Leadership Team
Administrator – Jarrod Christensen
Jarrod joined the Carmel Hills team originally in 2008 as a CNA when he was making a career change away from finance and into healthcare. The connection he made with residents and families earned him the role as Director of Admissions until 2012. He left the company briefly and in 2015 returned to earn his Administrators license and has been the Administrator of Carmel Hills since October of 2016.
Fortunate to have a talented and tenured staff, he looks to continually enhance the quality of care for the residents we serve.
Away from the facility, Jarrod has been married for 10 years to his wife, Jessica, and together they have a six-year-old daughter, Capri, and a three-year-old son, Catch. Weekends are spent exploring Carmel Valley and wherever the RV may take them.
Carmel Hills was the start of Carole’s nursing career in 2009. She began working as a charge nurse on the floor administering direct patient care. During that time, her growth in clinical care, knowledge of skilled nursing and her ability to connect with her residents made her one of Carmel Hills’ finest nurses. Every day presents a new set of challenges that she welcomes with open arms. In June 2011, Carole became our Assistant Director of Nursing Services. As the ADON, she supported the Director of Nursing with the management of all clinical staff and ultimate oversight of all patient care.
In August of 2012, Carole earned a promotion to our Director of Nursing Services. While she strives for consistency, she realizes nursing is a field requiring extreme flexibility, noting that resident needs and care always trumps meetings or paperwork. As difficult as some days can be, she can go home every night knowing someone’s quality of life was improved because of her actions. There is nothing more rewarding than that.
Carole was born and raised in Pacific Grove. A little-known fact: Dr. Bowersox, once the owner of Carmel Hills Care Center and whose sons, Bob and Kim now own the facility, delivered Carole at Community Hospital. Carole is married with two grown children and three grandchildren. She is an avid Dodgers fan and loves a good book when time allows. For years she was a bookkeeper, but as time went on, she realized she wanted to be more involved in helping others and making a difference. She graduated from Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing in 2009 and has no question that she found her calling in life.
Carole believes that her life has come full circle, having Dr. Bowersox deliver her into this world to now working for the family company. Initially, she chose Carmel Hills for selfish reasons; her mother is a resident here. There’s no better place to work than where she gets to see her mom every day and ensure she has the best care available. When she’s asked, “if you had to put your mom in a facility, which one would you choose?”, Carole can answer that question sincerely. Carmel Hills, of course.
Director of Rehabilitation – Travis Modisette
Raised in Placerville, California, Travis attended CSU East Bay graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Before joining the team at Carmel Hills Care Center in 2012, Travis graduated from the Occupational Therapy Assistant program in 2011 and joined the stroke and cardiac rehabilitation teams at MedStar National Rehabilitation Center in Washington D.C. A trip to Monterey in high school with his girlfriend (now wife of 9 years) planted the seed that brought them back to Monterey 10 years later. Travis spends his time off with his wife, twin boys, and little girl exploring Monterey Bay.
Director of Infection Control – Anna Curcio, RN
Anna graduated with her BSN from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in May of 2018 before relocating to California to escape Midwest winters and be closer to family. The ocean was calling. She fell in love with Monterey the moment she crested that hill and saw the paragliders over Del Monte Beach. Carmel Hills has been home away from home ever since. Originally a charge nurse, Anna has built trust and cultivated a personal relationship with many of the residents. This dynamic has been beneficial in her role as Infection Prevention for the facility. Continuously educating herself on Covid-19, interpreting and implementing the latest guidance from the CDC, CDPH, CMS, and CAHF, as well as testing, and vaccination, Anna works closely with this amazing team to develop policies and practices to keep our staff and residents safe. She is always willing to listen, collaborate, and redirect when necessary to incorporate innovative products and treatments to improve outcomes for both new and chronic conditions in this ever-changing healthcare, yet home-like, environment.
When not at work, Anna lives for visits from her adult daughters, extended family, and friends still living in the Midwest. Trips to the aquarium, walks through the redwoods, coffees on the beach, and enjoying dinners in Carmel, Monterey, and Pacific Grove are among the favorites for entertaining out-of-town guests. Much of her “downtime” in the day-to-day is spent oceanside.
