SAK’s associates have over 250 years collective experience in all phases of long-term care operations, and have spent a large portion of their long-term care careers in turn-around situations, rescuing troubled facilities. This combined collection of knowledge and expertise is unmatched in the industry; please take a few minutes to meet the members of our highly-qualified and dedicated staff.

STEPHEN J. GAZDICK, CPA, Chief Financial Officer
Stephen J. Gazdick has over 20 years experience in both the for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare industries, including significant experience in acute care, home health, long-term care, and retirement housing. He served as the Chief Financial Officer of an acute care hospital, a home health agency, and long-term care retirement communities.

Stephen provided the financial leadership for Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing facilities, licensed and unlicensed assisted living facilities, acute care, substance abuse and psychiatric inpatient units, independent living retirement communities, and a licensed home health agency. He is experienced in financial and strategic planning, valuation modeling, cash flow management, budget development and management, audit and tax return preparation, the preparation of financial feasibility studies, third party reimbursement issues, operational audits, and re-engineering system reviews. Stephen provided financial analysis for merger and acquisition transactions and several tax-exempt bond issues. Stephen is a graduate of Manchester College, in North Manchester, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Stephen is a member of the Indiana CPA Society. In addition to conducting management training, he also conducts Medicare and Medicaid billing training.

JOYCE CIYOU, MS, RN, LHFA, CLNC, Clinical Executive Consultant
Masters prepared and possessing extensive hospital expertise from bedside nursing to administrative management and leadership roles; this wide spectrum of experience provides Ms. Ciyou with the ability to solve problems that impact a variety of operational facets. She understands the hospital culture and maneuvers easily through the various layers of the hospital continuum of care.

As a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. Joyce understands the operations of the long-term care industry. She holds a degree in Gerontology and understands the complex medical conditions of the older adult. Joyce has vast experience in setting up productive communication and team building systems with all layers of staff in the long-term care setting. She has the expertise to bring a facility into financial and regulatory compliance.

As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC) and Certified Case Manager (CCM) Joyce knows the value of the team approach to problem solving. She strives to work with others in order to bring about resolution to difficult situations. Her Masters Degree in Organizational Management better enables her to understand the business operations of both the acute and chronic care settings. Ms. Ciyou is a Registered Nurse in the state of Illinois and Indiana and a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in the state of Illinois and Indiana and a Certified Wound Specialist.

KEITH HUFSEY, Director of Operations
With 30 years experience working in the long term care industry Keith Hufsey provides SAK Management and our clients with a wealth of knowledge and experience. As the Assistant Director of Operations he is involved with the overall operation in all facilities and plays an instrumental role in the turnaround of deficient facilities.

Over his career Keith has accumulated a number of deficiency free surveys, which speak to his ability to deliver results, and has maintained major involvement in assisting the turn around of deficient nursing homes into operationally sound facilities.

Keith's input and operational involvement include the benefit of his experience in various facets of the long-term care industry as well as other related fields. The value he brings to every client includes knowledge that stems from being a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator for over 25 years. His expertise of writing Plans of Correction for government approval and State licensure and Federal certification is unmatched. He carries a Food Service Certification and is a Licensed Practical Nurse in Illinois and a Certified Trustee to a multi-million dollar religious organization.

ELIZABETH CIYOU - Allee, MLD, BA, RN, CLNC, CHPN, TNCC, ELNEC-Peds and ACLS - Clinical IT/Informatics Consultant
Ms. Ciyou-Allee has extensive experience in a magnet organization, and expertise in emergency medical care, hospice, and renal diabetes that enables her to function effectively in a variety of roles. She was chosen as a Magnet champion and Magnet escort as Clarian Health progressed through the Magnet certification process. Elizabeth is experienced in the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Hospital Organizations process.

Active in the evidenced based practice career advance program, Elizabeth sat on the career advance committee at Clarian Health Partners - the second largest hospital system (by bed capacity) in the United States. She has served in a variety of key positions, including as a certified legal nurse consultant (CLNC), certified hospice palliative nurse (CHPC) and trauma nurse core certified (TNCC). This extensive experience allows her to see and deal with the wide-ranging issues that affect health care facilities, from bed management to emergency room overcrowding.

Elizabeth understands the long-term care industry and has developed quality assurance programs to improve nursing home resident care. She delivers leadership to dysfunctional nursing departments through participative communication and team projects. Ms. Ciyou-Allee is a Certified Wound Specialist and a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois and Indiana.

