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 and Specialty:
BS, Chemistry and Music, The College of William and Mary
MD, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency, Rush University Medical Center
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Brief Bio:
A native midwesterner, I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, moved all over the east coast and midwest for medical training, before happily landing in Lancaster. Outside of work, my husband and I have two young daughters and are fully immersed in the all-encompassing joys (and challenges) of infant and toddler parenting. In any rare spare time, I enjoy jogging and fitness classes, travel, baking, reading, and choral singing.
Why Pediatrics:
I always knew I wanted to work with children; in fact, as a child myself, I wanted to be either a teacher or a pediatrician when I grew up. I kept an open mind in medical school and considered other specialties, but it took just one day in the pediatrics clinic to figure out that was where I was meant to be. Children are amazing - they are innately resilient, genuine, funny, curious, clever, brave, charming, and empathetic. Being trusted by a child's parent to be their doctor is a true honor, every time.
Favorite quote:
“Love and trust, in the space between what’s said and what’s heard in our life, can make all the difference in the world. ”
― Fred Rogers
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.
Regina McMurtrie, RN
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
Alison Seran, Social Worker
Education and Specialty:
Bachelor of Social Work, James Madison University
Master of Social Work, University of Washington
Pediatric Experience:
Prior to my hospice career, I was a volunteer at a pediatric nursing facility in NJ, volunteer in a special needs classroom in VA, SW Intern at a Center for Independent Living serving adolescents through adults in VA, AmeriCorps VISTA at Shoshone & Arapaho Early Headstart and Headstart Program in WY, and volunteer at Gilda’s Club Seattle’s Camp Sparkle in WA. Since beginning hospice work, I have worked with a handful of pediatric and young adult patients and families over the more recent years before transitioning to the Sunflower Team fulltime.
Why Pediatrics?:
After over 19 years working as a hospice and palliative care social worker primarily with adults, the opportunity to join the Sunflower Pediatric Team presented itself. After learning more about the team, the important work they do, and the special needs and gifts of our pediatric patients, I made the easy decision to start this new chapter of my hospice career.
Meg Shoeman, M Div, Chaplain
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.