BackMeet Your Team
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All members of Hospice & Community Care’s Sunflower team have specialized training in addressing the unique needs of children and teens living with serious illness. In addition to the primary care team listed below, pediatric patients and families have access to a Hospice & Community Care chaplain, pharmacist, music and massage therapists, aides and bereavement counselor.
Primary Care Team
Debra Vermette, Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, MD
Education and Specialty:
Education: Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas; University of Texas Southwestern Medical School; and University of Texas Family Medicine Program in Houston
Specialty: Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Kristen Moyer, MD, Pediatric Medical Director
Education and Specialty:
BS, Biology and Psychology, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Master of Theological Studies, Duke Divinity School
MD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Medical Training:
Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency, Yale-New Haven Hospital
Internal Medicine Chief Residency, Yale-New Haven Hospital (Internal Medicine-Primary Care Program)
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, The Ohio State University (Adult/Pediatric Track; completed in partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
Pediatric Experience: Clinical Faculty, Advanced Illness Management (AIM) Team, Nationwide Children’s Hospital (2018-2020): Provided inpatient and outpatient consultative pediatric palliative care as well as clinical oversight for home-based pediatric palliative and hospice programs
Favorite Quote:
“Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired.” –Erik H. Erikson
Brief Bio:
I grew up along the East coast and have loved every place I’ve had the opportunity to live – from Massachusetts, to North Carolina, to Connecticut; a brief stent in Ohio, and now Lancaster. Along the way, I’ve developed a love of exploring the local outdoors and cultural flavors of each place. My husband and I enjoy traveling and kayaking and hope to introduce our young daughters to these experiences.
Why Pediatrics?
I love working with children and their families. Children are authentic, creative, expressive, resilient, and hopeful, and their families are unmatched in their ability to hope alongside them while providing powerful, generative, self-giving love. To be able to walk alongside children and their families in the most vulnerable times, witness and support their strengths, and attempt to lighten some of the burdens of serious illness, is one of the greatest honors of my lifetime.
Sarah Schuessler, MD
Education and Specialty:
Education: College of William and Mary and Georgetown University School of Medicine
Specialty: is Internal Medicine- Pediatrics and Hospice and Palliative Care for both Pediatric and Adult patients
Steve Sensenich, Director of Specialty Services
Education and Specialty:
RN training from St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing
Millersville University
Why Pediatrics?
I have worked in palliative care for many years with Hospice & Community Care, mainly working with adults. As a parent, I have always admired those who care for children and support their parents and siblings. Seeing an opportunity for growth in our ability to care for our community with palliative care, not only in adults but also for children, is why I chose to be part of the Sunflower team. My hope is that I can administratively help to facilitate our team to be able to provide the finest care and support possible to those trusted to our care.
Favorite Quote:
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much" –Helen Keller
Terri Lee, Pediatric Coordinator
Education and Specialty:
LGH School of Nursing
Franklin and Marshall College
Pediatric Experience:
Fifteen years in-patient pediatric rehabilitation providing care to children with a variety of disabilities and medical needs including post traumatic brain injuries, spinabifida, and cerebral palsy. In my final years in rehabilitation I was apart of the home ventilator program with the goal of teaching families to care for this fragile population and to be able to take their child home. 18 years of pediatric home care as a case manager for children receiving in home care from RNs, LPNs and Aides. Also provided education to staff wishing to progress skills.
Why Pediatrics?
I say I fell into caring for children. Out of nursing school I did not see myself choosing this career path. In my second job I found myself working on a pediatric and adult mixed unit and I fell in love with the children that I was providing care to. I have found over the years that most children I have encountered with special needs are truly the happiest people I know. They don't care about material things, they are just happy to see familiar faces and to be loved.
Laura Burns, RN
Education and Specialty:
ASN from Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences
BSN from Aspen University
Pediatric Experience:
I worked as a home health aide for Bayada Pediatrics caring for clients in their homes. I worked at Women and Babies Hospital learning to care for newborns and mothers. I spent time working in the step-down intensive care unit at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey as a registered nurse. I have almost five years of experience in hospice care and case management.
Why Pediatrics?
Working with children has always been an interest to me and will always hold a special place in my heart. I enjoy being able to educate parents and it’s always an honor to be able to walk this journey with families. Most children have very extensive medical histories and I enjoy the challenge of learning new things and applying my nursing skills and critical thinking to manage cases. It is a pleasure to watch families be able to spend time in their homes and focus on making memories and a legacy for that child. As a pediatric nurse, I can turn tears into laughter, pain into comfort, and fear into hope.
