Bloggers and Contributors

Nadia Ali, M.D.

Nadia Ali, M.D. was a former geriatric specialist at the Rehabilitative Services Unit at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Dedham and served as the medical director of the Skilled Nursing Unit at Orchard Cove. She joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2019. Dr. Ali received her medical degree from the Rawalpindi Medical College...

Heather Andrews

Prior to joining the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Heather served as the Life Enrichment Specialist within the memory care unit at Mount Desert Island Hospital's Birch Bay Village and worked as a Research Assistant within the Cognition, Aging, Resiliency, and Enhancement (CARE) Lab and Maine Mood...

Amir Baniassadi, PhD

Dr. Amir Baniassadi is an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an assistant scientist in Marcus Institute for Aging Research. He works on climate change and environmental health, and in particular, environmental impacts on health and well-being of older populations. He has a Ph.D. in civil, environmental, and...

Ellie Belanger

Former Assisted Living Advisor at NewBridge on the Charles Ellie Belanger helped prospective residents and families explore the assisted living and memory care assisted living options at Hebrew SeniorLife’s continuing care retirement community in Dedham, MA. Prior to joining Hebrew SeniorLife, Ellie led community outreach for an assisted living community...

Nancy Bloomstein

Nancy Bloomstein is a Medical Social Worker in Hospice Care at Hebrew SeniorLife. She started her career in social work at the University of Rochester Medical Center and previously worked at Massachusetts General Hospital, The Wellness Room in Newton, and MetroWest HomeCare and Hospice. Education Master of Social Work, Clinical/Medical...

James R. Brown, FACHE, MBA, DPT

James Brown is executive director of the Center Communities of Brookline, a 511 multi-income independent senior housing with supportive services campus located in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA. The campus spans multiple city blocks and is made up of four different buildings. James is responsible for the management of Center Communities...

Leesa Burke, MA, FAAA

Audiologist Leesa Burke, MA, FAAA, is a Fellow in the American Academy of Audiology and a member of the Massachusetts Speech, Language and Hearing Association. Her special areas of interest include rehabilitative audiology, assistive listening devices, and counseling for the hearing impaired and their families. Ms. Burke has been featured...

Lynda Bussgang

Lynda is the Director of Volunteer, Youth and Community Engagement for Hebrew SeniorLife, overseeing volunteer placement and multigenerational programming across the organization's five campuses. Lynda’s team designs innovative opportunities to welcome the Greater Boston community into Hebrew SeniorLife, and foster meaningful interactions across generations. Lynda also sits on the Leadership...

Sarah Charest, OTR/L-CLT

Sarah Charest has worked as an occupational therapist at HSL for almost 11 years. Sarah received her bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from the University of New Hampshire, and is certified in lymphedema management. She has a strong interest in geriatrics, and in 2013 presented at the American Occupational Therapy...

Helen Chen, M.D.

Helen Chen, M.D., served as Hebrew SeniorLife's chief medical officer from 2013-2022. As a geriatrician, Dr. Chen has a passion for improving care for older adults both at the individual and healthcare system levels. Prior to joining Hebrew SeniorLife, Dr. Chen was the chief medical officer for the Center for...

Alegria Cohen, MS, RD, LDN

Alegria Cohen, MS, RD, LDN, has been working at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center as the Lead Clinical Dietitian since 2010. She has worked on all levels of care as well as assisting with nutrient analysis of the patient's menu. Alegria received her Masters of Science Degree in Nutrition and completed her...

Jody Comart, Ph.D.

Jody Comart is a clinical psychologist and chaplain, who coordinated specialized end-of-life care throughout Hebrew SeniorLife before she retired in 2019. She provided pastoral counseling to patients and families, offered training for staff in end-of-life care, and lead the effort at Hebrew SeniorLife to develop palliative care through clinical, educational...

Catherine Couture, LICSW, MPH

Catherine Couture joined the Orchard Cove team in 2014. For the preceding five years, she was a close colleague of the Orchard Cove team in her role with Hebrew SeniorLife Private Care. Cat has served in both social work and public health positions after earning her master's in social work...

Jeff Cramer

Jeff Cramer was the content specialist at Hebrew SeniorLife from 2019 to 2021, where he contributed content for digital platforms like social media, the Hebrew SeniorLife blog, the Hebrew SeniorLife website, and e-newsletters. Jeff spent five years as a local TV news anchor and reporter telling stories that impacted local...

