CARE AND CHOICE at the END OF LIFE Conference
SPEAKERS BIOS
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Dr. Kathleen Mylotte
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Kathleen Mylotte, M.D, recently retired from her role as Medical Director for Quality and Disease Management at Independent Health. Dr. Mylotte joined Independent Health in 2006 as part-time associate medical director, while continuing as a partner at Buffalo Geriatric and Rehabilitation Medicine. As she transitioned to full-time medical director at Independent Health, she gradually reduced her clinical work, eventually retiring as a partner in July of 2011.
In addition to her work in private practice, Dr. Mylotte served as medical director at long-term care centers throughout the region. She has also had numerous hospital appointments, and has served on several hospital committees. In addition, Dr. Mylotte has had numerous academic appointments at the University at Buffalo’s School of Medicine, and is currently ranked as clinical associate professor of medicine. Dr. Mylotte is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine. She is a fellow at the American College of Physicians, and a member of the American Society of Internal Medicine, the American Geriatrics Society, and various other professional medical societies. She has also co-authored many abstracts and articles in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Mylotte earned her bachelor’s degree in natural sciences from Niagara University and her medical degree from the University at Buffalo School of Medicine. She currently continues to provide part-time services to Independent Health as Associate Medical Director, as well as to other community non-profit organizations which are committed to furthering the needs of our aging population. |
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Dr. Charles Yates
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Dr. Yates is Chief Medical Officer at Fallon Health Weinberg, where he oversees the Medicare Dual Special Needs (DSNP), Medicaid Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) and PACE (Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly) programs. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care medicine, has served as primary care physician and medical director at many long term care facilities in the region, and started the first Palliative Care consultation service at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.
His emphasis has been on nursing home, post-acute and transition care medicine where the most vulnerable patients in the medical system are at greatest risk. He has succeeded in improving clinical quality and outcomes in all environments including for-profit, non-profit, and inpatient settings, while emphasizing avoidance of non-beneficial interventions in the frail and recognizing the importance of communication with caregivers and fellow clinicians. His interests include the implementation of frailty measures in clinical practice to help providers identify at-risk elders, and the improvement of care across transitions. He trained at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center/SUNY Buffalo, received his MD at the University of Buffalo in 1996 after premedical work at Buffalo State College, and a BS in Management at Case Western Reserve University. Originally from Rochester, he lives with his wife Maura in Lockport, NY. |
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Ms. Darcy Thiel
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Darcy Thiel, MA is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in NY State. She earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. Ms. Thiel is a couple and family therapist in West Seneca, New York and has served as an adjunct professor at Medaille College in Buffalo.
Darcy is also an accomplished speaker and presenter on various topics throughout the Western NY area. She is the proud author of Bitter and Sweet, A Family’s Journey with Cancer, the prequel to Life After Death, on This Side of Heaven. To learn more about Ms. Thiel, visit her website at www.darcythiel.com or marriageandfamilycounseling.net. |
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Dr. Kathleen Grimm
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Dr. Kathleen Grimm is a member of the Board of Directors at ECMC. In addition, she currently works in clinical practice at the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo and as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Board certified in pediatrics, internal medicine and hospice and palliative medicine, her prior roles have included a tenure at SUNY Buffalo’s Division of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, as well as practice in the Adolescent Clinic of Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and Quaker Medical Associates. Previously, she was a Registered Nurse at Buffalo General Hospital and Lancaster General Hospital in Pennsylvania. She has received a number of awards for her leadership and practice, including the Canisus College Distinguished Alumni Award, the ECMC Foundation Chairman’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Frederick B. Wilkes Pediatric Award. In addition, Dr. Kathleen Grimm is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics. A frequent presenter and lecturer, she has covered a number of topics concerning childhood obesity prevention, community health, and end of life care. |
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Ms. Sandra Lauer
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Sandra Lauer has been a Registered Nurse at the Erie County Medical Center for 16 years. Her current position is as the Director of Continuum of Care, with a focus on the provision of community-centric, coordinated, and humanistic care. Her work involves developing and directing the coordination of care provided to patients in the Supportive Medicine/Palliative Care Program. Her prior role, as the Clinical Patient Advocate, presented opportunities to provide education, support, and guidance to patients and their families in times of severe health and emotional crisis.
