I am the Senior Program Manager LTC Ombuds for the Harris County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston (Texas). I have 15 years of service with the ombudsman program, dating back to January of 2010, when I initially joined as a volunteer and later served six years as the volunteer coordinator and as a staff ombudsman for Harris County. I later spent two years with the Houston-Galveston Area Council serving as a staff ombudsman covering Fort Bend and Waller Counties, and I returned to lead the program in Harris County in November of 2017.

During my time as an ombudsman, I have enjoyed getting to know thousands of individuals, while learning about their journeys, educating them about rights and options, and helping them resolve a wide range of issues related to long-term care. I have had the honor of giving presentations on the local, state, and national levels on topics including the ombudsman program and role, volunteer recruitment and retention, and various advocacy approaches. I also provide nursing home and assisted living staff in-service training in Harris County, whenever I get the opportunity.