Contracted Care Management
Meet Your Care Managers
Mary Wegman,
BSN, RN, CCM
CEO / Founder
Mary is a Certified Care Manager and an Advanced Aging Life Care
Professional™ and she has been a Registered Nurse since 1984. Her involvement in geriatric care began in high school, at which time she shared a bedroom with her great-grandmother, who had dementia. During her high school
and college years, Mary worked as a certified nurse’s aide in a nursing home.
In the years since Mary has continued to be very passionate about caring for our seniors with the dignity they deserve. She is especially interested in caring for those clients and families who are struggling with dementia, and she’s always
looking for ways to improve services and care for these families.
As the owner of Choices in Senior Care, Mary enjoys finding the strengths of each of her team members and incorporating those strengths into our team. Her favorite part of her job is the satisfaction of putting the puzzle together to make
a situation work for the client and the family.
Mary also appreciates the chance to relive history through the lives of her fascinating clients. “They lived in simple times and teach me so much about appreciating life and living for every moment. I am truly blessed to have the privilege of becoming immersed in their lives and their memories,” she explains. Mary is married to Doug Wegman, has five adult children, and is anxiously awaiting grandchildren. She enjoys walks on the beach, spending time with family, and learning
more about dementia and best practices for helping families.
Martha Harman,
RN, BS, CCM
Director of Care Management Operations
Martha Harman is a Certified Care Manager and Aging Life Care Professional™ who has practiced in various healthcare settings. She obtained her RN diploma from East TN Baptist Hospital School of Nursing and her BS from the College of St. Francis. She has a broad base of nursing knowledge ranging from critical care to community education. Martha began working with the elderly at the Baptist Health Information Center and loved hearing the “life stories” and the wisdom they
offered. She discovered how full of life the elderly can be and also learned our
psychological age of how old we feel, act, and behave is not necessarily equal
to our chronological age. Martha became intrigued and has since worked with
the geriatric population and their families to help ensure an optimal quality of life while aging gracefully.
As Director of Care Management Operations, Martha is honored to be working with a team of professionals whose gifts and talents complement each other. This creates a strong team that is passionate to achieve goals that will have a positive impact on the elderly we serve.
Martha is married to Jim. They have been blessed with 2 children, a daughter-in-law, and son-in-law. Martha enjoys walking, nature and being outdoors, reading, and spending time with family.
Elaine Wilson,
LCSW, CCM
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Director of Outreach
Elaine is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s of Science in Social Work. Her previous work includes serving as the Director of Social Services at a skilled rehab and nursing center, as well as 20 years’ experience during her “first career” as an audiologist. She also graduated from Potomac Massage Training Institute and is a Certified Life Coach.
Elaine is an Aging Life Care Professional™ and is our Director of Outreach.
She works collaboratively with older adults and their families in a process that empowers them to find creative solutions to address their concerns and issues.
Elaine grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but she loves calling East Tennessee home. She enjoys gardening and canning, singing in her church choir, swimming, and kayaking.
Michelle Etheridge,
RN
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Care Manager
Michelle is a Registered Nurse and Care Manager with over 20 years of nursing experience primarily in Home Health, Labor and Delivery, Emergency Department and Medical Surgery.
She uses her compassion to help clients and their families, and she enjoys teaching others how to take better care of themselves. She is passionate about her role as patient advocate, loves working with the geriatric populations, and feels privileged to help seniors live the best lives possible. Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and going to the beach.
Casey Rausin Lane,
RN, CCM
CM Program Manager
Casey graduated from Lincoln Memorial University and has been a nurse since 2008, earning the majority of her experience in geriatrics. She has worked in ER, CCU, nursing home, hospice, and care management environments.
She earned her Care Management Certification in 2014. Casey’s favorite part of her job is the one-on-one
time she spends with her clients. “When I worked in the hospital, I would leave every day thinking there was so much more I should have done and wanted to do, but didn’t have the time. I never felt like a good nurse,” she says. “When I started working as a care manager, it allowed me to take the time to listen to my patients and do everything I can to help them. As care managers, we become so much more than ‘just a nurse’ to our patients. My patients are such a blessing to me and I hope that I teach them as much as they teach me daily.”