Natalie Cunniff

Natalie Cunniff is a Dietetic Intern at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston. She graduated from Simmons University in Boston, Ma, with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and a minor in Psychology.

Jennifer Davis

Jennifer Davis writes for print and digital media, specializing in the health care and research sectors. She spent 25 years of her career working for nonprofit organizations that provide services to older adults and was a member of Hebrew SeniorLife’s Communications Department for nineteen of those years. Jennifer stepped down...

Hali Diecidue

Hali Diecidue has been the senior staff chaplain at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center since 1997. Hali provides pastoral care to residents, chaplaincy support to staff and family members, and teaches regularly on topics such as end of life pastoral care and pastoral care to people with dementia. In addition, Hali leads...

Rebecca Donato, BA, MBA

Rebecca's responsibilities as Vitalize 360 Executive Director include overseeing program development, operations, and financial and membership growth. Previously, Rebecca served as the Chief Operating Officer at Community Servings, an innovative organization focused on providing medically tailored meals to the under-served as a health care intervention. Before that, she was Chief...

Terri Febo Robinson

Terri Febo Robinson is Senior Director of Communications and Content at Hebrew SeniorLife, where she leads a team focused on creating, sharing, and optimizing engaging content in support of the organization's business, marketing, and philanthropy goals. She oversees strategic, internal, and development communications; brand stewardship; and content strategy, including internal...

Lori Feldman, LICSW

Lori Feldman, LICSW, joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2013. She is the Resident Support Advisor at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham. Prior to her position at NewBridge, she was a licensed clinical social worker at the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston and...

Susan Flashner-Fineman

Susan Flashner-Fineman is Orchard Cove’s Vitality 360 Coach. She had been the Fitness Director at Orchard Cove for the past ten years. "As the Vitality 360 coach, my mission is to guide and inspire each and every resident to live their best life possible ....one of fulfillment and satisfaction. The...

Tara Fleming Caruso, MA, LMHC

Tara serves as the collaborative care advisor for the NewBridge campus, making her an important resource for each of our residents and their families. Tara helps each senior moving to NewBridge both understand and access the variety of supports our continuum of care offers so each can live their best...

Cindy Freeman

Cindy Freeman was Hebrew SeniorLife's development writer. She enjoyed working with older adults and has volunteered with her therapy dog and her son, who once ran a bi-weekly happy hour/variety show at a care center in Wayland. Prior to joining Hebrew SeniorLife, Cindy lived with her husband and son in...

Phyllis Giller

Phyllis is Employee Communication Manager at Hebrew SeniorLife and a member of the Marketing and Communications team. She joined the organization in 2011. In her role, Phyllis guides the development of communications for HSL’s 2,600 employees across the organization’s nine campuses. She works with Lou Woolf, HSL’s President and CEO...

Lynda Giovaniello, RN, MS

Lynda Giovaniello joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2016 as a clinical liaison for home and community-based services, facilitating transitions of care for patients from inpatient settings to home, and served as Director of Clinical Liaisons until 2022. She earned her Master’s Degree in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts in Boston...

Dana Gitell

As director of marketing, Dana Gitell leads strategic marketing and digital communications initiatives that promote Hebrew SeniorLife’s senior living communities, health care offerings, and community-based services. Her career spans communications roles in nonprofit, government and Jewish communal organizations. She is credited with coining the word “Thanksgivukkah” to mark the 2013...

Rachel Gore

Rachel Gore is a Digital Content Specialist at Hebrew SeniorLife, where she supports Hebrew SeniorLife’s content marketing efforts by writing original content for digital channels, especially the Hebrew SeniorLife blog. Prior to joining Hebrew SeniorLife in 2023, Rachel worked in content marketing and news writing in B2B tech, financial services...

Batya Greene, LICSW

Batya Greene, LICSW, is a clinical social worker who joined Hebrew Senior Life Hospice 10 years ago. Batya has enjoyed watching the HSL Hospice thrive and grow from its early days into the vibrant organization it has become. Batya came to HSL hospice with extensive experience in home based intervention...

Jodie Gruen

Over a span of more than two decades, Jodie has served at Hebrew SeniorLife in several different departments including Corporate Communications, Volunteer Services and Research. Currently, she holds the position of research assistant, supporting several projects focusing on mobility and falls and models of care. She is a graduate of...

