VNA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Nurse
- Director of Meal Deliveries, Logistics
Aaron Richey joined the Visiting Nurse Association in 2019 as the Meals on Wheels Supervisor where he managed the routing department and staff of paid delivery drivers. After receiving promotions to Manager and subsequently Director, he continues to lead daily routing efforts, manages meal delivery execution, logistics, assists with large event planning and has recently taken on management of our Title XX client base. Before joining the Visiting Nurse Association, Aaron spent 16 years with the nation's largest home and office bottled water provider managing logistics and leading efficiency improvement projects. Aaron resides in East Dallas with his wife and two sons.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director Donor Relations
Cheryl Jones, LMSW is a Licensed Master Social Worker who strives for excellence as the director of donor relations for the Visiting Nurse Association, and compassion as a medical social worker. Cheryl has always believed in helping others and sought a career in which she could utilize her diverse talents to strengthen individuals and the community. With a brief stint in the PR, marketing and advertising world, Cheryl possesses a unique perspective in her work with an ability to frame issues so they are approachable, actionable and positive. Her business background coupled with her work in the nonprofit and health care sectors provide real-world understanding of complex social problems. Cheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Indiana University and a Master of Science in social work from The University of Texas at Austin.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President and Chief of Strategy and Development at the Visiting Nurse Association
- Vice President, Chief of Strategy and Development
Chris Culak is the vice president and chief of strategy and development at the Visiting Nurse Association. Chris has more than 27 years of experience in nonprofit management and came to the Visiting Nurse Association in 2015 after implementing and managing programs for Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, the National Audubon Society, Planned Parenthood, North Texas Food Bank and the American Heart Association. Chris is a former member of the Dallas Citizens Homelessness Commission, a member of the 2020 DISD Bond Committee, the Finance Committee at Kessler Park United Methodist Church, is a past board member of The Kessler School, Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, and is past a Board Chair of Preservation Dallas. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in health care administration with a minor in psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos. Chris and is wife Nichole live in Dallas and have two school-age children.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director of Adult and Pediatric Hospice
Dr. Newcomer earned her medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical School and completed a residency in internal medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in hospice and palliative medicine, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2016.
Dr. Newcomer serves as the Hospice Rotation Organizer for UT Southwestern and the Clinical Epidemiology Coordinator and Lecturer for the UT Southwestern Palliative Care and Geriatric Fellowship. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and the Dallas County Medical Society.
She is also the Medical Director of Adult and Pediatric Hospice for the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas.
Her research and teaching interests include hospice and palliative medicine, especially topical therapies for pain control and aligning goals of care with patients' heart defibrillator status. She has delivered several invited lectures and contributed to the book Pain Management for Clinicians.
Job Titles:
- Associate Medical Director
Dr. Kristina Hernandez attended medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences where she met her soon to be husband, Dr. Miguel Hernandez. They decided the crazy ice and snow storms were too much for them after studying by candlelight when the electricity went off, so high-tailed it to the dessert in Arizona for residency, where they both became Chief residents. Family brought them to Dallas to practice medicine and they couldn't be happier to call Texas home and raise their three wonderful children and two dogs. They continue to practice together in the post-acute care world, caring for patients that are coming out of the hospital. Dr. Hernandez still enjoys filling shifts at Baylor hospital. In her spare time (if there's ever a rare moment), she attempts to master a new skill such as painting, installing laminate floors, and hanging lights.
Job Titles:
- Associate Medical Director
Job Titles:
- Associate Medical Director
Born and raised in the north suburbs of Chicago, Dr. Hicks attended New Trier High School and then went north to McGill University in Montreal where she received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and religious studies. Tired of the cold weather, she followed her parents and sister to Arizona where she attended medical school at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and received her Doctor of Osteopathy degree in 2008. She returned to the Windy City for residency in emergency medicine and graduated in 2012. While in residency, she maintained interests in geriatric medicine, hospice and palliative care, and physician well-being. Dr. Hicks has worked in both rural Arizona and urban Texas, specifically Dallas. She has been and continues to be an attending physician in the emergency room at Dallas Regional Medical Center since 2014. She served as associate medical director and then medical director of the emergency department from 2017-2022. In early 2023 she was thrilled to be hired as an Associate Medical Director at the Visiting Nurse Association where she manages hospice patients in the Kaufman County. When she isn't working, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her husband Justin and daughter Sofie, and walking their Great Dane Millie.
