Amber Evans, MA, LCMHC, R-DMT, CDP
Director of Memory Care and Resident Engagement Services for LCB Senior Living
Keynote Speaker
Amber Evans is the Director of Memory Care and Resident Engagement Services for LCB Senior Living. She oversees all aspects of the company’s renowned and award-winning Reflections Memory Care program. LCB ‘Reflections’ Program is the recent recipient of the Alzheimer’s Associations’ Corporate Champion of the Year award for 2022, for their incredible work in the industry serving residents and families, as well as their work around education and resource guidance around dementia. Amber supports Reflections Memory Care in all aspects, including developing programming, standards, ensuring quality, training associates at all communities, and working with individual residents and their families. She also oversees the Resident Engagement program for Assisted and Independent Living within all LCB communities, supporting the enrichment of LCB residents’ social, emotional, physical, and cognitive lives.
Amber is also a Board Certified Dementia Educator through the National Institute for Dementia Education and serves on their Standards Of Excellence Council as NIDE’s Vice Chair of Education and Outreach. Amber provides quality and comprehensive training and education to health care professionals, and beyond. Amber’s passion is working with residents, care givers, families and support associates, to provide high quality of life, dignity and purpose, amidst a dementia diagnosis, while bringing forth creative ways for families and caregivers to work with loved ones with dementia, instilling hope and fruitful living.
Presenters
Dr. Chuang-Kuo Wu, MD, PhD
Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center at Rhode Island Hospital
Chuang-Kuo Wu, MD, PhD is director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center at Rhode Island Hospital. He is a professor of neurology in the teaching scholar track at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Wu received his Doctor of Medicine degree from China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan, and his doctor of philosophy degree in behavioral neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in dementia/behavioral neurology at the San Diego VA Medical Center/University of California San Diego. He is board-certified in neurology and vascular neurology, and in the subspecialty of behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry. Dr. Wu’s research interests center on medications and other therapies to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. The recipient of several awards and distinctions, Dr. Wu is a reviewer for the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. He is a fellow of the American Neurological Association and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Society for Neuroscience, and the Taiwan Neurological Society.
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Lisa Wasson, RN, CHPN, CMDCP
Clinical Educator with HopeHealth
Lisa Wasson RN, CHPN, CMDCP is a Clinical Educator with HopeHealth. She draws on her experience as a hospice and palliative case manager to develop educational presentations for new and existing clinicians of all disciplines. Prior to transitioning to hospice care, Lisa worked as an Occupational Therapy Assistant in the home health arena.
Peter J Snyder, PhD
Professor, Dept. of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
The University of Rhode Island
Professor Peter J. Snyder is an internationally renowned expert on the early detection of Alzheimer's disease in high-risk individuals. He has managed an active research program for over 25 years, with nearly 200 hundred publications and hundreds of presentations at international scientific conferences. Dr. Snyder is the founding editor-in-chief for one of the three scientific journals of the Alzheimer's Association, and he has long-served the association and the National Institutes of Health on various committees and task forces. His most recent research centers on the discovery of novel markers of AD risk by imaging the retina in the eye, he is a consultant to a number of pharmaceutical companies that are developing new treatments for the disease. Dr. Snyder has most recently served as the Vice President for Research at the University of Rhode Island, where he is a professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.
Stephanie Culhan, BA
Director of Behavioral Health Unit at Charlesgate Nursing Center
Stephanie holds a BA in psychology and her focus is older adults with behavioral health issues and dementia. Stephanie has been a case manager, prison discharge planner, director of social services, and behavioral health liaison. With over 30 years of experience in nursing homes, elder care, prison discharge planning, behavioral health and community services, Stephanie has established and maintained a strong network of contacts. Stephanie has a passion for healthcare and mental health and her career is dedicated to removing the stigma related to mental health and ageism.
Robert Wroblewski, BA
Business Development Manager for Treece Financial Group
As Business Development Manager for Treece Financial Group, Robert meets with clients to position investment and advisory solutions. Robert is a seasoned financial service professional with over 15 years of wealth management experience working with individuals, families, and businesses. He is a graduate of St. Anselm College and has worked in the financial services industry with Northwestern Mutual in Providence, Santander Bank, and TD Bank. For the past 8 years, Robert has been a member of Team Treece where he oversees client development, hires for the practice, and coordinates educational seminars for appreciation and community outreach.
