Ron Barrera
Interim President & CEO
Ron is a Senior Manager at Simione Consultants, LLC with twenty-three years of progressive home care and hospice experience. He is a graduate of Lamar University with a B.B.A. in Accounting and resides in Alpharetta, Georgia. Previously held positions include Vice President of Finance/Chief Financial Officer for the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas, a $75 million non-profit that provided a variety of community services in the Dallas/Fort Worth region. He also served as Vice President of Operations for a large for-profit home health agency.
In his role as a consultant, Ron has performed various interim management positions as Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, and other financial and reimbursement functions for providers ranging in size from $25 million in annual revenue to more than $150 million. His duties include financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, accounts receivable management, acquisitions, transition of new acquisitions, purchasing and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement issues. Ron is also an active member of the National Association for Home Care and the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association. He is a distinguished speaker and often presents at national and state association meetings on various topics. Ron has also published articles in various industry publications such as “The Remington Report.”
James Manahan
Vice President / Chief Financial Officer
Jim joined the VNA in September 2009 as the Chief Financial Officer. He recently moved to Vero Beach from Vermont to accept his current position and brings more than twenty years of financial, accounting and managerial experience. Jim started his financial experience as a tax analyst, and he advanced his career with several different agencies, including statewide VNA agencies in Vermont. Jim is delighted to be working with such a dedicated team, "because home is where the heart is,” he says. Jim will be responsible for overseeing the VNA’s fiscal operations and financial reporting and will provide management and direction for the organization’s finance department. He received his BA in Business Administration from Lyndon State College and his Master’s of Business Administration at the University of Vermont.
Sarah Mondano
Vice President of Business Development & Sales
Sarah is responsible for operation of our intake/referral center, coordination of our hospital and community liaison activities, medical record keeping, clinical / financial evaluation of patient referrals, management of referral data, and medical coding. She is a nurse by training, having earned her nursing degree from Duke University. Sarah has been involved in healthcare business development, sales, and marketing for over twenty years. She is a life-long resident of Vero Beach and has close relationships with many local physicians and healthcare providers. Sarah will be adding her expertise to grow the agency’s business as well as oversee the customer service initiative.
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Kathy Parker, RN
Vice President of Professional Services, Hospice
Kathy brings to the VNA more than twenty-five years of administrative and managerial experience, leadership, and patient care, having started her career as a nurse. She is responsible for the management and direction of all aspects of the VNA’s hospice program. Prior to joining the VNA, she served as the Executive Administrator with Southerncare Hospice in Birmingham, Alabama, where she provided leadership, program development, and patient-centered care to the staff and management team. Kathy earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana University and is currently working toward completion of her Master of Nursing degree from the Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis.
Mary Jane Davis
Director of Compliance/Performance Improvement
Mary Jane joined the VNA in September of 2007 following relocation to the Treasure Coast. In March 2009 she accepted the position of Manager of Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement. Mary Jane brings sixteen years of home health experience to her new role, including eleven years in senior management, most recently as Director of Quality Assurance in the south Florida area. She graduated from Indiana State University with a BS in Nursing. Her new role and responsibility provides the opportunity to work in partnership with agency-wide leadership to identify and monitor key performance indicators, create an environment for needed change with the goal of assuring a consistently high level of performance across the organization.
Colleen Dees
Director of Human Resources
Colleen joined the VNA in June of 1995 as a part-time file clerk, drawing on her background in administration and finance. Shortly thereafter, she began taking college courses in Human Resources and ultimately earned her certification in Human Resources Studies from the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations. In her current role, Colleen is responsible for keeping abreast of ever-changing HR policies and regulations and making changes to our practices as necessary. She is also responsible for hiring and terminating associates, overseeing compensation and benefits, and managing employee relations. Colleen works with other Senior Leaders, Supervisors, and Managers regarding employee problems to advise about the best way to handle various situations. She also assists managers with employee counseling as needed.
Allison Downing
Director of Nightingale Private Duty Nursing
Allison joined the VNA in 1990 as a Case Manager for our private duty patients. In 1993, she became involved with the development of the VNA's "Shoo the Flu" immunization program. During the past several years, Allison has also been responsible for the day to day operations of our Health Services department, including developing our Friends With Wheels companion program. Allison also serves as our agency's Employee Health Nurse, responsible for managing our employee Workers' Compensation program. She is also responsible for operation of our community wellness programs, including no-cost monthly blood pressure/sugar screenings and immunization activities. Most recently, Allison was promoted to Director of Nightingale Private Duty nursing. She is currently working to consolidate all of our organization's private duty services under one roof.
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Michael Gardner
Director of Community Relations
Michael is responsible for leading our agency's community relations team, which is tasked with public relations; corporate communications; operation of our VNA Hidden Treasures resale boutique; and the operation of our seasonal flu/pneumonia vaccination program. Michael earned his BA in English and a technical writing minor from Penn State University, and he also holds an MA in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore. His background includes public relations, communications, business development, marketing, and program management in a variety of industries, including: consulting engineering/architecture, research and development engineering, water quality, printing, micrographics, and analytical equipment. He serves as President of the Indian River County Council of Community Services, and is a member of the Florida Public Relations Association.
Linda Shelby
Director of Professional Services, Brevard County Home Health
Linda joined the VNA over fifteen years ago working in our intake department. In 2001, she was promoted to Director of Professional Services in our Space Coast office, which provides home care services for residents of central and southern Brevard County. Linda is currently responsible for daily Space Coast operations by providing administrative oversight of clinical activities and financial management.
Shawn Swanson
Director of Professional Development and Education
One of the newest additions to our Senior Leadership team, Shawn joined the VNA in March, 2009. She is a Registered Nurse and is Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care and is also certified as a Legal Nurse Consultant. Shawn has worked in Hospice and Palliative care for nine years, having spend the last three in Clinical Management. Prior to working in the hospice industry, Shawn spent several years working in public health for St. Lucie County. Her focus at the VNA is to broaden our associates' knowledge base and increase their skill levels through agency-wide strategic assessments, planning, and educational interventions. She will also be working to develop a clinical preceptor program that will facilitate professional development and growth within the organization.