RUTH KRUSE, RN, Assistant Director of Operations
Having worked in the field of nursing for more than 30 years enables Senior Nursing Consultant Ruth Kruse to apply her vast range of knowledge and experience to creating and implementing staffing and operations solutions in long term care facilities in need of turn around. Ms. Kruse's professional credentials include:

• 25 years experience in the long term healthcare field
• Nine years experience as a Director of Nursing
• Extensive hospital MED-Surgical unit experience
• Nursing assignments in hospice care, private duty and nursing homes
• Medical unit Charge Nurse

Working her way up through the ranks from a CNA to more senior nursing positions, Ms. Kruse has experience in nearly every critical aspect of nursing, from actual care of patients to staffing, scheduling and facility management. By implementing tested programs and solutions she plays a key role in SAK Management's successful turn around of failing health care facilities.

Ms. Kruse continues to expand her knowledge of the field, recently completing studies in Restorative Nursing. She is a Registered Nurse and a Certified Restorative Nursing Instructor.

WILLIAM L. KEMPINERS - Health Care Policy and Regulatory Specialist
William Kempiners has been involved with health care public policy, regulatory and reimbursement issues for more than 30 years, He was a four-term member of the Illinois House of Representatives, the Director of Public Health for Illinois, and the Executive Director of the Illinois Health Care Association, a trade group composed of nearly 500 licensed geriatric long-term care facilities, skilled pediatric facilities, assisted living and supportive living facilities, and facilities and programs for the developmentally disabled, for nearly 18 years. Mr. Kempiners participated in the development of the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act of 1979, and that same year resigned his seat in the House of Representatives to become the Director of Public Health for Illinois. As the Director he was responsible for a wide variety of health promotion, regulation, funding and planning programs with an annual budget of $127 million.

While Director of Public Health, Mr. Kempiners was appointed to the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and the Advisory Committee to the Women, Infants and Children’s Advisory Committee (U. S. Department of Agriculture). He served on the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Executive Committee and chaired several committees, requiring him to present testimony before committees of the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives.

During his tenure at IHCA, Mr. Kempiners actively participated in a variety of activities and committees of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. There are few other professionals with his acute understanding of public policy and its impact on long-term health care.

WILLIAM IRVINE - Regulatory Specialist
William Irvine has served as the Chief for the Division of Health Facilities Standards and the Chief for the Division of Long Term Care, for the Illinois Department of Public Health. Under his direction the majority of the Health Facility rules and regulations were written and promulgated. Most of the Health Delivery and Health Facility Enforcement programs in Illinois were developed due to Mr. Irvine’s advice and input.

As Chief of the Division of Long Term Care, Mr. Irvine worked with all state agencies involved in Health Care and worked very closely with the staff of the Division of Health and Human Services. He had the responsibility for all long-term care survey functions from March 1972 through October 1982, and from 1981 until 1985 he directed all other healthcare survey activities and maintained the Rule writing functions.

He has participated in numerous Health Care Programs both in and outside Illinois. Since 1976, he has served as a member of the Association of Health Facility Licensure and Certification Directors.

Mr. Irvine has visited or surveyed over 500 long-term care facilities in the past 14 years, and presently is involved as a healthcare consultant in a number of issues affecting long term care facilities. Due to his knowledge and experience, he's served as an expert witness in a number of legal cases involving health care facilities in multiple states. Mr. Irvine is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, in the State of Illinois, and has a Masters in Business Administration from Western Illinois University. His experience in computer management and research enabled him to co-author an article entitled, "Preliminary Data on Discharges from Illinois Long Term Care Facilities” in 1975.

ROBERT HEDGES - Regulatory Specialist
Robert Hedges served as the Chief of the Division of Health Facilities Surveillance for the Illinois Department of Public Health from 1983-1985, responsible for planning, executing, controlling and monitoring all operations relative to the regulation of the nursing home industry in Illinois. He directed a staff of 104 professional and non-professional individuals in offices around the State of Illinois in their survey and inspections pursuant both to State and Federal statutes and regulations.

Mr. Hedges developed extensive contact with members of the public, Governmental and Legislative leaders to resolve conflicts within the State and the Federal Governmental arena.

Mr. Hedges now is a Healthcare Consultant in the areas of state and federal compliance, specifically relating to Licensure and Certification issues, as well as Quality Assurance for long term care facilities. He conducted numerous grant projects and lobbied on behalf of statewide professional provider associations to the Illinois General Assembly.

