BMNO Agencies

BMNO brings together organizations that have a long history of serving and advocating on behalf of older adults and caregivers in Illinois. Experienced social workers comprise BMNO’s leadership. BMNO includes hospitals, community-based organizations in the Aging Network, a large urban medical center and medical school, and a health policy research think-tank:

• Aging Care Connections
• Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
• Rush University Medical Center
• Shawnee Alliance of Shawnee Health Service
• Solutions for Care
• University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health

Each BMNO member agency has key staff who are involved in the continual development, evaluation, and dissemination of the Bridge Model:

• Aging Care Connections
  • Debra Verschelde, MA, LSW, Executive Director
  • Louise Starmann, MSW, LSW, Social Services Director
  • Jessica Grabowski, LSW, Aging Resource Center Program Manager*
• Shawnee Alliance, Social Service Division; Shawnee Health Service
  • Carol Aronson, Division Director
• Solutions for Care
  • Deborah Sitz, RN, MS, Executive Director
• Rush Health and Aging at Rush University Medical Center
  • Robyn Golden, MSW, Director
  • Madeleine Rooney, MSW, Liaison, Transitional Care
  • Walter Rosenberg, LSW, Manager, Transitional Care*
• University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health and Center for Research on Health and Aging
  • Susan Altfeld, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor
• Health and Medicine Policy Research Group
  • Phyllis Mitzen, MSW, Consultant, Center for Long-term Care Reform
  • Sharon Post, Director, Center for Long-term Care Reform
  • Renae Alvarez, MPH, Policy Analyst*

* designates members of the BMNO Program Management Team, who manage communications, replication efforts, and the Bridge Model Collaborative