Susy Elder Murphy, BA, CMC, joined Debra Levy Eldercare Associates in 1993, and helped build the practice in her long-time role as Director of Care Management. She assumed day-to-day responsibilities for running the business in the summer of 2012 and full ownership of the practice on June 1, 2013.Susy is a Certified Care Manager, accredited by the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. She is also a member of the Aging Life Care™ Association, and is active on their Education Committee. Susy has served as an at-large Board Member of their Mid-Atlantic Chapter since 2013. She is currently President of the chapter and served as co-chair for their regional conference in 2014. Susy is also a member of the American Geriatric Society and co-chair of programming for the metro Washington, DC chapter. Susy is an active member of the boards of various organizations serving the needs of local seniors, including a hospice.

Susy’s first job working with older adults was as the Nutrition Director for a federally funded nutrition program in Hailey, Idaho. She was also the founding coordinator of JCA’s Connect-A-Ride program and a volunteer coordinator for the Family Friends program.

She attended Oberlin College and graduated with Honors from the University of Michigan. In addition to working with our clients, she enjoys baking for her family and exploring different cuisines and cultures with her husband and two adult children.

Kim Picca, RN, BSN began her career with a BS degree in Horticulture, specializing in horticulture therapy. She assisted seniors in various settings to experience the joys of gardening, and also worked as an employment coach with developmentally disabled adults. Kim enjoyed working with these populations so much that she pursued a second career in nursing. Kim earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with High Honors from the University of Maryland worked as a medical-surgical nurse at a local hospital. Kim joined the Debra Levy Eldercare Associates staff in 2003 as a nurse care manager and has served as our Director of Nursing since 2013. Kim is dedicated to working with our staff to provide high quality, client centered care leading to optimal outcomes and client satisfaction.She and her husband stay very active with their two young sons and she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading and cooking.

Susan Blum, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW, C-ASWCM graduated from Smith College School for Social Work with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She completed the training program on Topics in Aging from the Washington School of Psychiatry in May 2000. She joined our practice in 2004, and now serves as Director of Care Management. She provides social work supervision to DLEA social workers and leads a monthly client care and supervision group at DLEA. Prior to her work with DLEA, Susan has served as a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist at Family and Child Services of DC, George Washington University Medical Center Outpatient Psychiatry, the Washington School of Psychiatry, and at the Green Ridge Behavioral Health psychotherapy private practice.

Susan has worked in a psychotherapy private practice as a social work consultant to several nursing homes providing consultation and ongoing psychotherapy services to residents. She has served on the program committee for the Grass Roots Organization for the Well-Being of Seniors since 2007 and was elected to the board in March 2017. She is a member of the Aging Life Care Association and the National Association of Social Workers. Susan enjoys walking her dog, traveling, and swimming on a Masters Swim Team.

Teresa Boring, MSW, LCSW-C, earned her Master’s degree in Social Work with a specialization in Gerontology from SUNY Albany, after graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Psychology, also from SUNY Albany. She began working with aging adults while an undergraduate and was accepted into the Internships in Aging Project during graduate school. This project, which is part of the national Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education, allowed her to participate in internships, seminars, and coursework pertaining to the aging population and people with disabilities.Teresa has had experience working as a caregiver for aging adults, an instructor for children with disabilities, and running support groups for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Teresa is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). In her spare time, Teresa loves cooking, being outdoors, and spending time with her friends and family.

Bree Baldwin, MS, earned her BA from Colorado State University. After living abroad, she received her Master’s degree in Gerontology from Oklahoma State University, returning to an interest in working with aging adults that began early in life. Bree has experience in dementia care, creating and administering social day groups for seniors with memory loss, environmental gerontology (aging-in-place), and caregiver support groups. Her work as a Memory Activity Specialist in a Continuing Care Retirement Community setting was commended by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities & Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CARF-CCAC). Bree is our WellSenior Program Coordinator. In her spare time she enjoys reading, walking, singing and travel.

