Movers & Shakers: Welltower CEO Joins Argentum Board

Argentum Welcomes Welltower CEO Tom DeRosa to Board of Directors

Thomas J. DeRosa, CEO and director of Welltower, Inc. (NYSE: HCN), has been named to the board of directors of Argentum, the largest national association that advocates for senior living providers. Argentum was formerly known as the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA).

Board members unanimously elected DeRosa to the board, the association announced. DeRosa currently heads Welltower, one of the “Big Three” health care real estate investment trusts (REITs). He is also currently a governor of the world economic forum with Argentum and speaks frequently on the growth of aging populations and the impact of dementia on families and seniors.

“Our board members unanimously selected Tim and are pleased that a leader of Tom’s caliber has joined other outstanding industry leaders in Argentum’s innovation efforts on behalf of the senior living industry,” Brenda Bacon, Argentum’s board chairman and president and CEO of Brandywine Senior Living, said in a prepared statement.

Pennsylvania Health Care Association Names New CEO and President

Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA), one of Pennsylvania’s largest eldercare advocacy organizations with more than 500 care providers representing more than 50,000 elderly and disabled individuals, has named Russ McDaid as its new CEO and president. McDaid will take the helm on Jan. 1.

McDaid is a veteran health and human services policy advisor and long-time advocate for the state’s frail elderly and disabled residents with nearly 20 years of experience in the sector. He previously served as a senior health and human services adviser to governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker as the deputy director of the Governor’s Policy Office.

McDaid has served as PHCA’s chief operations officer since April 2013 and was also executive vice president before being named the incoming CEO and president earlier this year. In his roles with the organization, McDaid has managed the day-to-day operations and spearheaded budget and policy initiatives.

McDaid will succeed Dr. Stuart Shapiro, PHCA’s current CE, who is retiring at the end of the year after eight years in the role. 

Golden Heart Senior Care Announces New Director of Recruiting and Human Resources

Golden Heart Senior Care, a senior health provider of in-home and assisted living care with franchise locations across the country, has named Sarah Morse as its new director of recruiting and human resources in its Rochester Hills, Michigan, location.

Morse will oversee all staff recruitment and hiring for the Oakland County, Michigan, home care agency and day-to-day human resource duties. 

Prior to joining Golden Heart, Morse served as a program care coordinator for Natural Freedom Inc., a home health staffing agency in Rochester Hills. She also served as an administrative assistant with Looby and Baumgarten for five years in Flint, Michigan.

Sage Age Strategies Hires John Vitale as Media Specialist

Sage Age Strategies, a marketing and media firm that operates exclusively in senior living and senior care, has hired John Vitale as its newest media specialist within its public relations and media department.

In his new role, Vitale will be responsible for media research and planning, client-partner media support, distribution of public relations materials, preparing new projects, developing PowerPoint presentations and formatting documents for media distribution, the company announced. He will work closely with senior living communities to ensure their greatest return on their media expenditures.

Prior to joining Sage Age, Vitale was employed by Clear Channel Radio, here he wrote and produced newscasts. He has also worked as a reporter for Williamsport Sun-Gazette, a daily newspaper in central Pennsylvania. He most recently served as a customer service representative for a national manufacturer.

Covenant Village of Florida Names New Director of Nursing 

The Care Center at Covenant Village of Florida, a faith-based, non-profit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Plantation, Florida, has hired Johanna Sulca as its new director of nursing. The community is administered by Covenant Retirement Communities, the nation’s fifth largest non-profit senior services provider that serves 5,000 residents across 14 communities nationwide.

As director, Sulca will report to Ian Brown, executive director of the Florida community. She will oversee patient care in the community’s 60-bed skilled nursing center and will be responsible for setting, implementing and evaluating goals for the nursing department while managing and training new nursing staff members.

Sulca has nearly 15 years of experience in the health care field. Most recently, she was director of nursing at Riverview Health and Rehabilitation in Savannah, Georgia. She is also a member of the American Nurses Association.