Board of Directors

Kayleen is a retired nurse whose career included positions in outpatient, medical/surgical and long term care settings before joining Lakeland Hospice, Fergus Falls, in 1995. She served there in case management, patient care coordination, administration, education and first earned Hospice certification in 1999. Her particular interests are public and professional Hospice education, and the distinctive concerns of rural Hospice.

Barb is a nurse who is also an attorney. She manages a part-time law practice that is developed to serve home care and hospice providers as well as serving as the Clinical Director of HomeCare at Guardian Angels Elim Home Care.  Previously, she has worked over 25 years in home care and hospice for several provider organizations.  Barb is currently chair of Hospice Minnesota’s Public Policy Committee.

Gloria graduated from the University of Anderson in Anderson, Indiana with a BA in Sociology and an AD in Nursing. She has a mini-masters in Quality Management from St. Thomas University in Minneapolis, MN and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. She currently serves as Director of Allina’s Hospice and Palliative Care programs. She has served on  the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Quality and Standards Committee as well as several committees for the Minnesota Network of Hospice & Palliative Care.

She has lead the initiative for POLST within the Allina system and served on the state steering committee, lead by the Ethics branch of the Minnesota Medical Association, for the development of a standardized POLST form in Minnesota.

Jody has a background in adult and pediatric hospice care as well as palliative care.  She believes her strengths are in clinical skills and recognition of the importance of hospice services across cultures and ages.  Jody was born in India and practiced nursing in a variety of roles in Scotland and India.  In her role with Children’s, Jody currently serves as the Coordinator of Pain and Palliative Care for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics, where program development is a strong focus of Jody’s position.  She is past member of the Hospice Minnesota Education Committee and currently serves on the Public Policy Committee.  She is  the Chair of the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition of Minnesota and a Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association Board member. Jody’s passions focus on collaboration with different hospital systems in providing pediatric hospice services.  She said, ” Minnesota Network for Hospice & Palliative Care is an organization for everyone, even the children in our state” and believes that with the multi-cultural aspect and education hospice across the state will continue to grow. Jody has an DNP and is a certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse.

Chris Downey is a Family Medicine Physician and has specialized in working with geriatric, palliative and hospice care patients and their families.  His interest in hospice began when he was in college, when he was employed as an orderly at Our Lady of Good Council Cancer Home. In 1984, when North Memorial opened the first in-patient Hospice Unit in the State of Minnesota, Chris had the opportunity to join the staff in providing services of acute care and curative medicine with hospice care in a single care setting. Chris received the Certificate of added Qualifications in Geriatrics in 1990 from the ABFM. He has always enjoyed working with the elderly, sharing jokes and stories in establishing meaningful and trusting relationships with his patients. Chris has been with St. Therese Nursing home since 1980 and in 2004 St. Therese opened a dedicated in-patient Palliative Care Unit where Chris consults and cares for his patients. Due to his commitment to Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Chris became certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2005. In 2007 Chris joined North Memorial as the Medical Director of the North Memorial Health Care Home Hospice Program.   In 2009 he joined Allina Home and Community Services as their Home Care Medical Director. He also provides care to patients in Allina’ Hospice program as well as In-patient consults for Allina’s  Palliative Care Service.  Recently, he has been serving as the Interim Medical Director for Allina’ Senior Care Transitions Elder Care Program. One of Chris’ interests is the collaboration of different medical providers and payment systems whether they are in curative medicine, Palliative Medicine or Hospice Medicine. He strongly feels that the dovetailing of these different entities, in providing care for patients and their families, enhances each specialty but will also ensure the success of all.

Howard Epstein is Medical Director of Commercial Operations and Clinical Design at BlueCross and BlueShield of Minnesota. He was previously Medical Director of Palliative Care and Care Management at Regions Hospital in St. Paul and Associate Medical Director of Hospice of the Lakes at HealthPartners. Dr. Epstein received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and, after completing his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota, joined the teaching faculty at Regions Hospital where he helped establish their nationally acclaimed hospital medicine program. Dr. Epstein has given numerous lectures locally and nationally on Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Ethics and Care Management and is on the faculty of the University of Minnesota’s Palliative Care Leadership Center. He is past Chair of the Committee for Evidence-Based Practice at the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, was the workgroup leader for ICSI’s original Palliative Care Guideline and is a member of ICSI’s Palliative Care Steering Committee. Dr. Epstein is the past Chair of the Society of Hospital Medicine’s Palliative Care Task Force and served as a member of SHM’s Ethics Committee. Dr. Epstein was recognized for his many efforts to improve the quality of care for hospitalized patients with SHM’s 2006 National Award for Clinical Excellence.

