National Council of Post-Acute Care Practitioners

The Long-Term and Post-Actue environment is unique and quite different from what it was even five years ago. As our population ages, more and more people will need assistance through short-term and long-term care. In addition, there has been an alarming growth in the rate of younger patients with chronic and/or disabling conditions.

The goal of the NCPACP is to engage healthcare practitioners across the care continuum in order to improve the lives of millions of patients across the country. The NCPACP aims to bridge the gap of singular care by facilitating collaborative, integrated care between Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Discharge Planners, Social Workers, Physical and Speech therapists — any healthcare workers that can improve the quality of life for acute and long-term care patients.

As the Nation’s largest network, the NCPACP aims to promote collaboration among healthcare practitioners through:

Shared best practices regarding or concerning reimbursement, quality of care, and patient outcomes.
Collaborative engagement and discussion utilizing evidence-based practice across physical health, behavioral health, and social support.
Educational programs regarding care management, effective interventions, and Informed Technology (IT) systems and analytic tools for managing patient care.

NCPACP provides valuable services, resources, educational and networking opportunities in every state across the nation.

NCPACP believes in relevant care that is supported by a workforce suited to the population’s health care needs and essential to the delivery of high quality care.

Members of NCPACP include all healthcare professionals in Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hospitals, Assisted Living Facilities, Transitional Care Facilities, Home Care and Hospice.

The NCPACP offers several educational programs and conferences throughout the year as well as a certification program for health care professionals in the acute and post- acute care setting.

Our Advisors

Paul Mulhausen, MD, MHSAdvisor

Paul Mulhausen is the Chief Medical Officer for Telligen, a population health management firm. He is the Medical Director for the Iowa and Illinois Quality Innovation Network – quality improvement organizations. He is board-certified in internal medicine and holds a certificate of added qualifications in Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Mulhausen has over 25 years of experience as a clinician/educator in Geriatrics, Post-acute and Long-term Care Medicine, and Primary Care Internal Medicine.

John W. Rodgers, MDAdvisor

John W. Rodgers, MD is a practicing Pulmonary Disease Specialist in Glastonbury, CT. Dr. Rodgers graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1974 and has been in practice for 41 years. He completed a residency at St. Francis Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Rodgers also specializes in Internal Medicine. He currently practices at Prime Healthcare PC — Pulmonology/Internal Medicine and is affiliated with St. Francis Care Hospital & Medical Center.

Caroline HendricksAdvisor

Caroline Hendricks, VP, Home & Community Based Services, has been in senior care for over 15 years. She is a native of North Carolina, a graduate of Sandhills Community College, and is a Registered Nurse. She has served in many roles in senior care, most recently overseeing a PACE program. Caroline has also held Home Care, Mobile Rural Health, Strategic Growth, and Community Relations positions. She is the mother of two daughters and active in several community boards.

Sandra Stimson CALA ADC AC-BC CADDCT CDP CDCM Advisor

Sandra has over 20 years of experience in Long-term Care. Her career has included national speaker, consultant, author of numerous articles and books, Regional Activity Director for CareOne and Spring Hills Assisted Living, Dementia Unit Manager, and activity director. She has served on numerous boards and is currently serving on the board of NAAP and Professional Patient Advocate Institute. Sandra was a facilitator for Alzheimer’s Support Group. She is the Founder and CEO for National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners and the International Council of Certified Practitioners.

Cheryl Jackson RN, BSN, MHAAdvisor

An outcomes-oriented and committed nursing professional with more than 10 years of leadership and program development experience in post-acute and ambulatory care settings, Cheryl is dedicated to advancing the patient-centered model of care across the healthcare continuum through patient engagement and self-care management activities, implementation of evidence-based practices, and shared accountability for patient transition outcomes by providers in all transition settings. Her program development experience is in Population Health Management. Cheryl also implemented care coordination and transitions-of-care program strategies to reduce the overall cost of care while also the improving health outcomes of Medicare and commercially insured patients.

Dr Richard StefanacciAdvisor

As a practicing Internist/Geriatrician, Dr Stefanacci has a long-standing interest in and commitment to geriatric health. His expertise in caring for older adults comes in part from his family’s ownership/operation of three long-term care facilities, clinical training in Internal Medicine, and a fellowship in Geriatrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Stefanacci holds two Master’s degrees — one in Geriatric Health and the other in Business Administration. He is board-certified in Quality Assurance and Utilization, and he is a Certified Medical Director. Dr. Stefanacci has achieved recognition as a fellow at both the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and has also become an honorary lifetime member at the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) as well as the National Association of Directors of Nursing (NADONA.)

David LeCoursAdvisor

David has extensive experience in a variety of leadership positions in fast-paced operational roles. He has worked with ReadyNurse Staffing Services, a nationwide medical staffing organization, since 2002. In his current role, he serves as the National Director, where he and his team contract with more than 800 clients, and employ approximately 1500 from coast-to-coast. David’s solutions encompass nursing and therapy, with a primary focus of interim management and leadership placement within the postacute care arena.

Lina DurezaAdvisor

Lina Dureza, BSN, RN, MSM, CDP,CADDCT, LNHA, CDONA, FACDONA

Lina Dureza is the Director of Nursing Administration for Hughes Health and Rehabilitation, Inc. in West Hartford, CT. She is a graduate of Filamer Christian University in the Philippines and holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Lina is a Certified Director of Nursing in Long-term Care as well as Fellow in the Academy of Certified Directors of Nursing Administration.

Education Committee

Jacqueline Vance, RNC, BSN, CDONA/LTC, FACDONA, IP-BCAdvisor

Jacqueline Vance, RNC, BSN, IP-BC, CDP, CDONA, FACDONA, LBBP, DPN
Jacqueline is Senior Director of Clinical Innovation and Education for Mission Health Communities Ms. Vance previously was the VP of Quality and Compliance with Charles E. Smith Communities. She has been the director of clinical education at Sava Senior Care in Atlanta, Georgia and served as director of clinical affairs and industry relations for AMDA  The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA).
She is a certified director of nursing in long-term care, and she is board certified in gerontological nursing and infection prevention (IP-BC); a Certified Dementia Practitioner, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. In addition, she received her certificate in Master in Antibiotic Stewardship, and has a technical diploma in Personal Nutrition and Weight Management. Ms. Vance is affiliated with AMDA, the American Association of Directors of Nursing Services, National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long-Term Care (NADONA/LTC), National Gerontological Nursing Association, and is on the board of the National Transitions of Care Coalition and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Foundation.
She has been an author of more than 50 articles relating to long-term care residents and facilities published in Caring for the Ages magazine, peer-reviewed journals, and other publications, and she has been a frequent presenter at national conferences. She is the author of the award winning blog “The Real Nurse Jackie” hosted by McKnights long term Care.