Job Titles:
- Associate Medical Director
Specializing in Internal Medicine at Imperial Care Internal Medicine in Sherman, Dr. Islam joins the VNA Collin County team. As a graduate of Rawalpindi Medical College in Pakistan who completed her Internal Medicine residency at Michigan State University and Kansas University, she has been practicing medicine since 2002. Her previous roles included Skilled Care Director at several nursing homes, Director of Palliative Care at Wilson N. Jones Hospital in Sherman, and Associate Medical Director for Heart to Heart Hospice in Grayson County. She has a love for senior care and a heart for hospice that began when she became a hospice volunteer in Canada in 1995.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Managing Director of Meals
- Managing Director of Meals on Wheels and Population Health
Inga Wilson is the managing director of Meals on Wheels and population health at the Visiting Nurse Association. Inga brings 15 years of higher education and volunteer management experience to her role leading the Meals on Wheels program. She was an integral team-member tasked with development and implementation of the Visiting Nurse Association Meals on Wheels Volunteer Portal (launched November 2018) and mobile app (launched March 2019) technology systems. It brings her great joy to be able to work with such a compassionate group of team members who truly care about taking care of our senior neighbors in Dallas County. Inga holds a Certification in Volunteer Administration.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Nurse
- Managing Director of Development and Communications
Jennifer Austin joined the Visiting Nurse Association in December 2013. Jennifer brings more than 25 years of experience in fundraising and communications in the nonprofit sector to her leadership role as the Visiting Nurse Association's Managing Director of Development and Communications. Prior to joining the Visiting Nurse Association, she served in various nonprofit and ministry roles providing expertise in fundraising, nonprofit leadership, program development, internal and external communications, marketing/branding, media relations, strategic planning, event planning, as well as board and donor relations. Jennifer holds a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations from Texas Tech University as well as an Executive Nonprofit Management Certificate from Southern Methodist University. Jennifer lives in Frisco with her husband, Eric, youngest daughter, Jordan, and beloved black lab, Charlie. She enjoys spending time with their blended family of six daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Hospice & Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
John Caldwell, APRN, M.S., FNP-C is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 2012. His specialties include ICU, emergency medicine, and in-home supportive care. John is a veteran of the US Army in the 82nd Airborne Division and lives in McKinney with his wife, two children, and their dog, Bentley. John enjoys flyfishing and traveling to Colorado in his spare time.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Meals on Wheels Operations
As the director of operations for Meals on Wheels, Joyce manages the Client Intake Team as well as the client experience, including assessment, enrollment, referrals and client data management. Prior to joining our team, Joyce worked as a teacher for at-risk youth, served in the Army Air Force Exchange as administrative and contract tech support, and also spent time as an accountant at Mobil Oil Corporation. During her tenure with the Visiting Nurse Association, Joyce has worked in a variety of programs utilizing her more than 20 years of experience in customer service and process improvement. She is passionate about helping those in need, leading the onboarding of more than 1,000 new clients in a six-month period, and using her analytical skills to help problem solve. Joyce studied accounting at El Centro College, attended the Duke University Fuqua School of Business for cash management, and graduated from the Allstate Business School as a business receptionist and secretary. In her spare time, Joyce enjoys spending time with her family and watching movies.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Nurse
- PRESIDENT
Katherine Krause joined the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) in May 2009 and prior to her appointment as President and CEO in 2013, served as Chief Administrative Officer and Vice President of VNA Meals on Wheels. Before coming to VNA, Katherine served as Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Programs at the national headquarters of the American Heart Association (AHA) which included oversight of the AHA's Advocacy office in Washington D.C. Previously, she was Regional Director of Home Medical Support Services, directing operations for eight home health agencies in four states. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from New Mexico State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Chairman Elect
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Managing Director of Hospice
- Visiting Nurse Association in 2006 As an ESU Nurse
Lainie Caldwell joined the Visiting Nurse Association in 2006 as an ESU nurse and has continued to grow her professional career with the organization for over a decade. Prior to joining the Visiting Nurse Association, Lainie received her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Texas Woman's University. She worked for more than 10 years in oncology nursing in the hospital. Lainie wanted more one-on-one time with patients and families and remembered her nursing school clinical rotation at the Visiting Nurse Association, which drove her to pursue her interest in home care where patients can die with dignity and independence. Lainie has grown at Visiting Nurse Association as a field nurse, case manager, branch manager and now managing director. Lainie has a loving and supportive husband John, and two teenagers, Sydney and Noah. They live in McKinney with her favorite dog Bentley.