I am the HealthPartners’ Hospice and Palliative Care Program Medical Director, and direct the Geriatric Psychiatry long term care consulting service at HealthPartners. I specialize in palliative and end of life care. I recently completed a Masters Degree in Bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin with special interest in choices at the end of life. My specific interests are: 1. to develop the craft of providing excellent, state of the art hospice care through effective and efficient interdisciplinary care team functioning and 2. to develop materials and training for  professional staff to facilitate patient and families authorship for their end of life goals of care. I am participating in a system-wide advance care planning program. Additional aspects of my position and personal mission are to provide end of life education for patients, families, and clinicians both within HealthPartners and the community.

Dick is currently President of the Fairview Foundation. He has over 30 year experience in public health and healthcare administration and his career in healthcare spans the spectrum from caregiver to corporate vice president at Fairview Health Services. Dick’s responsibilities at Fairview include over 20 years as a vice president in charge of hospital operations, marketing and strategic planning, business development and quality improvement. He is a frequent facilitator, speaker and teacher in Fairview’s strategic leadership teams, quality forums, and leadership development classes.  Dick has been a volunteer in Fairview’s hospice program and his father received hospice care at home.

Mr. Hyder served as the Coordinator for the Vital Aging Network from November 2007 through 2010. In January 2011, he retired from professional public service, shortly after turning 60. He now devotes full time to his personal passion and prime-time career, a 20+ year (previously part-time) successful private practice as a spiritual counselor/life-coach with an active nation-wide clientele. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Carole, a nationally recognized Feng Shui expert.

As Coordinator for the Vital Aging Network, he played a major role in increasing VAN’s public status and visibility. He helped to position VAN as a major voice in Minnesota promoting the importance of the expanding role of older adults as active and engaged leaders in their communities. Tom guided the development and growth of VAN’s monthly forums, offered throughout the Twin Cities, from small discussion groups to larger venues with 100+ average attendance and multiple organizational sponsors.

Tom has a 30+ year history of working in the public sector in a variety of non-profit and government agencies. Prior to joining VAN, Mr. Hyder served for two years as the Executive Director of the ElderCare Rights Alliance, and advocacy organization focused on improving the quality of care for elders in Minnesota’s long term care system. Additionally, he has directed Area Agencies on Aging in Oregon and Oklahoma and has held the top organizational position for an economic development district, a private industry council, and a city-wide program of community education.  Tom has a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech, a Masters degree in Community Education from the University of Florida, and is an ordained minister.

Terri Hyduke is CEO of Children’s Physician Network (CPN), a network of 21 primary clinics, 80 subspecialty clinics, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN, and Gillette Children’s Medical Center. The network, a not-for-profit company, is involved in payer contracting, group purchasing, performance measurement and improvement for its members. The CPN also operates a 24/7 nurse triage/ answering service which assists pediatric and adult providers in the upper Midwest, CA, and WVA.

Hyduke’s previous employment includes two major Minnesota health plans and the Minnesota legislature. Her healthcare work began by developing the State of Minnesota’s first Medicaid Demonstration Project. Her past experience with the elderly includes work with the state’s first social HMO, board and chairman of Carebreak, an adult daycare center, past member of Robert Kane’s University Chair on Aging Committee, and personal experiences with aging and end of life issues.

She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from St. Thomas for which she completed her Practicum at Park Nicollet Medical Center.

DiAnn provides Human Resources leadership to Allina’s  Home & Community Services division along with other business units at Allina. Formerly Principal of the Quantum Performance Group and Performance Strategies, working in the areas of Strategic Planning and Organizational Development, she possesses over 27 years experience in the Twin Cities business community. DiAnn has been a frequent guest lecturer and speaker and an inaugural mentor of Minnesota 100.  She has been recognized by the city of Minnetonka for her leadership in creating the Minnetonka Arts Center collaboration. DiAnn also served as Board member and officer for Family Networks and the University of Minnesota School of Nursing Foundation.