Mr. Hedges currently serves as the President of the Illinois Healthcare Association, a trade group of nearly 500 licensed facilities in long term care in the State of Illinois. He is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, in the State of Illinois, and has a Master of Arts from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

LEONARD KOENIG - Administrative and Census Development Specialist
Leonard Koenig provides managerial expertise in all facets of long term care, assisted living operations and home health care services. His background includes operations management, census development-focused marketing and advertising, contract negotiations, service scheduling, staffing and retention.

Throughout his professional career Mr. Koenig has planned, developed and implemented programs designed to improve the overall operation of health care facilities and agencies at which he was assigned thereby enhancing the level of care provided residents and client services. Career highlights include:

• Developed creative, efficient and cost effective marketing strategies promoting service levels far beyond past performance of a facility, by increasing occupancy from 70% to 100% which in turn created a waiting list of prospective tenants.
• Cultivated strategic, creative and cost effective ideas from community sources such as physicians, hospitals and local businesses while guiding the marketing staff's efforts to better promote their facility against competitors in the same market.

He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He received a Certificate in Business Studies and is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in the state of Illinois.

KAREN BYSTROM - Regulatory Nurse Consultant
Karen Bystrom started her nursing career on the acute care side in Intensive Care, Emergency Room, Surgery and High Risk Obstetrics. Her healthcare experience includes over 30 years as a Registered Nurse, 13 years as a Health Facilities Surveillance Nurse for the Illinois Department of Public Health, and 4 years as a Health Facilities Surveillance Nurse for the Illinois Department of Public Aid. She's conducted state licensure and federal certification surveys to ensure facility compliance with state and federal laws governing long term care facilities, as well as sanitation, environment, dietary, care planning, staff competence and qualifications evaluations.

Ms. Bystrom investigated complaints, accidents and incidents, and served as team coordinator for multidisciplinary survey teams. She's worked with the State Police on issues that may have involved criminal offenses, and testified in federal hearings regarding nursing home care. Her service as an expert witness in legal cases across the country exemplifies her knowledge and expertise.

Karen also conducted "Inspection of Care” surveys in long term care to determine Health Facility’s reimbursement rates and "Quality Incentive Program” surveys, rewarding facilities that gave above the minimum quality of care to residents, and she approved bed holds for residents receiving Medicaid funds that were hospitalized. Ms. Bystrom is a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC). Karen is a Registered Professional Nurse in Illinois, Iowa and Florida, and a member of the Illinois Nurse’s Association.

TERRI R. SHERMAN, CPA - Finance Specialist
Terri Sherman has over 15 years experience in the healthcare industry including significant experience in long-term care and retirement housing. For eight years she was the Chief Financial Officer/Comptroller of a major senior health system located in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York providing the financial leadership for over 300 nursing home beds, 300 assisted living beds, a 163-unit continuing care retirement community as well as a licensed home health agency, a managed long term care program, adult day care and many community outreach programs.

Terri is experienced in the preparation of financial feasibility studies, third party reimbursement issues, operational audits and re-engineering system reviews. She's conducted financial analysis of merger and acquisition transactions and productivity reviews, as well as strategic planning sessions and is experienced in the development of managed care contracting and reporting arrangements.

Terri is a member of the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA), the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). She is an accomplished presenter on relevant topics affecting skilled nursing provider reimbursement. Terri is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She holds a Certificate in Managed Care from Rutgers University and a Certificate in Senior Housing Development and Finance from Johns Hopkins University graduate school. Terri is a member of the New York State Society of CPA’s and the American Institute of CPA’s.

MICHELLE MCDONALD - Administrative and Senior Nurse Consultant
Michelle McDonald has over 20 years in the long-term care and public health industry. She is an experienced New York State Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and registered nurse, and a nationally recognized expert in quality initiatives in skilled nursing facilities. Currently Ms. McDonald is a project leader in the current CMS initiative to compare and review federal and state survey processes.

Recently Michelle was the project manager for the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Data Assessment and Verification (DAVE) contract, and as such is an expert in the accurate preparation of the Multiple Data Assessment (MDS) tool. Michelle is experienced in the Joint Committee for the Accreditation of Hospital Organizations (JCAHO) process, and implemented care management programs in acute, post acute and in community settings. Michelle has participated in numerous New York State Nursing Home surveys and has conducted mock surveys throughout the State. Other credentials and notable accomplishments include:

• Recipient of the Ralph J. Barron Scholarship/Grant awarded by the NY State Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators
• Recipient of the Joint Commission Resource Discretionary Award for outstanding performance in project management
• A master’s degree in public health policy and management from New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
• Undergraduate degree in nursing from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York
• Membership in the American College of Health Care Administrators, and the New York State and American Nurses Associations
• Chairperson of the Utilization Review Committee, the Professional Advisory Committee, the Charting and Documentation committee and the Community Service committee for the Orange County Department of Health
• Accomplished speaker and trainer in Survey readiness, RAI, RAPS and Care planning

CHRISTINE O’TOOLE - Nurse Consultant
Christine O’Toole is an accomplished clinician and nursing expert, with 25 years of nursing services primarily in the long-term care industry. In her tenure as Director of Nursing for nursing homes in the lower Hudson valley region of New York she maintained deficiency free homes, and is accomplished in writing statements of deficiencies and plans of correction.

She is certified to perform Patient Review and Screen Instruments, and conducts statewide reviews and training. Christine is an expert in the design of efficient nursing staffing patterns to ensure quality of care and cost effectiveness. She developed new initiatives in the area of pain management in skilled nursing facilities and continues to be in the forefront of implementing innovative policies to ensure patient satisfaction and clinical effectiveness.

Christine is a licensed New York State Nursing Home Administrator, and a Registered Nurse. She is a graduate of St. Josephs College with a Bachelor in Health Care Administration, and is pursuing her graduate degree in health care administration from St. Josephs College in Maine.

KELSEY SCHWARTZ - Administrative and Senior Nurse Consultant
Kelsey Schwartz is a leader. She guides interdisciplinary teams in working with health care facilities in regulatory crisis, interim management, state appointed management and educational programming in an effort to bring about positive and lasting change.

In the past 20 years Ms. Schwartz has worked with over 300 long-term care facilities and is a recognized expert in the regulatory process. She is skilled at assisting facilities improve care while consolidating costs, and her method of developing and implementing systems in long-term care has assisted facilities to achieve and maintain compliance long after the survey is over.

Kelsey is acknowledged nationally as an expert in quality assurance programming, management and system development, Medicare reimbursement and the Resident Assessment Instrument, and frequently asked to speak on these subjects at industry gatherings. Her credentials and other notable accomplishments include:

• Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and a Registered Nurse in Michigan
• Certified in Gerontology and Case Management
• Served as Executive Director, Administrator, Dir. of Nursing in long term care facilities
• Certified remediator for the Michigan Public Health Institute
• Author of "The Abuse Prohibition Manual" published by the Briggs Corporation
• Frequent contributor to the Post Acute Payment Report

LINDA L. SAUNDERS - Administrative and Census Development Specialist
A Licensed Nursing Home Administrator for 20 years, Linda Saunders' specialization in opening new facilities (long term care, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living projects) has developed facility based leadership teams and spearheaded aggressive marketing programs that exceed occupancy goals and profit expectations. Deficiency free surveys, high resident satisfaction scores and JACHO accreditation with commendation at the facilities for which she has worked highlight Ms. Saunder’s commitment to high quality resident care.

Ms. Saunders was the Vice President of Business Development for an Ohio based rehabilitation services company that while under her leadership experienced 400% growth in 3 years. Her unique blend of administrative skills coupled with tenacious marketing expertise advanced her success as a mentor in the health care arena; consulting to a number of national long-term care companies in the areas of marketing, customer service and managed care contracting, while developing specialty and sub acute units.

A Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in the State of Ohio, in 1999 Linda was awarded the "Marketing Tool of the Year Award" by The Health Care Admissions and Marketing Directors Association of America. She is an active member of the Ohio Health Care Association, The Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, The American College of Health Care Administrators and The Case Management Society of America, and a frequently sought keynote speaker.

TERRI MCINTOSH - Consultant
Terry is an AHIMA credentialed professional who is both a Registered Health Information Technician and Certified Coding Specialist. She has over twenty years experience in medical record auditing and coding. Terri is a University of Detroit-Mercy graduate with a degree in Health Information Technology.

Terri began her career at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan as Assistant Manager in Utilization Management, where she also served as Committee Assistant to the Surgery Quality Assurance Committee. From there she moved into the consulting arena and has consulted in all areas of healthcare including acute care, post-acute care, physician practice, clinic and psychiatric facilities.

Specializing in coding compliance, Terri has assisted many Health Information Management departments with process improvement as it pertains to Revenue Cycle and Reimbursement. She has assisted Patient Accounts departments with denial management and revenue recovery. Terri has also served in many interim HIM management positions.