Marie Guerrier, MSN, NP

Marie Guerrier is an Adult Nurse Practitioner in Boston, MA. She has over 23 years of experience specializing in geriatrics, Alzheimer's care, progressive neurological disorders, end of life care, and acute and chronic disease management. She was a Nurse Practitioner Assistant Professor, Boston University School of Medicine. Marie is happy...

Tammy Hanel

Tammy is a dietetic intern in Hebrew Rehabilitation Center's inaugural class. She has a bachelor's degree in clinical nutrition and is working on her master's degree in applied nutrition with an emphasis in nutrition education. Her goal is to aid in the translation of research and data to actionable information...

Marian T. Hannan, D.Sc., M.P.H.

Primary research interests focus on understanding the etiology of musculoskeletal diseases and interventions for osteoporosis, specifically: 1) the epidemiology of age-related osteoporosis and arthritis; 2) the influence of foot disorders on physical function and falls; and 3) the influence of dietary and other risk factors on bone loss in elders...

Lingda Hou, NHA

Lingda Hou joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2015 after graduating from Brandeis University with a M.A. in Economics and Finance. Prior to joining the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health as their administrative clinic manager, Lingda worked at NewBridge on the Charles, where she managed a receptionist team, worked...

The HSL Blog Team

The Hebrew SeniorLife Blog Team brings you helpful and reliable content about issues that matter to seniors and their loved ones, informed by Hebrew SeniorLife's team of experts.

Sharon K. Inouye, M.D., M.P.H.

Sharon Inouye, M.D., M.P.H., is a geriatrician at HRC, senior scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, and director of its Aging Brain Center. She also holds the Milton and Shirley F. Levy Family Chair in Alzheimer's Disease at the Marcus Institute. Dr. Inouye received her...

Tanya Iudice, PT, OCS, PMA®-CPT

Tanya Iudice currently works for Hebrew Senior Life at the New Bridge on the Charles campus as Team Leader in the Outpatient Physical Therapy department. Tanya graduated with a physical therapy degree from Quinnipiac University and has over 26 years of physical therapy experience with focus on movement disorders, spine...

Carole Johnson

Carole Johnson oversees all of the fiscal operations for Orchard Cove and NewBridge on the Charles. She is a CPA with more than 30 years of experience in public accounting, consulting and corporate accounting management. Her focus is maintaining the highest standards of financial reporting and control for Hebrew SeniorLife’s...

Caleb Jordan, M.D.

Dr. Jordan is a geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in neuromodulation from Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and the research of those modalities. Dr. Jordan attended medical school at Louisiana State University in his home state of Louisiana. He then attended a surgical internship...

Ruth Kandel, MD

Ruth Kandel obtained her bachelor's degree from State University of New York, Buffalo and her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and a geriatrics fellowship at Bedford Veteran's Administration Hospital/Boston University Medical Center. She is an assistant...

Francis Kibugi, RN

Francis Kibugi RN is the Director of Nursing at the Rehabilitative Services Unit at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale , MA. He is responsible for the day to day operations of the 50-bed unit. He has been in this role since 2014 and has more than 15 years of experience...

Douglas P. Kiel, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Kiel's primary research interests are in the area of osteoporosis and related fractures, including falls, nutritional factors, genetics, and frailty. Much of his work has been carried out in association with the Framingham Study, which includes an ancillary study called the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. In addition, he is interested...

Beth Kitzis, MEd, RDN, LDN

Beth Kitzis, MEd, RDN, LDN is a clinical dietician at NewBridge on the Charles.

Angela Labonte

Laura Lee, MS, OTR/L, CHT

Laura Lee received her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in 1996 and has been affiliated with Hebrew SeniorLife since 1997. Laura holds a certificate in lymphedema management and became a certified hand therapist in 2003, with a special interest in geriatric-related conditions affecting the upper extremity...

Jennifer Linehan

Jennifer joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2011 as a social worker. She began her career with HSL working at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale before transitioning to the Skilled Nursing Facility at Orchard Cove in 2019. Jennifer received a master’s degree in social work from Simmons School of Social Work.

Isaac Longobardi

A recent graduate of Harvard College, Isaac is passionate about the ethics, politics, and social experience of aging and the end of life. He is an experienced caregiver, avid writer, and a perpetual student of the world around him. While at Hebrew SeniorLife, he piloted multigenerational living at Center Communities...

