Introducing the experts behind your monthly SCSA news and insights.
As
we close the book on 2024 and enter a new year, the Senior Spirit editorial board would like to take a moment to
re-introduce ourselves. It’s our pleasure to bring you the latest news
affecting CSAs and our clients. We meet monthly to choose article topics–if you
have ideas for us, please send them our way!
Meredith H. Collins Fallon is an executive leader with
expertise in diverse geriatric services and healthcare resources. In 2015, she
launched Bringing Dignity to Aging to serve clients with the same compassion,
excellence, and acumen she applied in agency and company settings. Meredith was
Executive Director at Woodbourne Place, an Enlivant Senior Living Community in
Levittown, PA, and Director of Learning and Development at Griswold, among
other roles. She holds a Master’s degree in Gerontological Services/Health
Administration from Saint Joseph’s University, and is a Licensed Personal Care
Home Administrator, and Licensed Assisted Living Administrator.
Margaret Dutcher attended college at Hamline
University, St. Paul, Minnesota, majoring in voice, double bass, and teaching.
After teaching for a few years, she attended a church retreat and was called to
nursing. Going back to school with two small children was a process, but she
graduated in 1981 with an Associate’s Degree in nursing. Now in Florida,
Margaret gives her time and talents in music and volunteer church nursing. She
has an amazing family; her brother, at age 19, was injured in a diving accident
in the Navy. Before he passed away at age 80, he was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records as the
world's oldest living quadriplegic. Her niece, an Olympic swimmer, now is a
successful business woman in Texas. Margaret has been a member of SCSA since
2014.
Mickey Bastell has been a financial advisor
since the mid 1970s, focusing on the senior market since the 90s. Having served
as the regional VP of several companies, he now supports clients navigating
their future with long-term care, Medicare, and more. Mickey teaches in the
education programs for SCSA and CLTC and has served on the board of the
National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA). He was an
active duty member of the Air Force Special Forces from 1968-1974, then
remained in the reserves and retired as a Lt. Colonel, having served in Vietnam
and Korea. Today, he serves back as a member of the Texas A&M Alumni Sul
Ross Group.
Cathy F. Bowers is President and Founder of
National Patient Advocate, Inc. of Plantation, Florida. A “referral
specialist,” Cathy helps patients and their families navigate the healthcare
system and advocates on their behalf. Cathy earned an MSA in Public
Administration from Georgia College. A graduate of the University of Miami’s
Alfus Patient Advocacy Certificate Program, Cathy is also a Nationally
Certified Guardian, Certified Paralegal, and Florida Supreme Court Certified
Family Mediator. She is an Elder Mediation trainer and an appointed Eldercare
Coordinator in the 17th Judicial Circuit. She has served on the SCSA
Board of Standards Appeals Committee and since 2021 on the Senior Spirit
Editorial Board.
Shelia Shipley Biddy has 40 years’ experience in
the music industry with most of it spent at major record labels and artist
management. For the past 11 years, she has served as Senior Advisor for Music
Health Alliance, a non-profit that serves persons in the music industry nationwide
as their advocate for life-threatening health issues, medical bills reduction,
counseling on affordable insurance, and understanding and enrolling in
Medicare.
Kathy Swindle operates Moving Networks
Forward, supporting healthcare providers with business plans, marketing,
community introductions, and telehealth. She is an expert in building alliances
between hospitals and long term care communities. In South Florida, she has
served a variety of community-based healthcare organizations including the
Chamber of Commerce Healthcare, Heroes in Medicine, and Alzheimer’s Community
Care. She has worked for the Palm Beach County Department of Health as a
Community Educator for outreach, and currently serves on the Community Health
Workers Coalition sub-committee under Palm Beach Medical Society.
Hannah Mueller, Senior Spirit’s blog writer, has served as the copy editor of CSA Journal since January 2022 and copy
edited the most recent Working with Older
Adults textbook update. She is a writer and editor based in Baltimore,
Maryland. Through her business, Hannah Mueller Editorial, she provides editorial
services and grant writing for nonprofits and academic writers. She has an MA
in Education from Prescott College.
We
also want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to outgoing board members Debbie Moses and Dr. Suzanne Fuchs for their contributions to the newsletter.
Special Appreciation: Debbie Marsh
If you look forward to opening Senior Spirit each month and diving into the educational, entertaining articles, that’s thanks in no small part to Debbie Marsh. Debbie wrote Senior Spirit from August 2017 to August 2024.
Board member Kathy Swindle shares: “When I was the newest member to the Senior Spirit newsletter, Debbie invited me into the group with a wonderful feeling of welcoming. I appreciate her for getting us to think outside of the box on new topics of interest to the newsletter. She always made sure we backed up our material with substantial documentation for credibility.” Cathy Bowers says, “I so enjoyed our monthly meetings with Debbie Marsh at the helm. She is such a positive individual and every meeting took the time to check in with us, to see how we were doing, both personally and professionally.”
Debbie
is a world traveler and always inspired the board with her adventures. From the
editorial board and SCSA, kudos, Debbie! Thanks for your years of service to Senior Spirit.
