As YoloCares continues to build out its leadership team, the organization has added three new members to its board of directors and appointed a new manager for its Center for Loss and Hope. New appointees to the board include Tanya Altmann, Ph.D., RN; Jackie Clark, RN, MBA; and Beth Gabor.
Altmann has more than 35 years of experience as a clinician and has been the chair of the California State University (CSU), Sacramento School of Nursing since 2015. In that role, she oversees seven different clinical education programs and is passionate about training future clinicians to be competent and compassionate care providers.
In addition to her post at CSU, Altmann keeps her clinical skills sharp by occasionally working as a staff nurse at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael. Her work at Mercy allows her to provide care for acutely ill trauma, vascular, bariatric, and general surgery patients. As an expert resource nurse, she also provides patient and family education.
Altmann says she has been impressed by the extensive community resources that YoloCares offers, including the Center for Caregiver Support and community education programs like the recent Quintessential Care Summit hosted by both YoloCares and California State University.
She believes strongly that exceptional patient care should also include support for caregivers and family members. Altmann brings with her a wealth of knowledge in clinical operations and direct patient care and her presence on the YoloCares board deepens the invaluable partnership between the agency and CSU, Sacramento.
Clark is a familiar face around the YoloCares board room; she was a board member from 2015 to 2018 and is excited to reprise her role with the agency. Clark has been a registered nurse for 30 years and has extensive experience in clinical administration.
Before her retirement, Clark was the CEO of the California Correctional Healthcare Service (CCHS), a medical facility that serves approximately 5,000 incarcerated patients annually. CCHS also offers the only hospice program for incarcerated individuals in the country.
During her tenure, Clark expanded hospice care and developed a program for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Recognizing the emotional impacts that an inmate’s death can have in the prison community, Clark created a peer support training program for inmates to become hospice volunteers. She believes deeply that no one should die alone and considers her experience with the peer support training program as transformative.
Clark plans to use her expertise in healthcare policy, change management, continuous quality improvement and government relations to help position YoloCares as a regional leader in end-of-life care.
Gabor is a longtime resident of Davis and has a nearly 20-year tenure as a Yolo County employee. Currently, she serves as a member of the Probation Department’s executive team, overseeing administrative operations, strategic alignment, and organizational development.
Prior to 2019, Gabor’s positions included manager of operations and strategy for the County Administrator’s Office, Yolo County manager of public affairs, communications officer, and deputy to Yolo County Supervisor Helen Thomson.
Gabor was connected to YoloCares through fellow board member Julie Sheehan, but she knew of the agency’s community impact through her mother who was a longtime supporter of Citizens Who Care. Gabor looks forward to expanding her understanding of end-of-life care and serving her community.
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Chris Erdman, Ph.D., MDiv, former pastor and head of staff at Davis Community Church has been appointed as the new manager for the YoloCares Center for Loss and Hope. The center assists patients, their loved ones, and community members through the grief process. Support groups and other counseling programs are specifically tailored for adults, adolescents, and children.
Erdman’s previous collaborative work with YoloCares uniquely positions him for this post. He earned his Doctorate from Columbia Theological Seminary, a master’s in divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a bachelor’s degree in business/marketing from Colorado State University.
He has extensive experience in bereavement counseling/programming and his articles have appeared in “Leadership Journal,” “Books and Culture,” and “The International Review of Mission.” He has also authored four books, “Beyond Chaos: Living the Christian Family in a World Like Ours,” “Countdown to Sunday: A Daily Guide for Those Who Dare to Preach,” “Ordinary Preacher, Extraordinary Gospel: A Daily Guide for Wise, Empowered Preachers” and “A Table for All: How I Came to Understand the Gospel Means Full Inclusion of Gays and Lesbians.”
Having traveled in the Dominican Republic, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, Erdman has a particular interest and expertise in the contribution of ancient monasticism and Celtic spirituality for the formation of missional and emergent communities … as well as movements for the common good that specialize in social innovation and entrepreneurship.
His first day at YoloCares will be Sept. 6.
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