Frances Long is an attorney who has dedicated her law practice for over twenty-five years to issues affecting the elderly and disabled. She started the law firm of Long, Reher & Hanson, P.A., in 1993 and is now of counsel with the firm. She practices in the area of elder law, focusing on Medical Assistance planning, disability planning, and estate planning. Frances was one of the founders of the Elder Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association and served as co-chair of the Section during the first two years of its existence. She has been a frequent lecturer for both professional and community organizations in the areas of Medical Assistance and disability planning, advance decisions regarding health care, nursing home issues, long-term care alternatives, and surrogate management of financial and personal matters. She also serves as a board member of the Franciscan Health Community in St. Paul.

Kris has been active in hospice for the past 15 years. Her current position as a National Telephonic Care Coordinator with United Health Care marks an ongoing professional goal to offer early access to people who are hospice eligible and assist people to identify health care goals, maintain independence in their own homes by accessing health care plan benefits and community resources. Kris’ work on a national level is a great asset to Minnesota Network of Hospice & Palliative Care, gaining a broader prospective on trends of care and issues that affect all hospice programs.

Educated at University of Minnesota, BS and medical school. Internal medicine residency, University of Illinois. In practice since 1989, internal medicine and emergency medicine. Medical director, home and community care, hospice and palliative care, Minneapolis VAMC. Experience in geriatrics, hospice and palliative care; CAPC and EPEC(10/08)training.

Sandra is manager for Essentia Health, St. Mary’s Hospice and Palliative Care program. She has been involved in home health and hospice care for 17 years. Her first exposure to hospice was when she developed and implemented the tools for a Medicare Certified Hospice Program in rural Minnesota. Her passion is providing quality end of life care to rural and underserved populations. She is an advocate for continued hospice growth and reimbursement by attending and speaking with legislators regarding current hospice issues at Capitol Hill Day through the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association. She is also on the Membership Committee for MNHPC.

Mary Beth has been working in hospice since 1987 when she started as an RN case manager with Rice Hospice. In 2000 she moved into the role of Nurse Clinician, and in 2008 assumed the role of Director. She has lead the Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement and Joint Commission compliance activities for Rice Hospice and has also been a presenter at the national level at the Clinical Team Conference in Miami Beach, Fla. She is finishing her first term as Board member of MNHPC. She is a member of the MNHPC Standards Committee and former member of the Education Committee. She is active in the West Central Regional Hospice Providers group. Her areas of interest include; challenges and opportunities faced by rural hospice providers and development of effective Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement programs. Mary Beth is certified as Hospice and Palliative Nurse and has completed some graduate course work at MSU. Personal experience as the recipient of hospice care when husband was enrolled in hospice program.

Lois has worked in home care since 1975 and in hospice since 1998.  She has a Master’s in Nursing and in Nursing Administration.  She is currently director of 10 Hospice sites in Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.  Lois focuses on working with the interdisciplinary team members to provide communities with educational programs that focus on end-of-life decisions and the completion of health care directives.  Lois feels that her passion is in witnessing the big difference hospice plays for the patient and family.  Lois brings a strong passion for the importance of hospice programs in outstate Minnesota and the role these programs serve to strengthen hospice care across the state.

I am a Social Worker for Winona Area Hospice in Winona, MN and have been in this role for 15 years. During this time I have also served as the Volunteer Coordinator and Bereavement Coordinator. I am licensed in the States of MN and WI and participate actively in the regional groups for both states.

I have experience and responsibility in providing Hospice orientation to new Hospice staff at all levels of care. I provide orientation to Skilled Nursing Facilities on a annual basis. I am a certified Advance Directive Counselor. I have participated in our Ethics committee as a member and am presently sit on the local American Cancer Society Board and on our hospitals Cancer Committee. I do classes each year in our local high school and college about Hospice. I have been a MNHPC board member for 3 years and sit on the Standards Committee.

Serving as a consultant for palliative care, hospice, home care and assisted living, Lores continues to share her passion for excellence in care and services through coaching and mentoring. Serving on the MNHPC Board provides a venue to share the experiences from a broad base of providers and consumers while also participating in strategic and purposeful planning.

Lores offers education throughout Minnesota and the nation on palliative and hospice care as a recognized trainer of ELNEC, EPEC and HPNA curriculums as well as customized training. Lores obtained her BSN and Master’s degree in nursing education from Bethel University, St. Paul, MN. Lores participates as a member of MNHPC’s Standards of Clinical Practice, Development and Membership Committees. She is an active member of Aging Services of Minnesota, HPNA, MOLN and Sigma Theta Tau.