DONA MARIE IVERSEN, EMT, RN, MS, CCM, NE - BC - Consultant
Ms. Iversen has more than 30 years of healthcare experience with a focus in hospital administration and operations, peri operative services, supply chain management, patient access, education and quality/case management, development, design and implementation of electronic scheduling modules in addition to electronic medical records for both nursing and anesthesia. Ms. Iversen’s strengths are in the areas of leadership, teamwork, problem solving, developing and streamlining systems, process improvement, cost effectiveness, as well as excellent communication skills. She has been extensively involved in supply chain process improvement, QI program implementation, OR scheduling improvements, critical path development, medical malpractice litigation, and educational presentations. Her clinical expertise is in the areas of peri operative services, trauma, critical care, emergency services, flight transport, medical/surgical services and neurology.

In addition, Ms. Iversen is a Colonel in the US Air Force Reserves assigned to the Pentagon. She frequently interacts with HQ AF staff and Joint Staff and fields inquiries from Congress. She has been involved in 5 overseas deployments and has won numerous awards and declarations.

Ms. Iversen holds a Master of Science degree in Management and Public Administration from St. Thomas University, Miami, and a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Health/Hospital Administration from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton and an Associates of Applied Science in Nursing from City University of New York, Staten Island. Ms. Iversen is also certified in Quality Management, Nursing Administration, Case Management and Crew Resource Management (USAF). She also has other specialized military training.

PATRICIA HENNELLY, CRO
Ms. Hennelly is a seasoned healthcare professional with over twenty years of hands on financial and operational experience in various healthcare organizations. Patricia has extensive experience in teaching and community hospitals. This experience makes her highly qualified to provide restructuring, revenue, expense, and strategic planning services.

Most recently, Ms. Hennelly was Vice President of Administration and Finance of a 1,000 bed academic medical center in New York City. In her capacity as VP, Ms. Hennelly spearheaded a number of initiatives to improve revenue, increase productivity, and reduce costs. The revenue initiatives included revenue cycle and charge capture.

Ms Hennelly spent five years as a healthcare consultant. She specialized in bankruptcy, restructuring, receivables valuation, and third party liabilities. Ms Hennelly provided consulting services to urban and rural hospitals, long term care facilities, and physician practice management companies.

Ms. Hennelly was Vice President of Finance at an international hospital supply distributor and manufacturer. She also served as Vice President of Finance at a Home Health Agency.

MARY BLYTH, RN, MSN - Consultant
Mary Blyth is a registered nurse with over 30 years of clinical and administrative experience in healthcare industry in USA, Middle East and United Kingdom.

She has extensive clinical experience specifically in the areas of critical care, renal dialysis and case management.

Her administrative experience ranges from program development where in the 1980s she was the clinical leader in setting up the first peritoneal dialysis program in Saudi Arabia, which was hospital based with outreach to Bedouins in the desert, to more recently developing clinical documentation improvement programs at a multi site facility in the NY area.

Most recently Ms Blyth has been Administrator / Director for a Utilization Management program overseeing coordination of denials and appeals, for commercial and government payors, including RAC and MAC. This program successfully appealed many of RAC denials with an impressive multi million dollar recoupement.

Ms Blyth received her Masters in Nursing Case Management with a minor in Administration, and her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from St Peters College, NJ.

JEANNE MARIE KISS RN, Ph.D.-Consultant

Jeanne Marie Kiss has a long record of successfully managing large complex organizations. A leader in the New York City’s health care community, Dr. Kiss combined clinical education as a registered nurse with graduate education in professional management to accomplish advances in health care management and patient care. As COO of the 800 bed Saint Luke's site of St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, a prestigious academic medical center serving Harlem and Manhattan’s upper west side she introduced clinical pathways, significantly increased Home Care revenue, restructured outpatient services and achieved significant reductions in LOS and cost per case.

In her consulting work she has helped customers improve their performance by engaging participants in process mapping to identify roadblocks and remove them instituting instead multidisciplinary procedures with clear role definitions and expectations. Over the past few years Dr. Kiss has been involved with a $4M grant for CDPM from WebMD, focusing on interventions that create active participation in maintaining health for working people with Diabetes and CHF using a patient navigator/case management approach. The linkage with inpatient discharge planning, patient and family support and clear well documented admissions and follow up have demonstrated success in the pilot groups, avoiding readmission and reducing complications and medical costs. She has also worked with an inpatient Hospice to review and improve case management function, streamlining and improving productivity.

Dr. Kiss holds a PhD in Organization Theory and Management from NYU Wagner as well as an MS in Nursing from Hunter College.