Sandra is certified in the Gundersen Respecting Choices model of Advance Care Planning program. She is a member of the ECMC’s, “Your Voice, Your Values”, Community Outreach team, which is committed to sharing information with our community about value-based Advance Care Planning, the importance of talking with loved ones, and the use of Advance Care planning tools, such as those available through the Conversation Project. She is trained in the Harvard Medical school’s Communication in Serious Illness curriculum, which is an evidence-based, structured approach to having conversations with people who have advanced illness and their families. She is also a co-facilitator in the Mercy Doula training program, which provides education and on-going support for community volunteers and medical students who are interested in and willing to enter into a relationship with a terminally ill person to accompany and comfort them during their dying process. |
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Ms. Saralin Tiedeman
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Saralin Tiedeman, MS, OTR/L, serves as the Post-Acute Project Manager for Millennium Collaborative Care. She oversees two DSRIP Projects, Projects 2bvii: Implementing the INTERACT Program and Project 2bviii: Hospital Home CareCollaborative Solutions.
She is responsible for the management and representation of the Millennium Post-Acute Care Network, which consists of 55 Skilled Nursing Facilities, seven Certified Home Health Agencies, and numerous Licensed Home Care Service Agencies within the eight counties of Western New York. Tiedeman graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Master’s of science degree in Occupational Science, along with a Bachelor’s in both Occupational Science and Psychology. She is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist in the State of New York and member of the American Occupational Therapy Association. |
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Rev. Michael Stuart
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The Reverend R. Michael Stuart, MDiv MA BCC (retired) brings 17 years of experience as a spiritual care provider. He is currently serving as Spiritual Care Manager for Home Care and Hospice of Western New York, Inc., in Olean since 2008. He is responsible for spiritual care providers in 4 rural counties and provides direct patient/family care as needed. Prior to that, he served as a staff chaplain at St. Charles Medical Center, a level II trauma center in Bend, Oregon from 2001-2007. He worked on all units of the hospital including comfort care. He also served as a parish nurse chaplain on the steering committee and as liaison to Emergency Services with the VA Clinic.
Mike is Board Certified and in good standing with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). He completed a summer internship through Healthcare Chaplaincy Incorporated at Mount Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell Medical Center New York Hospital in NYC (1984); Clinical Pastoral Education, 4 units, at Portland VA Medical Center (2004); Anamcara Apprenticeship and Sacred Art of Dying (SAD) at Sacred Art of Living Center, Bend, Oregon (2002-2006); and Doula Training for End of Life Care at Crossroads House, Batavia, New York (2017). He currently serves on the spiritual care coordinating committee for National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). He is part of a group revising the Spiritual Care Guidelines from 2009. Previously, Mike served on the NHPCO Education and Leadership Development Committees. He also served as New York State Advocate for Association of Professional Chaplains, Education Committee, and two Certification Committees, as a convener and presenter of two candidates. He has published articles on spiritual care and has been a speaker representing hospice. Mike is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament of the Presbyterian Church (USA), honorably retired. He currently serves a pastor of East Bethany Presbyterian Church, NY part-time since 2014. He is a Genesee Lay Contemplative with the Abbey of Genesee since 2009. He also serves as chaplain for the Joint Veterans Service Organizations of Genesee County, Disabled American Veterans #166, and Marine Corps League, Hansen Brothers Detachment. |
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Ms. Laurie Menzies, Esq.
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Attorney Laurie Menzies guides seniors and their families through the aging process by coordinating their legal and financial concerns and addressing potential or existing care needs. Laurie is passionate about helping families create a plan for aging that helps preserve assets, while providing for the wishes and care needs of her clients.
Laurie is a Senior Partner at Pfalzgraf, Beinhauer & Menzies, the only law firm in Western New York dedicated exclusively to Elder Law and Estate Planning. Drawing on her professional expertise as an elder law and estate planning attorney, as well as her personal experience as her parent’s sole caregiver well into their 90s, Laurie has recently published Embracing Elderhood, Planning for the Next Stage of Life. She is a frequent speaker at community forums and on local media on issues regarding seniors and planning for successful aging. In addition to handling legal issues related to aging for families, she also works intensively with geriatric care managers and financial consultants to coordinate a comprehensive plan for aging. She has a unique understanding of the stresses and concerns of families regarding their loved ones and works to help create peace of mind for families. Laurie graduated from Vassar College in 1986 and earned her law degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1996. She received both a University Scholarship for academic achievement, and a Public Interest Scholarship for her work at Legal Services of the Elderly and Disabled. Laurie is well versed in financial issues having worked in the investment and trust administration field in Boston, Massachusetts before law school. She is actively engaged with organizations that serve the elderly, including serving on the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section, the Trust and Estate Section, as well as with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She was the Seminar Chair of NYSBA’s Elder Law Section’s Fall Meeting in October 2011 and was the Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee of the Elder Law Section. Laurie is also active with local non-profit organizations that serve the elderly including having served on the Board of Directors of the Network in Aging of Western New York for eight years, and she is currently a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association and Canterbury Woods Continuing Care Community. Laurie has been recognized in Business First of Buffalo’s Who’s Who in Law in 2007 and 2011. |