Family is very important to Casey. She is married to Daniel, has two dogs, Mutton and Jagger, but no kids yet. She loves to shop, especially in outlet malls…loves a good deal! She enjoys watching her sister Chloe play travel softball. She considers herself a “die-hard” Vols Fan and enjoys all sports. Fall is her favorite time of year and she enjoys traveling to new places, especially beaches.
Maureen Willis,
RN
Caregiver Support Coordinator
Maureen is a care manager with over 30 years of experience in nursing, working in medical/surgical, ambulatory surgery, and care management. One of the aspects of her job that she most appreciates is walking with families as they adjust to the ever-changing “new normal” as their loved one ages.
Her personal family experience provides perspective to help families see options ahead. Maureen’s unwritten goal is to finish this life well and to help others in her path do the same.
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Maureen is married, with three children and five grandchildren.
She loves living in an old farmhouse (a dream of hers), is active in her church, and enjoys spending time with her family.
Penny Cruze,
RN, BSN
TN/SC Area Team Leader
Penny is a Registered Nurse and Care Manager with 18 years of experience working in acute care environments. As an Aging Life Care Professional™, she feels that her role is to make sure the client is provided with the necessary education and resources that make seniors feel empowered when it comes to their health and well-being.
Penny’s favorite parts of being a care manager are meeting new clients, teaching them more efficient ways to manage their care, and helping them feel less helpless about their health care. She has two daughters and is very involved in their education and sports endeavors.
Mike Sokol,
RN, CCM
Area Team Leader
Mike has been in healthcare for 26 years. He spent the majority of that time working in Neurointensive Care. Mike has also spent more than 5 years overseas doing medical missions in India and Nepal.
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He believes that life is what you make it…at any age! He believes that empowering the aging to maintain or achieve independence and success, is a great blessing.
Jeremy T. Painter,
LPN
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Training and Development
Coordinator
Jeremy is an LPN who currently serves as our Training and Development Coordinator. His recent work experience includes serving as a Nurse and Clinical Coordinator in an Assisted Living facility, and as a CNA in a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.
Based on his experience working with large corporations, as well as his
experience working in the healthcare industry, Jeremy is able to help our company with continuing education and training necessary for continued growth.
Jeremy appreciates the opportunity to work with such a knowledgeable group of Registered Nurses. “Our weekly meetings to discuss care plans has helped to identify all possible needs for our clients, as well as improve our knowledge and strengthen our team. When I have an opportunity to help discover and implement a solution for one of our clients, it’s a great feeling to know you’re making a difference for someone,” he says. Jeremy is married with two young children. In
his spare time, he enjoys reading, fishing, visiting the Smoky Mountains and discovering new places with his family.
Mina Hancock,
RN, BSN, CCM
Area Team Leader
Mina Hancock is a Certified Care Manager and Aging Life Care Professional who has
a wide background of nursing experience She graduated from the University of Illinois.
Her experience ranges from Pediatric and Adult Critical Care to Home Health and Hospice Nursing.
Mina gained much experience with the geriatric population during her years of case management in home health. She has always felt they had as much to offer her by sharing
their interesting life experiences as she did helping them age gracefully.
Some of the stories her older patients have shared with her about their lives have amazed and uplifted her.
Mina is a Team leader and Care Manager for Choices in Senior Care, she has a nursing license in both Tennessee and Georgia. She is honored to work with a professional team that holds a high standard of both professionalism as well as passionate care for the aging
clients whom they are fortunate enough to be able to serve. Mina has been blessed to have one daughter and one son and 4 granddaughters, and one on the way. She loves her church, swimming and the beach and of course family. She feels she is very lucky to say there has not been one day she has not loved being a nurse and serving others.
Sue Beaty,
RN, BSN
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Care Manager
Sue started nursing school at 17 years old and always knew she wanted to work with the aging, geriatric population. Her grandmother and her uncle both lived with the family, and she helped her parents care for them both as cancer and heart failure occurred in each of their lives. Thankfully, Sue had completed nursing school when her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and she was able to provide the needed care to allow him to remain at home during his illness.
