​​Arizona Health Care Association (AHCA), a professional association of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living centers, and businesses representing the long-term care profession, has welcomed Maria Molina as director of education and program development. Molina is a seasoned educator and program administrator with 13 years of experience in the field of education.

Most recently, Molina served as program manager of the Lang Youth Medical Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital where she gained extensive experience in community outreach, health care education, curriculum development, and event planning.

In her new role, Molina will oversee all educational programming for AHCA and looks forward to growing as a long term care professional.

Las Villas del Norte, Escondido, Calif., an Integral Senior Living (ISL) community, has named Jolene Farish executive director.

Her primary responsibilities will include managing the community’s day-to-day operations, providing oversight to various teams, and working with the management company, Integral Senior Living. In addition, she will supervise and oversee hiring all department leads and staff.

Farish comes from a family with a rich professional background in social services, which helped her shape her view of the world and empowered her to become a leader in the service industry, specifically to the elderly population.

Faris has served as a social worker and director of resident and family services at a 122-bed assisted living community for people with memory-impairments, later moving into the executive director then senior executive director position of an assisted living center. As a result of her work there, she received the Rising Star, community of the year, and administrator of the year awards.

“My intention is to continue to provide enriching experiences for my residents, alongside my talented team members,” Farish said.

Texas  Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Saurin Patel, MD, chief medical officer at Access Physicians, a physician-led telemedicine company, to the governor’s broadband development council. The council’s goal is to expand access to broadband internet to underserved or rural areas of Texas. One of its tasks is to analyze how statewide access to broadband would benefit the delivery of health care services, including telemedicine. Patel will serve through August 2024.

Access Physicians works with rural hospitals across the country to build and sustain high-quality telemedicine programs, such as telecardiology, telepsychiatry, and teleneurology, so that rural patients have the same level of access and care as urban residents. The company has also received exclusive endorsements, including being the first telemedicine company to be endorsed by a hospital association. The Texas Hospital Association, the second largest in the country representing 8 percent of U.S. hospitals, named Access Physicians as an endorsed partner for telemedicine needs in 2019, followed by the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals.

“I’m honored to be appointed to the council to bring to the forefront the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing rural health care in Texas,” said Patel. “I’ve seen firsthand the power of telemedicine to be the difference between life and death for rural patients and how collaborative partnerships between rural hospitals and our telemedicine operation can mean the difference between closure and remaining open to meet the health care needs of local residents.”

Raintree Terrace Senior Living, Knoxville, Tenn., another ISL community, recently promoted Leah Dailey to executive director.

Dailey joined Raintree Terrace as the director of sales and marketing in June 2019, bringing with her over nine years of marketing and sales experience. Prior to joining the Raintree Terrace community, Dailey worked as senior director of sales and marketing at The Pointe at Lifespring, another ISL community in Knoxville, for four years.

Her primary responsibilities as the executive director will also include managing the community’s day-to-day operations, providing oversight to various teams, and working with ISL. In addition, she will supervise and oversee hiring all department leads and staff.

“With every new role she takes on within the ISL community, Leah surpasses expectations and demonstrates her incredible work ethic and passion for our communities. We are looking forward to seeing how she will continue to grow and strengthen the Raintree Terrace community.” said Heather Haley, regional director of sales and marketing at ISL.