Jane Barnes, MS, RN, CMC, earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Maryland and her Master of Science Degree from Boston College. She has over thirty years of nursing experience, most of which has been in the field of geriatric psychiatry. Jane has extensive experience working with aging adults in the community and in long-term care facilities, specializing in facilities providing care to residents with cognitive impairments and psychiatric disorders.While working for the Department of Mental Hygiene for the state of Maryland, Jane implemented the gero- psych program in Washington County which was designed to improve the quality of care for residents in long term care facilities by providing training and consultation to the staff of the facilities. She also worked for over ten years for the Adult Evaluation and Review Services (formerly the Geriatric Evaluation Service) of Frederick County, providing care management to aging adults in the community and long term care facilities. Jane is a NACCM Certified Care Manager and a member of the Aging Life Care Association. In her spare time, Jane enjoys golf, gardening and reading.

Michael DeSarno, BSN, RN, earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Scranton. His experience is primarily in geriatric care, including long-term care and sub-acute rehab. He also has experience working with individuals with severe and profound physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as acute medical-surgical experience. After starting his career in his home state of Pennsylvania, Mike and his family relocated to Maryland after three years in New York City in order to be closer to family. In his spare time, Mike enjoys reading, knitting, cooking and quality time with his family.

Amy Kandel, MSW, LGSW, earned her BS from the University of Maryland, College Park. After helping take care of aging parents, Amy received her Master’s Degree in Social Work, with a specialization in Aging from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Amy has experience working with older adults in rehabilitation, long-term care and in an adult day program specializing in memory loss. Amy also has experience providing case management to older adults and their families and co-facilitating support groups for spouses/partners of people with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Amy is a member of the Aging Life Care Association and the National Association of Social Workers. In her spare time, Amy enjoys spending time with her husband and two adult children, playing tennis and traveling.

Amy Kisanga, MA, BSN, RN, CDP, obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a Master of Arts degree in Integrative Health Science from Capital University of Integrative Medicine. She has practiced nursing for 20+ years in a variety of settings including Sub-Acute Rehabilitation, Long Term Care, Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Home Care. Amy is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, obtained through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners in 2011.Amy has enjoyed teaching for 15+ years to healthcare professionals, older adults and individuals on various topics relating to overall health and wellness. She was a contributor to the “Promoting Emotional Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Living Communities,” developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors, meditating, volunteering and spending quality time with family and friends.

Jennifer Sherwood, RN, BSN, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland with honors. She went to nursing school and worked at Frederick Hospital along with long-time staff member Kim Picca. Jennifer has experience in the acute and homecare settings. Areas of emphasis have included care management, home health, orthopedics, and psychiatry. Jennifer worked as a solo Geriatric Care Manager for several years before joining our practice. She enjoys painting murals, decorating, reading, volunteering and spending time outdoors.

Amy Ullman, MSW, LCSW-C, received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Temple University in 1996 and has practiced social work for nearly twenty years. Amy has worked primarily in the field of home health services, both with Homecall, Inc. and Medstar Visiting Nurse Association (formerly Montgomery General Community Health). Most recently, she worked for U.S. Renal Care, providing social work services to patients receiving dialysis. Additionally, she has experience working in rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, where she performed discharge planning and social services to long-term care residents. In her spare time, Amy loves spending time with her family, scrapbooking and reading.

Loretta Vitale, MSW, LCSW-C, earned her MSW (Clinical) from the University of Maryland in Baltimore and her BA from Brandeis University. For nearly 25 years, Loretta worked in academic settings, most recently at the Catholic University of America in the National Catholic School of Social Service where she was Director of Field Education. Loretta worked closely with the students to help them identify career interests and goals, and find suitable internships. While at CUA, Loretta served as a part-time therapist in the University Counseling Center for an academic year. Volunteer activities include involvement in her synagogue’s ‘visiting the sick’ committee, working on developing a Village in her community, and serving as a Friendly Visitor to a Holocaust survivor. Loretta volunteered at Iona Senior Services in Washington, DC and later filled a temporary social work position there. She is a member of the Prince George’s County Senior Provider Network. Loretta enjoys spending time with her husband, their two sons and their families (4 granddaughters), photography, travel, and knitting.