Lisa Cunliffe, RN
Education and Specialty:
Gloucester County College
Pediatric Experience:
I have worked with quite a variety of pediatric diagnosis. My favorite population was oncology. I worked at Hershey Medical Center for 14 years and worked in outpatient satellite clinics. I moved to home care with Bayada Pediatrics as a Clinical Manager for seven years before joining the Hospice & Community Care team.
Why Pediatrics?
I started working at a residential school for children with intellectual disabilities. That is where I fell in love with caring for children and wanted to take it to another level. Nursing has given me such diverse opportunities to work with children; in schools, hospital, and in their homes. Best decision ever!!
Ann Pilarte, Social Worker
Education and Specialty:
Master of Social Work from West Virginia University
Bachelor of Art in Sociology from Susquehanna University
Pediatric Experience:
Special Education Teacher; Parenting Class Teacher; Acute In-Patient Care in Pediatric Mental Health Facility
Why Pediatrics?
I have some experience working with children and I am a parent. At first, when working with pediatric patients, I did it because there was a need and I was willing. In time, I found that working with our pediatric patients and their families was a "brutiful" experience -- brutal and beautiful at the same time. Whether they are with us for a moment or a lifetime, a child's decline and death impacts those who love them in profound ways. It is my hope to be able to provide support to families who are likely going through the worst time of their lives. I am continually astounded by the strength, bravery and grace I witness in our pediatric patients and their families.
Favorite Quote:
"Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other-that man, that woman, that child is my brother or my sister." -Mother Teresa
Rose Baer, Chaplain
Education and Specialty:
Board Certified through Association of Professional Chaplains
Lancaster Theological Seminary, M.Div.
Eastern Mennonite University, BSN
Pediatric Experience:
Offered pediatric spiritual care while working as the Supportive Care Chaplain at Hospice & Community Care
Neonatal Intensive Care Chaplain at Hershey Medical Center
Chaplain for Mothers with Addiction and their children
Why Pediatrics?
More than anything else, I understand each child to be precious. They are filled with the capacity to both give and receive love beyond measure. As a parent of adult children and a grandparent of little ones as well as a teenager, I am caught up in the immensity of each child’s vulnerability, bravery, hope, and ability to be present to possibility. As a palliative chaplain, I recognize that serious illness alters this sense of possibility. It is an honor to journey with each child and family to hold their reality of illness and—together—to create new pathways of hope and possibility. It is sacred work and I am humbled by the journey that unfolds.
Favorite Quote:
"Children are born with rainbows in their hearts and you’ll never reach them unless you reckon with rainbows." -By Carl Sandburg
Ellen M. Liberto, LMT, LPN, B.S., CHPLN
Education and Specialty:
Massage Therapy Certification from Lancaster School of Massage
LPN from Harrisburg Area Community College
B. Sc. from Indiana University of PA
Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse
Pediatric Focused Certifications: Pediatric Massage, Infant Massage, Hospital-based Massage Therapy and Touch Therapy for Autism
Pediatric Experience:
Prior to coming to Hospice & Community Care, I worked at a children’s daycare center and as a dental assistant in a pediatric-focused dental practice. As a massage therapist, I started providing massage therapy for my daughter at the age of six and continued to expand providing massage therapy for client’s children as well as children in my daughter’s dance studio.
I have been providing massage therapy to pediatric hospice and palliative care patients at Hospice & Community Care for more than 15 years.
Why Pediatrics?
As a massage therapist, I view my role as one of creating connection – connection of a child to their body in a way that feels safe and comforting; connection between family members and patients through teaching family members how to massage their loved one; and connection with a patient’s medical team to encourage “out of the box” thinking for ways to enhance a child’s comfort through use of nonpharmacological techniques.
I truly believe that my gift of providing safe and compassionate touch through massage therapy impacts a child’s life by providing a positive, calm and supportive experience, and helps parents find a sense of peace knowing that comfort is being provided for their child.
Favorite Quote:
“A person’s a person no matter how small” -Dr. Seuss
Juliet Mitton, Music Therapist
Education and Specialty:
BA, Music, Millersville University
MMT (Masters Music Therapy), Temple University
Pediatric Experience:
I have been providing hospice care to pediatric patients for more than 15 years.
Why Pediatrics?
I began the music therapy program when I started working at Hospice & Community Care. Working with pediatric patients and their families has always been something I have been drawn to, so I am excited to be a part of the Sunflower Pediatric team. Music therapy provides families with a way to be together, for siblings to feel a part of the visit when one of their siblings is ill. I have presented my work with pediatric patients at the regional music therapy conference.
Keep in touch.