She then became a certified oncology/chemotherapy nurse for 26 years. She went to people’s homes many evenings after office hours to provide treatments to those who were unable to come to the office. As a result, she learned what a strong desire that people have to remain at home if possible, for as long as possible. Whether it is feasible to remain at home or relocate to another setting, Sue learned that a consistent, passionate advocate is vitally needed to help the aging and their families navigate through
the healthcare system. She has also worked as a Hospice Case Manager and a Home Health Case Manager after leaving the oncology setting.
Sue is very blessed to have her 87-year-old mother living with her. She is also very proud of her son, who is in the graduate program at UT Knoxville gaining his Master’s degree in Social Work.
She loves the life she lives on her farm. She has taken in multiple rescue animals, including 7 horses, 2 donkeys, 2 steer, 12 goats, 2 pot bellied pigs, 12 chickens, 10 dogs and 3 cats!
Anna Lynch,
RN, BSN
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Care Manager
Anna is a Registered Nurse and Care Manager with 11 years of nursing experience.
I worked 10 years in the hospital setting before changing to care management, and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning this new skill. I love building a relationship with the client’s and helping them learn to manage their diseases. I feel extremely blessed to be working with this wonderful company. When I’m not working, I am spending time with my husband and two daughters.
Kay Miles,
RN
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Area Team Leader
Kay is a Registered Nurse and Care Manager with over 27 years of healthcare experience primarily in acute care hospital experience.
She enjoys all aspects of the geriatric population and feels blessed to assist them in all avenues of their care to obtain and sustain the best quality of life possible. She enjoys teaching others how to take better care of themselves and serving as their advocate.
Kay is married and has two grandchildren. She lives in a log cabin on a small farm. She and her husband own and trail ride their Tennessee Walking Horses. She enjoys gardening, canning and collecting antiques.
Leslie Patterson,
RN, CCM
Assistant Team Leader
Leslie is a Certified Care Manager, Aging Life Care Professional, and earned her RN degree from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Leslie has been a nurse since 2004 and has experience in labor and delivery nursing, home health, and case management. Leslie has a great love for caring for others, which drove her decision to become a nurse! As a case manager, she has found great satisfaction in helping the aging population in her community and surrounding communities, connecting them with resources, and the help they need.
"It has been a great experience working with such an excellent team, all who truly care, and will work together to help not only the people we care for but one another as well."
Leslie is married to Travis, is a mother of five children she adores, enjoys singing in her church choir, serving in the children's ministry at her church, and spending time with family and friends
Debra Morgenstern, RN
Care Manager
Debra has been a Registered Nurse for 23 years, working in dialysis, medical/ surgical nursing, home health, public health, developmental disabilities case management (adult and pediatric), and skilled nursing.
As a Care Manager with Choices in Senior Care, Debra visits clients in their homes and identifies their needs, helps them maintain and improve their health, and acts as their advocate, mentor and trusted friend.
“So many of my members start out feeling so alone and they look forward to their “company” every week,” she says. “A lot of my folks live in very rural, disadvantaged environments and the Care Manager coming to see them is the only contact they have with the world outside their home.” Her favorite part of her role is watching clients who were very sick upon admission improve and become independent again. Debra is married with four adult children, has six dogs and five cats. She likes gardening and canning produce, as well as finding old furniture to
re-purpose and paint.
Melanie D. Cahill,
MS, CCC-SLP
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Community Education and Cognitive Program Coordinator
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Melanie has a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology. She has worked in a variety of settings, her favorite being an outpatient rehabilitation center treating adults with traumatic brain injuries, strokes and other conditions which affected their ability to communicate. Her previous experiences as a speech-language pathologist coupled with a recent personal experience with dementia have rekindled her desire to help this population with their cognitive needs.
Melanie develops and implements Cognitive Support and Stimulation Programs for screening and working with clients that have cognitive deficits. She works with our team to provide education and resources.
She is married with four sons and keeps busy volunteering with her church’s compassion team and serving on the board of the Knoxville Area Foster Care and Adoption Ministry.