert in most of the things we need an expert in. Her work has given her a good insight into the more serious issues in long-term care as it exists today. What better skills for that job and this one?
Otto Drengwitz: (not yet logged on) Otto is an early and dedicated member of Voices. He's a member of our board of directors and chair of the Public Relations committee. Otto can always be counted on to lend a hand regardless of the hour or the job. Otto brings a great deal of personal knowledge in the family side of long-term care, He also brings a willingness to manage whatever tasks need doing and, even better, he's willing to drive long distances to do them!
Pat Englehardt: (not logged on yet) Pat is a retired nurse who is now teaching several days a week in Delaware. More importantly for us, she serves on the Delaware legislative committee charged with the oversight and improvement of long-term care in Delaware. Pat has been an encouraging supporter of Voices since we formed. She is now involved in a fledgling citizen advocacy group in Delaware. She brings a great deal of general and specific knowledge about long-term care to the group.
Sandee Merrigan0Harrison: Sandee is a member of Voices and President of the family council at the Washington Home in the District. She has successfully led that family councils for a number of years. She brings great organizational skills to the group along with considerable knowledge in family involvement in long-term care issues.
Jerry Ricks: Jerry is our Voices Communications Coordinator. He doesn't attend many meetings but he puts in a great deal of time as our web master, in the running of our listservs, and in assisting our members with specific computer problems related to both. He brings considerable personal experience in family councils and family involvement in long-term care. He also brings computer skills and is a great project manager.
Clare Whitbeck: Clare is Voices Treasurer and a member of the board. She's also chair of our Legislative Committee and has done a superb job in the 2006 legislative session. And, she was a faithful attendee of the Assisted Living Forum recently held by the Office of Health Care Quality. She brings personal knowledge of family involvement in long-term care to the group as well as considerable skills in all things legislative and political.
And then there's me, Kate Ricks, co-founder and chair of Voices for Quality Care. The group started wtih Dianne and me. Now, it includes nearly 100 individual members as well as a number of family councils. We've managed to affect legislation, direct care, agency responsiveness, and the level of awareness of resident and family rights in Maryland over the last 4 years. Not bad for a start-up. To me, the most effective thing that we can do for residents and their families now is to bring Culture Change to every communal long-term care situation in Maryland. And, in the process, if we can bring residents, families, and family councils to their rightful place at this table as equal partners in the develolpement, implementation and continuation of Culture Change projets we'll have gone a long way in meeting our original goal of quality long-term care.