He holds Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations, and life, health, and long-term care insurance licenses with Cetera Advisors.
Athena Lavoie, BA
Outreach Coordinator for the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital
Athena Lavoie has been an Outreach Coordinator at the Memory and Aging Program for 5 years. She provides Alzheimer’s disease education and resources in the community and
assists researchers recruiting participants for studies. Her focus is providing information on studies for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and matching eligible participants with the study that is right for them using the Butler Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry. Athena also manages a team of volunteers called the “Swab Squad” and coordinates events offering a simple cheek swab to test for the Alzheimer’s risk gene, APOE4. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams University in Communications and has a background in event management.
Terry Fogerty, BS
Community Outreach Coordinator at Rhode Island Hospital
Terry is responsible for community relations, education, and recruitment for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center at Rhode Island Hospital. She has been working with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) clinical trials teams to advance new treatments and prevention measures for AD and related dementias for the past 8 years and is dedicated to spreading the message of hope through research for those living with and at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Geraldine Mitchell, BA
Alzheimer's Association Community Engagement Coordinator
Geraldine Mitchell is the Diversity Community Engagement Coordinator for our Rhode Island Chapter. She provides guidance to the Association and identifies best practices to support the Hispanic and African-American populations in Providence, Central Falls and Pawtucket that have been impacted by Alzheimer's, related dementias and increase overall awareness of the disease. Geraldine earned a bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Puerto Rico and became a Certified Community Health Worker in the state of Rhode Island. With over 11 years of experience working with high-risk populations and marginalized communities, Geraldine has applied her leadership skills in health literacy and education in settings such as schools, primary care and specialty medicine, health insurance companies, hospitals, community-based organizations and universities. She believes in the power advocacy marginalized communities have to bring change by developing leaders among the residents.
Brett Brumbaugh, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist at CareLink
Brett is an occupational therapist at CareLink, with 22 years of experience helping adults with chronic illnesses and diseases, including Alzheimer’s. Specializing in Skills2Care, an evidenced-based treatment for people living with dementia and their caregivers, Brett uses her training and experience to provide families with knowledge, skills, and support to effectively manage the many challenges of caring for persons with dementia living at home.
Karen Benson, Esq.
Attorney at Law, Private Practice
Karen Benson is an attorney in private practice. Her practice is focused on environmental law and land use matters, as well as estate planning.
Originally from CT, she came to RI in 1976 to attend Roger Williams. After finding an apartment in Newport for the Summer, she called her mom & told her that she had found her new home. Apart from a few years spent sailing she has lived in RI ever since. Her love of the ocean is one reason that this is her home. A perfect Summer day for her would be on the boat, birding, swimming, and gathering clams or mussels. Then cooking the harvest for dinner with friends & family.
Annie Cerullo, APRN
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator and Psychometrician at Rhode Island Mood and Memory Research Institute
Anne Cerullo MSN, APRN is the Senior Clinical Research Coordinator and Psychometrician at Rhode Island Mood and Memory Research Institute.
She has over 40 years of experience caring for individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and 25 years working in Alzheimer's Research.
Cole Robinson, BA
Certified Laughter Yoga Leader
Cole Robinson has been a Laughter Yoga Leader since last year but has run multiple sessions virtually and in person. He regularly co-facilitates Laughter Yoga sessions for the Providence Laughter Club alongside his mentor and muse, Larry O'Brien. Cole frequently runs Laughter Yoga sessions for community members of diverse backgrounds. He's a teacher at The MET High School in Providence, RI; currently working with 10th graders, and has been an educator for over a decade.
Larry O'Brien
Certified Laughter Yoga Leader
Larry O’Brien has been an active laughter yogi for over fifteen years and a certified laughter Yoga leader since 2014. He is a retired technical recruiter and college writing instructor, a father of three, and a grandfather of eight.
Larry was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1978 and knows first hand how laughter can help in stressful situations.