Brad Manor, Ph.D.

Dr. Manor’s career goal is to alleviate the burden of balance decline that often accompanies biological aging into senescence. As the Director of the Mobility and Brain Function Program, he works to achieve this goal by directing inter-disciplinary, translational research in the fields of human balance and rehabilitative medicine. His...

Marianna V. Mapes

Marianna V. Mapes is the Program Manager for the Dept. of Volunteer, Youth, and Community Engagement at Hebrew SeniorLife. In this role, she drives the content design of multigenerational programming across HSL and leads initiatives to creatively utilize volunteers at several of our senior communities. In 2018, Marianna developed the...

Heather Margulis, MSPT

Heather Margulis, MSPT, studied physical therapy at Northeastern University at both the undergraduate and masters levels before joining Hebrew SeniorLife’s rehabilitation services team in 2001. Since then, she has held many therapeutic and supervisory positions within Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s Boston and Dedham campuses, most currently as the Associate Director of...

Wolk Center for Memory Health

The Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health at Hebrew SeniorLife provides Harvard Medical School-affiliated outpatient memory care services, in person and virtually, for people living with cognitive symptoms or disorders at any stage — and for their families and caregivers. We know caring for a person showing signs...

Courtney Millar

Dr. Millar completed her doctoral degree at the University of Connecticut, where she focused on delineating the mechanistic effects of bioactive compounds from three different Kingdoms (Plantae, Animalia, Eubacteria) on the progression of atherosclerosis in genetically modified mouse models. She is currently a T32 postdoctoral research fellow at the Hinda...

Carolina Mondragon

Carolina (Caro) moved from Colombia and has been living in the Greater Boston area since 2017. She speaks both English and Spanish. Caro received her master’s degree from universities in Colombia. During her master's degree, she wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the English language and United States culture...

Aidan Morrison

Aidan Morrison is a Marketing & Communications Generalist at Hebrew SeniorLife, where he works as a part of a team creating and sharing blog content, email newsletters, and social media posts. Prior to joining the Hebrew SeniorLife team in May 2023, Aidan worked in a digital marketing role with an...

Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy is vice president of patient access at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center. In this role, he is responsible for managing admissions for 750+ beds across multiple campuses and levels of care. Brian receives more than 9,000 referrals annually as the result of the strong relationships he and his team have...

Rabbi Beth Naditch

Rabbi Beth Naditch is a board certified chaplain and an ACPE Certified Educator at Hebrew SeniorLife. She teaches the art and skills of spiritual care to future and current clergy and laypeople dedicated to geriatric spiritual care. Rabbi Naditch has a specialty in trauma-informed care, having served as a chaplain...

Evelyn O'Neill

Evelyn O’Neill is the Project Director / Program Manager STEP-HI Study at HSL's Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. With a BS in Education and 30 years of long-term care experience working with frail elders, she has been working at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the last 25 years...

Patricia O’Brien

Patricia previously oversaw Hebrew SeniorLife home health services for thousands of seniors, including skilled nursing, therapies, medical social work, home safety evaluation, and home health aide throughout greater Boston and the South Shore.

Rabbi Sara Paasche-Orlow

Sara Paasche-Orlow is the former Director of Spiritual Care at Hebrew SeniorLife. In this position, she established the nation's only Jewish geriatric clinical pastoral education (CPE) program accredited by ACPE, Inc. and has placed chaplains and CPE students throughout the HSL system. Rabbi Sara was ordained in the Conservative Movement...

Jill Perkins

Jill Perkins has worked as an art curator at Hebrew SeniorLife since 2016. She enjoys placing beautiful artwork throughout the facilities for all to enjoy. Jill holds a degree in fine arts from Lesley University.

Michelle G. Perry

Michelle joined Hebrew SeniorLife in October 2018 as a Volunteer Coordinator. She is developing new volunteer programs to support patients and their families at end of life, in the areas of patient companionship, vigil support for dying patients, and bereavement support. Prior to joining HSL, Michelle was a Hospice Volunteer...

Joanne Peskowitz, LICSW

Joanne is a dementia specialist and social worker at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s long-term chronic care Memory Support Unit and a palliative care social worker in the short-term Rehabilitative Services Unit. Joanne was a case manager for the ALS Association, has led expert trainings on both Alzheimer’s disease and domestic abuse...

