Board of Directors

Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Greenville, NC

Vidant Health is the largest health system in eastern North Carolina with 8 hospitals, physician practices, outpatient, home health, hospice and wellness services serving 29 counties with a population of 1.4 million people. Scottie serves as a Senior Administrator with Vidant Health, leading it’s Wellness Services, Advance Care Planning and End of Life Care Strategy. Scottie holds a master’s degree in Health Education from East Carolina University and brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare operations and leadership.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Greensboro, Greensboro,, NC

Kristen Yntema is President/CEO of Hospice & Palliative Care of Greensboro (HPCG). She comes to this position from a career in healthcare. Her first job, at 15, was a unit secretary and nursing assistant in her hometown hospital. After graduating from Elon College and obtaining graduate degrees at Xavier University, Kristen joined Cone Health System as an Administrative Fellow, and went on to be the Executive Director of Health Services, working with non-hospital based health services. This led to roles of senior leadership with Advanced Home Care before joining HPCG in 2016.

Kristen believes that TCC has a pivotal role in providing relevant education, and in aligning with other organizations to create the path to making a difference on the important issues for our future. She looks forward to bringing her knowledge and experience, her ability to listen and her willingness to innovate and create to her role as a TCC board member.

Trellis Supportive Care, Winston-Salem, NC

Linda Darden is President & CEO of Trellis Supportive Care, which provides end of life care services in 13 counties in the NC Piedmont region. She also serves on the NHPCO Public Policy Committee and is a NC representative on the National POLST Task Force. Prior to joining HPCC, Linda held various financial management positions at NC Baptist Hospital, now part of Wake Forest Baptist Health. Linda also worked in public accounting with Ernst & Young and is a licensed CPA in NC. Linda holds a BS in Accounting from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in Health Administration from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Linda believes that TCC has an important role to play in monitoring developments, trends and opportunities across the region and nation and keeping providers informed. She applauds TCC’s educational opportunities on emerging issues and our advocacy on state and national legislation. She looks forward to sharing her insights and helping to guide plans that ensure a broad perspective is being considered. She also looks forward to helping to carry out key initiatives on behalf of TCC.

Caris Healthcare, Columbia, SC

Sylvia Singleton is the Corporate Compliance Officer for Caris Healthcare overseeing compliance for offices in 4 states. She has 22 years of experience as a Registered Nurse along with 15 years in Medicare working for a Medicare Contractor which included communicating directly with the Federal Government - CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). Her experience includes serving as a HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) Coordinator, reviewing medical equipment and assigning HCPCS codes for durable medical equipment (DME) for the Medicare Program. Sylvia worked as a Medical Affairs Coordinator for a Medical Director developing Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) used in 16 states and as a Medical Review Manager. She also has initiated contractor review of Medicare claims for Part A and Part B and Home Health and Hospice.

Wren Hospice, Greer, SC

Heather Burton is a South Carolina native who grew up in Anderson and during high school moved to Greenwood. A graduate of Lander University in 1999 with a Bachelors of Science in Healthcare Management, she went to work at Appalachian Council of Governments in the Ombudsman office. After a year in the Ombudsman’s Office, Heather started working at Healthcare Management Resources as an Administrator in Training, where she received her license as a Nursing Home Administrator. Heather worked in several different upstate facilities getting more than 15 year’s experience as a Nursing Home Administrator. While serving as an Administrator, she gained valuable knowledge of Hospice and a love for the service provided to seniors and their families. After several years as an Administrator, Heather attended North Greenville University where she received a Master’s in Business Administration. Recently, Heather received her Administrator’s License for Assisted Living Facilities. Heather has served as the Executive Director for Wren Hospice since March 2017 leading a team of hospice professionals while branding Wren Hospice’s name in the upstate.

Heather and her husband, Edward, live in Greer with their two boys.

Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC

HospiceCare of the Piedmont, Greenwood, SC

Nancy B. Corley, RN, CHPCA, is CEO of HospiceCare of the Piedmont in Greenwood, SC, a position she has held for 25 years. A graduate of the University of SC, she holds a national certification as a Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator. Nancy has been active in both state and national efforts to improve and support high quality end of life care. She has participated on numerous state hospice committees. She served on the 2 state committee to merge the SC and NC Hospice Associations. In addition to serving on the Board of The Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, she has served as Board Chairperson. Nancy has been active with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and served on the NHPCO Governance Committee. Most recently, she has lead the efforts to establish a successful Palliative Care program in the hospital in her community.

Amedisys, Inc., Garner, NC

Nikimi is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse who is currently the Director of Operations at Amedisys Hospice Care Center #3226. She has logged over ten years of clinical experience in various areas of patient care and in senior leadership including: Emergency Medicine, Psychiatric Nursing, LTAC, Intermediate care, Telemetry, Hospice and Palliative Care, Director of Hospice Services, and Senior Operations Director. Nikimi is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Nursing Practice from Capella University.

South Carolina Hospital Association, West Columbia, SC

Rick Foster, MD, has served over the past 8 years as senior vice president for Quality and Patient Safety with the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). He recently assumed the role of Executive Director for Catalyst for Health, a new business enterprise within SCHA focused on guiding and supporting collective efforts to improve health and healthcare at the population level across SC. He also serves as medical director for LifePoint, the Organ Procurement Organization for South Carolina.

Prior to joining SCHA, Rick served as chief medical officer for Trident Health System in Charleston, S.C.; chief executive officer of the Carolina Health Group, a provider network management company that acted as the management arm for three multi-specialty IPA Networks in the Coastal Region of South Carolina; and as the medical director of Companion Healthcare, the HMO subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.

Dr. Foster received his BS from Clemson University and his MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, S.C., and was in the private practice of family medicine in Surfside Beach and Charleston prior to joining Companion Healthcare. Dr. Foster presently serves on the following Boards: LifePoint, Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, Palmetto Care Connections, and the SC Translational Research Center Community Advisory Board.

Gentiva Hospice, Mid-Atlantic Region

Mark A. Fox, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, is the National Medical Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region of Gentiva Hospice. Prior to assuming this position in the fall of 2015, Dr. Fox was Medical Director of McLeod Hospice and Palliative Care in Florence, SC, for 24 years, excepting 3 years as the Medical Director at CarePartners Hospice and Palliative Care in Asheville. He graduated from Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and completed his residency at the University of Virginia Affiliated Programs, Roanoke, VA. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Fox has served on the Medical Disciplinary Committee, South Carolina Medical Board, and maintains a number of medical affiliations.

Coalition to Transform Advanced Care

Marian Grant is Senior Regulatory Advisor for the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), a policy and marketing consultant for the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), and a palliative care nurse practitioner at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She is adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins Schools of Nursing. In 2014, she was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow. Dr. Grant has served on the board of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, been faculty for ELNEC, the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium, and speaks nationally and internationally on palliative care. Before becoming a nurse, she had a career in marketing at the Procter & Gamble Company and worked on the Max Factor and Cover Girl cosmetics brands.

Grove Park Pharmacy Hospice, Orangeburg, SC

Debbie Hare is the founder and Executive Director/CEO of Grove Park Pharmacy Hospice Care in Orangeburg, SC. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of SC and has served as a hospice executive since 1994. Throughout her tenure with hospice care, she has provided leadership for a non-profit hospital based agency, a large hospice corporation serving four states, and currently a small community based agency. Debbie has been an active member of our two state Hospice Association since 1994, serving on numerous committees, as well as a member of the Board for several terms. Debbie received certification as a Home Care and Hospice Administrator in 1999, and holds a second certification in Hospice Administration.

Duke University Medical Center

Dr. Kimberly S. Johnson is an Associate Professor with Tenure in the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Center for Aging, and Center for Palliative Care at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Her research focuses on understanding and eliminating racial disparities in palliative and end-of-life care. She has published widely and is nationally recognized for her work investigating how cultural beliefs and preferences and organizational practices and policies may influence the use of hospice care by older African Americans. Dr. Johnson is the Director of the Duke Center for Research to Advance Health Care Equity (REACH Equity). The Center focuses on developing and testing interventions to reduce racial disparities by improving the quality of patient-centered care in the clinical encounter.