Job Titles:
- Hospice Volunteer Manager
Laura Kaiser, LMSW, ACHP-SW began working as the VNA hospice volunteer manager position two years ago after starting with VNA in 2016 working as a social worker. Laura earned her Master of Social Work at the University of Kansas and her social work career spans four decades. While she started in State social services and public health, hospice was a perfect match for her love of community-based work and end-of-life care. Laura first learned about hospice volunteering when she volunteered in the mid 1980's with the local hospice. Laura's hospice career of 21 years has allowed her the chance to serve as a social worker for both adult and pediatric patients, work at an inpatient hospice, work as a family services manager, a bereavement coordinator and as a volunteer manager. She has worked in hospices in Lawrence, KS, Houston, and Indianapolis before coming to Dallas to be in a warmer climate and closer to family.
Laura's love for volunteerism began with a hospice volunteer program. One of the volunteers Laura worked with was the wife and former nurse of the doctor who delivered her. This special lady would make herself available to any patient including sometimes staying all night with a patient to allow the family caregiver a chance for a full night's sleep. Laura believes the importance of volunteers in hospice is one of the ways that make hospice a unique and personal experience.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Secretary
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Production, Distribution & Facilities Management
- Director of Production, Distribution and Facilities Management at the Visiting Nurse Association
Megan Vick is the director of production, distribution and facilities management at the Visiting Nurse Association. Megan joined the Visiting Nurse Association in 2009, bringing with her over 10 years of experience working in senior nutrition and food systems administration. Before coming to the Visiting Nurse Association, Megan helped manage nutrition programs at Parkland Hospital and multiple skilled nursing facilities. She holds a Bachelor of Science in nutritional sciences from Texas A&M University and an M.S. in food systems administration from Texas Woman's University. Visiting Nurse Association Meals on Wheels' mission to help keep seniors independent at home is what compelled Megan to eventually switch careers and has been happily working with Meals on Wheels to provide social nutrition to seniors in Dallas County ever since.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Managing Director for the Visiting Nurse Association
- Managing Director of Hospice
Michelle Donnell, managing director for the Visiting Nurse Association started her nursing career working as an emergency room nurse in 2010. After her mother received hospice care from a team of VNA Hospice workers, she quickly found that her true calling as a nurse was providing hospice care with the Visiting Nurse Association. She began working with the same Visiting Nurse Association team as a case manager in the Visiting Nurse Association's East Texas office in 2012. She has served as the manager for the Kaufman and Dallas teams and now serves as the managing director for the southern region of the Visiting Nurse Association Michelle and her teams strive to provide a holistic approach to caring for every patient and their family, understanding that hospice is not only about the patient but the entire family. Michelle's goal in leading teams is to ensure that the quality care that she received as a family member during that trying time is the same care that is provided under her watch.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Family Services
Nicole joined VNA Hospice in March of 2020 as a Medical Social Worker. She has worked in many areas of social work but found her calling with her very first hospice position years ago. She is a born social worker, who believes meeting patients where they are and help by promoting the best quality of life. She has a passion for helping others and is willing to work tirelessly to ensure that patients have what they need. Nicole has been married to her high school sweetheart for 23 years. They have one daughter and two beautiful grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President
After graduating from UT-Houston Health Science Center with a bachelor's degree in nursing, Olivia spent the first half of her career in critical care nursing. She then left the hospital world in 2010 to join the Visiting Nurse Association Hospice and has been with the Visiting Nurse Association since that time as a field nurse, case manager, branch manager, and now as the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for the Visiting Nurse Association. She obtained her MBA from Texas Tech in 2022 to better serve in her current position, as hospice and palliative care present unique business challenges to any organization. Hospice care truly encompasses everything Olivia loves about nursing and management, from caring for our staff that serve our patients and families, to collaboration with many different disciplines and physicians and state and national organizations dedicated to the future of serious illness care. As hospice and palliative care continue to evolve, it is her hope that she will serve as an advocate for comprehensive, interdisciplinary, ethical care, as well as a voice for the patient and family. Olivia has a passion for VNA's rich history of caring for the community since 1934.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Nurse
- Managing Director of IT