Amanda Phillips

Amanda Phillips is a retirement counselor based at NewBridge on the Charles. With a Master’s Degree in Gerontology from UMass Boston and close to 20 years of experience in the field of aging services, Amanda’s expertise lies in helping families manage the many transitions that come with caring for an...

Jennifer Pilcher

Dr. Pilcher was awarded her doctoral degree in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in 2005. Her professional experience has focused primarily on care and housing arrangements for elders with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including policy and fundraising work for the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern Massachusetts, the...

Victoria Poole, Ph.D

Victoria Poole was an Assistant Scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Instructor of Medicine at BIDMC/Harvard Medical School, and a 2017 Harvard Catalyst KL2 Scholar. She first joined the Marcus Institute in 2014, when she began her postdoctoral training in the Harvard Translational Research...

Kim Portello, PT, COS-C

Kim Portello, P.T., received her degree from Simmons College and has been a Physical Therapist since 1988. She has devoted her career to home care since 1991. Before joining Hebrew SeniorLife Home Care as Manager of Rehabilitation in 2013, she spent 21 years at South Shore Visiting Nurses—14 of those...

Miriam Priven

Miriam Priven is the LGBTQ+ chaplain resident at Hebrew SeniorLife.

Annie Racine, Ph.D.

Annie Racine is a former postdoctoral research fellow at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research’s Aging Brain Center. Before joining the Marcus Institute, she earned a Master of Public Affairs and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Neuroscience and Public Policy program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison...

David Raider

David has held a variety of roles at NewBridge on the Charles since 2009, starting off as program manager, then director of community life, to his current role as new resident advisor. David has 20 years of experience in the senior living industry, both in sales and marketing positions and...

Tina Reilly

Tina Reilly is the Clinical Nutrition Manager at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center. Previous to this position, Tina was the Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Kindred Hospital, Boston. Her experience includes being a dietician at several Boston hospitals, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Tina has a B.S. in Clinical...

Shoshana Savitz, LICSW

Shoshana Savitz, LICSW, joined Hebrew SeniorLife in 2020. She is a medical social worker and bereavement coordinator for the Hebrew SeniorLife Hospice Care team. She has over 25 years of experience working as a medical social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital, Lahey Clinic, and the VA Medical Center and as...

Jeanne Seltzer

Jeanne Seltzer is a Development Communications Manager at Hebrew SeniorLife, where she focuses on creating development and marketing communications. Jeanne has a background in journalism, fundraising communications, and marketing communications. She has written for American Public Television, WGBH, Boston Magazine, The Boston Globe, and the Boston Parents’ Paper. Jeanne has...

Wendy Shulman

Wendy Shulman is the office manager for the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health. She is the first point of contact for patients and families seeking care at the Wolk Center. Wendy feels grateful to be working with an extraordinary team of professionals and assisting in the care...

Matthew Shuster, M.D.

Matthew Shuster, M.D., is the medical director of the Hebrew Senior Life Outpatient Clinic at NewBridge on the Charles. He is a senior physician with over 30 years of clinical, teaching, and leadership experience. Dr. Shuster received his medical degree from the University of Maryland and completed his residency training...

Matt Smith

Matt Smith has over 20 years of experience working in geriatrics and almost 10 years in hospice care. He entered the nursing profession as a Licensed Practical Nurse trained in the ARMY. More recently, he graduated from Fitchburg State University in 2012 with BSN in Nursing. During Matt’s nursing career...

Brenda Sweeney

Brenda Sweeney is Director of Quality for Hebrew SeniorLife’s Home Health. She completed her bachelor of science in nursing from St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. Prior to working for Hebrew SeniorLife, Brenda worked at Steward Home Care in different roles such as director of education and quality specialist. She...

Jennifer Wall

Jennifer Wall was Chief Quality Officer for Hebrew SeniorLife from 2020 - 2022. She received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice and M.S. in Nursing from MGH Institute of Health Professions, and her B.S. from Union College.

Brooke Wayne

Brooke Wayne is a speech-language pathologist at Hebrew SeniorLife, based primarily at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston. She completed her master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Boston University. During her studies, she was placed as a graduate student intern at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles in 2017...

Louis J. Woolf

Louis J. Woolf served as president and CEO of Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife from 2009 until his retirement in 2023. During his tenure, Woolf oversaw a period of steady revenue growth that supported an array of new clinical and research initiatives as well as new and expanded senior...