Our People Are Our Greatest Elder Care Resources

Chief Executive Officer

Hazel Kuchinsky – Owner, CEO

Hazel Kuchinsky is both owner and chief executive officer of Ivory House Care Management. The company does business under Ivory House Health Services and Elderlife Experts.

Ms Kuchinsky background has been filled with developing programs and managing hospital psychiatric programs in General Hospitals. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at a college in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended graduate school at University of Pittsburgh completing a Clinical Specialty in Psychiatry. She completed internships in family therapy in Washington and Philadelphia. In Boston she attended a Community Health –Mental Health program.

Her work career consisted of Mental Health Consultation to the Pittsburgh Public Schools in which she was instrumental in developing testing for disadvantaged children, developing large groups of volunteers to assist in the education of these children, and development of a Center for Families in Crises focusing on divorce, death and dying within family complexes. She spent many years working in Hospitals implementing Psychiatric Liaison services, directing Psychiatric units and developing Medical Geriatric services in General Hospitals.

Ms. Kuchinsky has had a private practice and worked doing therapy at a college in Carlisle, Pa.
The last 20 years have focused on developing caretaking systems for Drug and Alcohol abusers, and Geriatric patients. The investment in Geriatrics came about when her father came to live in Baltimore at age 86. Many events convinced her that a Care Management and Private Duty Company was a necessary care delivery system.. Again she realized the influence of her family in her life was paramount in her career.
During their busy life she and her husband of 35 years have successfully raised 2 beautiful daughters .They recently married. Her youngest daughter owns a veterinary practice in Leesburg, VA. The eldest has a dynamic career at a large bank in New York City. Ms. Kuchinsky continues to love her chosen career and continues to develop the company. She also loves to read, go to movies, and spend time with her family and 2 large dogs.

NURSES

SUSAN LEIDY – Clinical Director, Care Management and In-home Services
RN, MSN, CMSRN

Susan Leidy has been serving as our Clinical Director of Care Management and In-home Services since November of 2005. Her many responsibilities include providing care management services, developing and implementing clinical protocols, fostering the ongoing development of staff and monitoring our quality of care.

Prior to joining Ivory House, Susan was employed by the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Over the course of twenty-two years at GBMC she served as Director of Nursing Education, Medical Clinical Nurse Specialist and Director of Geriatric Clinical Services. She is licensed to practice nursing both in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Ms. Leidy is a member of the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses and the national honor society of nursing, Sigma Theta Tau (Eta Chapter.) She received her diploma in nursing from the Washington Hospital Center School of Nursing in Washington, DC, a Bachelor of Science from Elizabethtown College and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition she holds a Master of Liberal Arts from the Johns Hopkins University. Active in her professional organization, Ms. Leidy was selected as an exam writer by the Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing Certification Board.

MELANIE MEREDITH – Care Manager
Melanie Meredith has worked as a Care Manger with Ivory House since 2000. Her focus within the organization involves the more complex medical and behavioral situations, from assessment through care-planning stages. She also works on developing the skills of caregivers and strategies for improvement in our clients’ quality of life. Her approach to helping seniors remain in their homes draws from successful examples in her own family.

Ms. Meredith is a Master’s prepared nurse who is Care Manager Certified and a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.

Mary Rose Martinelli has been with the company for 14 years. She is a Mastered Prepared Nurse and provides services to our senior population.  Her background consists of experiences as a hospital administrator, psychiatric educator and a therapist.

Mary Schenning joined our Nursing Staff in the early part of 2008.  She has been a psychiatric nurse, therapist and a community liaison for the chronically ill. She works three days a week as a Geriatric Care Manager. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland with Master’s Degree.

 

MARKETING & SALES

Carol F. Clark – Marketing Director
BA, MSA

Carol comes to Ivory House with extensive accomplishments in corporate, consulting and nonprofit sectors within domains of education, international health and income-generation as well as the transportation and communication industries.  Carol’s breadth of market development experience and management skills in program development, advocacy, public information and fundraising will refocus public visibility on the unique and specialized aspects of care management and private duty care that is provided by Ivory House.

Carol’s commitment to the senior market and health care needs is a natural extension of her 15 years of engagement in international development.  It became personalized through the care of both parents in their challenges of infirmity and disease.  In particular, she was a caregiver for her father for seven years and is well acquainted with issues of in-home care and related physical and emotional adjustments for patients and families.

Prior to joining Ivory House, Carol was Director of Institutional Advancement at Enoch Pratt Free Library, where she managed marketing, communications and multi-stream private sector support, including Annual Fund growth and the Pratt’s recent successful $15M Capital Campaign.

Carol’s international work encompasses a particular focus on HIV/AIDS and international family planning and reproductive health.  At World Vision, she expanded corporate and foundation support through program teams with the International Programs Group in D.C., the World Vision International corporate policy sector in London, and the U.S. Programs offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.  She established a foundation and corporate development office for PLAN US with a  $1M and subsequent $15M grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for HIV/AIDS orphans, the Hope for African Children Initiative, along with a Consortium Coordinated Framework for Fundraising and major donor strategies.  As a Delegate to the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and as a member of the U.S. and NGO Population Network, she represented the Population Institute, recognized as a leading voice in international family planning.  Carol began her professional career in the for-profit world at Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading strategy and technology consulting firm,  where she was a director for the DOE’s Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project and with MCI International in Washington, D.C. where she developed state-of-the-art analytical tools and  measurements for network performance.

Carol holds an MSA in Finance from the George Washington University and a BA from Lake Erie College in Ohio that included economic studies at the University of Grenoble in France.

ACCOUNTING & ADMINISTRATION

Gale Herr Sarubin – Accounting Manager
Gale Herr Sarubin joined our team as Accounting Manager in February 2008. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Adminstration. Gale has worked in Accounting and Business Administration for the past 25+ years. Gale is responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, and payroll. She is eager to assist our Clients with any billing or payment questions they may have.

Her days are willingly spent assisting our Clients and Staff. Her free time is happily spent with her two college age children, dining out with friends, watching the FoodNetwork, biking, and baking

Staff & Staffing Assistant

Martina Hall joined our staff in 2007and has been an assistant to Serenna helping with staffing. She is both a nursing assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant. She has also been trained as an office attendant.