Randy Broadway joined the Visiting Nurse Association in June of 1995 in the data department. Later that year, Randy was promoted to imaging system lead. In this role Randy successfully led the conversion of patient and client documentation to an imaged electronic record. The Information Management Department was created, and Randy was named Director. In 2005 Randy was named director of patient clinical systems where he successfully led the conversion of office and field staff to electronic health records. This allowed field staff to enter information directly into patient and client records, eliminating the need for data entry staff or scanning paper documentation. Randy was named managing director of information technology in 2009. Randy has continually added new technology, with updated software, hardware and cloud-based services to make the Visiting Nurse Association staff more efficient with remote work capability. In 2018 Randy wrote an RFP for custom Meals on Wheels Software and a mobile application. The software has replaced the manual paper-based delivery process for thousands of Volunteers use in the daily delivery of home delivered meals. Randy has a Bachelor of Science in information technology and a Master of Science in management and leadership.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Nurse
- Managing Director of Marketing
Sarah Harris joined the Visiting Nurse Association in August of 2012 as a community liaison. Before taking the role as director, Sarah served as the marketing manager. She transitioned into the director of marketing role in June of 2018, bringing with her 21 years of marketing experience, 10 of which are in health care. Sarah is driven by a passion for helping seniors in need and promoting dignity and grace at the end of life. Sarah lives in Collin County with her husband, Craig, and two teenage daughters, Madeline and Ally. They enjoy spending their free time as a family participating in horse shows, cheer competitions and swim meets.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Nurse
- Director of Quality and Palliative Care
Sarah Miles joined the Visiting Nurse Association in 2009 as a hospice and home care case manager. Her attention to detail and desire to "always do it right" made her the ideal candidate for managing the Clinical Education Department in 2017. She was chosen to lead the Visiting Nurse Association's new Care Choices Palliative Care Program in 2018, breaking new ground in offering compassionate and supportive care for those with terminal illnesses who are still seeking aggressive therapies. Most recently, she was promoted to director of quality, where her responsibilities include continued oversight of the education and palliative programs. Sarah is dedicated to ensuring the Visiting Nurse Association remains compliant with all regulatory requirements, while also developing programs to promote overall clinical quality and client satisfaction. She considers Visiting Nurse Association her "forever home" and considers it a privilege to serve our most vulnerable population as a member of the Visiting Nurse Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President and Chief of Human Resources
Sonia joined the Visiting Nurse Association in March 2020 as the Managing Director of Human Resources and currently serves as Vice President and Chief of Human Resources. Prior to joining the Visiting Nurse Association, Sonia served as a Senior Human Resources Consultant for the Strategic Corporate Services team at Baylor Scott and White, the largest nonprofit healthcare system in Texas. She also served as the lead North Texas division Business Partner for one of the region's largest providers, Medical City Healthcare. In addition to her healthcare experience, Sonia has more than 15 years of diverse experience in multiple HR disciplines from other Fortune 500 companies such as Accenture, FedEx and Texas Instruments. Sonia earned a Master of Science degree in Organizational Human Resource Development, a Graduate Certification in Conflict Resolution and satisfied the Texas Roundtable Mediation hours from Abilene Christian University. She enjoys coaching other professionals, facilitating, training, and is a dedicated writer, empowering and motivating individuals to be successful business partners and entrepreneurs.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Intake, CC, and Back Office Operations
Sonya joined the Visiting Nurse Association team in 2017 as a Client Intake Clerk. Sonya developed relationships with her teammates and quickly learned her new role. As Sonya mastered her role, she earned the respect of her peers and the gained the confidence of her Manager, as she demonstrated leadership qualities found to be worthy of promotion. In 2018, Sonya was promoted to Manager of Intake, Crisis Care and Back Office Operations. In her new role, Sonya continued to support the Client Intake team and, additionally, added value to the organization by developing process improvements that would best service VNA's great assets, our patients. As a Manager, Sonya was an effective leader of her team, for the greater good of VNA. In 2020, Sonya was promoted to Director of Intake, Crisis Care and Back Office Operations. Sonya is a Licensed Vocational Nurse. As a nurse, some of Sonya's greatest qualities include the compassion and energy that she brings to "get it right" for the patients and families that VNA serves. Sonya completed her nursing education at Texarkana College, in Texarkana, TX, and has been a Licensed Vocational Nurse since 2009. Sonya's healthcare and nursing experience includes Medical/Surgical, Home Health, Geriatric Care, Memory Care and Hospice. Over the course of her professional experience, Sonya's greatest joy is bringing quality care and smiles to the faces of her patients and their families. Sonya's personal greatest joys are her two children and her two grandchildren.