Prisma Health , Greenville, SC

Angela Orksy is Vice President of Post-Acute Services with Prisma Health. In this position, she has responsibility for System strategy initiatives for post-acute services and operational oversight for eight System-owned entities: home health, hospice, skilled nursing, sub-acute, durable medical equipment, orthotic equipment, senior care (PACE program), and an emergency management service. Her most previous work experience includes tenures with Carolinas HealthCare System as Assistant Vice-President for the Continuing Care Services Division, and with Cleveland County HealthCare System/ Carolinas HealthCare System as Vice President of Palliative Care. Since 2012, she has served as adjunct faculty in the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Graduate Programs at Gardner-Webb University, and in the School of Nursing’s Graduate Program at Western Carolina University.

Angela’s professional education includes degrees from Isothermal Community College, Gardner-Webb University, St. Joseph’s College and Duke University.

Compassus Hospice

Edie Riddlespurger, MSW, LISW-CP began her career in hospice in 2000 where she did her master’s internship with Palmetto Health Hospice and upon graduating with her Master’s degree, joined their full time team as the in-patient hospice social worker. A few short years later she was promoted to the role of Community Educator for Palmetto Heath Homecare Services which included hospice, home health and private duty. In 2003 her family relocated to the Upstate of SC where she joined Spartanburg Regional Hospice and for 9 years held various roles within their organization. Since 2012, Edie has been the Executive Director of Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care. She has also served as an adjunct professor of SW at Limestone College since 2004. Edie comes to The Carolinas Center Board of Directors with 18 years of hospice experience as a social worker, community educator, bereavement counselor, Child Bereavement Coordinator, psychosocial/bereavement supervisor, program developer and Executive Director.

In addition to her passion for Hospice, Edie has two amazing sons. She enjoys baseball, photography, traveling, and spending priceless time with her family.

North Carolina Healthcare Facilities Association, Raleigh NC

Polly has been a Registered Nurse for over 40 years and has a certification as a Gerontological Nurse from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Occupations Education. Polly received her Master of Public Health, Long Term Care Training Continuum, from East Carolina University in 2015. In her current position as Executive Vice President of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, Polly focuses on long term care policy, regulation, and quality issues, serving on many advisory committees, task forces and other government policy collaboratives.

Mountain Valley Hospice, Mt. Airy, NC

Denise Watson, MSN, MBA/HC, BSN, RN, is the Executive Director of Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care, which serves counties in North Carolina and Virginia. She has 20 years of hospice experience in both clinical and administrative capacities, including 15 years in her current position. Her professional and community service in Mount Airy and surrounding counties includes chairperson for the Palliative Care Program at the local hospital affiliate; Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce Board; and Surry Community College Nursing Program Advisory Board

Denise holds a BSN from Winston-Salem State University and an MSN and MBA/HC from the University of Phoenix.

SC AARP, Columbia, SC

Teresa Arnold is the State Director for AARP South Carolina. AARP SC is a membership organization with more than 600,000 members. She has been an advocate at the South Carolina Statehouse in some capacity for 24 years. She is the current chair of the Alliance for a Healthier SC and serves on the leadership team of the SC Behavioral Health Coalition. In addition, she serves on the My Life, My Choices committee, an initiative of the SC Coalition for the Care of the Seriously Ill.

Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, Forest City, NC

Owen began her career with the former Hospice of Rutherford County as Director of Development. In addition to establishing one of the most recognized volunteer programs in the state, she led three separate capital campaigns raising all funds needed for a grief counseling and administrative building, inpatient unit, and a conference center. Owen became a Certified Fundraising Executive in 2003. Owen has written several grants leading to the beginning and expansion of the palliative care, grief counseling, caregiver support and children’s grief programs, all of which continue today.