Prior to the merger, Sarah served as President and Chief Executive Officer with JourneyCare since December 2011, after joining the organization in January of that same year as Chief Operating Officer. During her tenure, JourneyCare tripled in size and grew its reserves by 400 percent, while achieving best-in-class employee engagement and family satisfaction. Sarah’s background includes leadership experience in healthcare, financial services and nonprofit sectors, with expertise in cultural alignment, strategic planning, governance, operations, risk management and business development.

With more than a decade of service in hospice and palliative care, Sarah is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Sarah is also the immediate past chair of the Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Steven brings over 20 years of experience in the healthcare and financial services industries. Prior to joining JourneyCare, he served for the last five years as Chief Financial Officer at HealthFitness Corporation, a Trustmark Company. He also was previously Executive Director of Treasury and Financial Management at Health Care Service Corporation and formerly worked for Arthur Andersen, LLP.

Steven is a certified public accountant. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Lake Forest, Illinois.
 

Lisa’s career extends nearly 20 years in the Chicago region’s healthcare and hospital systems, respectively serving as Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications with Northwest Community Healthcare; Vice President of Public Affairs and Marketing, Advocate Health Care; and Manager of Marketing, Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

During her tenure, she was recognized and promoted progressively, varying in each organization, where she launched and maintained brand awareness, developed multi-million dollar clinical centers of excellence advertising campaigns, driving consumer and physical referrals, managing community relations, analyzing business development growth strategy and crisis communication for multi-campus enterprises.

Lisa is the recipient of many advertising and marketing communications awards, including the Pinnacle. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
 

Previously, Kelly served as a consultant for hospice programs, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, including as Director of Home Care Programs at Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care in Madison, Wisconsin, and Administrator with Sunrise Senior Living. In Madison she also co-founded Bear Courage, LLC, a statewide pediatric palliative care coalition.

Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Grand Canyon University in Arizona and a diploma in nursing from Flushing Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing in Queens, New York. Kelly is certified as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse and Administrator. She is an active member of the Hospice and Palliative Care National Association and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Kelly was honored in 2011 with the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium Award of Excellence for Pediatric Palliative Care.

 

With over a decade of experience in hospice and palliative care, Julie previously served as the attending provider for hospice patients on the residence at Agrace HospiceCare in Madison, Wisconsin, and has worked in the acute care hospice area, managing pain and symptoms at the end of life.

Julie completed a post-master’s certification in nursing at Northern Kentucky University; earned a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse, board certified adult/geriatric nurse practitioner and wound care-certified nurse.

Specializing in Family Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care and Occupational Medicine, Dr. Grzeskowiak previously served a family practice physician with Mercy Health System, Lake Geneva Center and Family Practice Clinic in Chicago. He also was Medical Director with Hospice Advantage in Union Grove, Wisconsin, and at Willow Hospice in Plainfield, Illinois.

Dr. Grzeskowiak earned his medical degree from the Medical University of Warsaw in Poland and completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson University at Underwood Memorial Hospital, Family Medical Center in Woodbury, New Jersey. He earned his undergraduate degree in finance from the Kelley School or Business at Indiana University. He has also completed Leadership for Physician Executives at Harvard Medical School.

Leslie brings over 20 years of experience in nursing, administration and business development in hospice, home healthcare, marketing, physician house calls and staff development. She was Vice President at Transitions Hospice, LLC, prior to joining JourneyCare in 2013. Upon joining JourneyCare as Director of Access, Leslie has been an integral part of ensuring the mission is carried out and all patients receive the services they need anytime, day or night.

Leslie earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Northern Illinois University. Leslie is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator.

 Joseph came to JourneyCare after 15 years with Northern Illinois University (NIU), most recently as both Chief Executive Officer of the NIU Alumni Association and Chief Operating Officer of the University’s Foundation. He held various fundraising positions while at NIU, including Assistant Vice President of University Advancement and Executive Director of Alumni Relations.

A staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force for six years, Joseph also worked at Central DuPage Hospital, focusing on enhancing efficiencies in various areas of the health system.

Joseph earned a master’s degree in education and university administration from NIU, along with a bachelor’s degree in health administration. He is a member of the Association Forum of Chicago and the American College of Health Care Executives.

 

With over 23 years of sales and marketing experience in senior living, long-term senior care and assisted living, Mary Pat held leadership positions at Brookdale Senior Living in Chicago and Mather Lifeways in Evanston. She also served as a sales and marketing consultant with Classic Residences by Marriott, Senior Lifestyles and Midwest Senior Living.

Mary Pat graduated from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, with a bachelor’s degree in business and economics and a minor in gerontology.

 

 She has spent nearly two decades working in sales and marketing for multimillion dollar brands and lease-up communities in hotel and property management, senior living and long-term care, including Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Stacey has served in leadership positions at Senior Lifestyle as the National Director of Marketing, Tutera Senior Living and Health Care as the Regional Marketing Coordinator, Bickford Senior Living and Sunrise Senior Living as the Divisional Director of Marketing.

Stacey was the recipient of Distinction Award by International Academy of Visual Arts and Davey Advertising Award for branded print materials in partnership with Grapevine Designs. In addition, she has been a guest speaker at various conferences including for the Illinois Nursing Home Administrators Association.

Stacey graduated from University of Phoenix with a bachelor’s in business and marketing.

Previously, Miriam was Vice President, Human Resources & Information Systems at Midwest CareCenter for seven years.

Miriam has more than 25 years of experience in U.S. and international lead human resources roles. From 2004 to 2008, she managed global and local HR processes at the corporate offices of Fortune Brands, Inc., and at Beam Suntory. She also served in several progressive HR roles in the United States and Ireland over 14 years with Accenture. She began her career at Guinness PLC. in London, England.

Miriam completed a Senior Professional Human Resources Certification in 2014. She earned a post-graduate diploma in human resource management from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and a bachelor of arts in history and education from the University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate College, Ireland.