Director of Admissions – Joni Otherson, RN
Born in Texas, Joni moved to Monterey County in 2002 with her husband and three children and has remained a resident since. Prior to entering the nursing field, Joni was trained and employed in Emergency Medical Services, both operating an ambulance and as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Joni decided to advance her career further and in 2014, she graduated at the top of her class from Hartnell College becoming a Registered Nurse. Joni was quickly employed by Carmel Hills Care Center as a charge nurse where she came to love both her patients and her coworkers.
Joni’s advocacy and compassion towards the residents in her care were recognized by way of her twice earning Carmel Hills Employee of the Year award, 2016 and 2018. As the Admissions Nurse and Care Coordinator, Joni is the face of Carmel Hills establishing the first contact many of our residents and families have with us.
Activity Director – Jennie Sandoval-Cook
Jennie has been in her role as Activity Director for 10 years. She started as an Administrative Assistant in 2008 and in 2009 became the Director of Activities. Jennie has over 34 years of diverse experience working in public relations. Prior to joining CHCC, Jennie held positions in HR, Office Manager at P.L. Borgardt and Assoc. and owner/partner of Therapeutic Rehab Hand Center in Fresno, CA.
The activity team is involved with each resident, beginning with the day of admission. The initial activity assessment helps Jennie and her team understand the resident’s likes and dislikes, as well as their interests, and incorporate them into the resident’s care plan. For those who prefer more solitude, the activity team will supply books to read, activities they can do alone as well as Dog Therapy room visits with their Activity canine member, Zofia.
One of the most important things that Jennie wants others to remember is that moving to a nursing home doesn’t change the person. “They are still the same people they’ve been all their lives,” she says, “and they aren’t helpless.” She says she gets as much out of talking to them and learning about their lives as they get from talking to her. They become family, and many of the residents feel the same way about the Carmel Hills Staff.
Passions/Hobbies:
Jennie enjoys surfing Pinterest for activity ideas, cooking recipes and different types of ways to reach residents with cognitive impairment. She is an avid reader and usually has two or three books going at the same time. PBS is my favorite channel as well as HBO for GOT!!! (I can’t help it!)
Director of Environmental Services – Dan Branch
As Director of Environmental Services at Carmel Hills Care Center, Mr. Branch is responsible for general upkeep and maintenance of the building and grounds, the supervision of all housekeeping, laundry and maintenance staff and assuring that the building remains in total compliance with all city, county, state and federal codes. Mr. Branch also handles the receipt of all incoming orders including patient care supplies, cleaning supplies, and specialty equipment. Dan efficiently monitors and tracks all emergency systems including fire and disaster safety preparedness at the facility.
Dan has owned and managed properties for 20+ years having worked on, fixed, built, maintained and replaced just about every piece of equipment that heats, cools, cleans, washes and dries. He knows that in order for a facility to function properly, staff must have the tools needed to get the job done. Whether those tools are clean linens, full oxygen tanks, or beds in good working order, Mr. Branch sees that not only is everything set up correctly, but on a day-to-day basis everything continues to run smoothly.
Above all else, Dan is a resident advocate. He believes our purpose, as employees at Carmel Hills Care Center, is to provide the highest level of care for our residents. Many companies and individuals in the health care services field take shortcuts that, while within guidelines, are not the way the care should be provided. Dan knows the Bowersox family will not take those shortcuts and demands that while providing the highest level of care, our residents deserve a comfortable, clean and properly functioning facility.
Social Services Director – Donne Fajardo
Donne was born in Manila, Philippines, and was raised in Pacific Grove, California. She has been a member of the Carmel Hills Care Center team since April 2007, where she was an outstanding CNA beloved by the residents she served. Having spent more than 10 years experiencing diverse roles in geriatric care, her heart is driven to help seniors in the community. Donne is Designee certified and is currently working towards her Masters in Social Work.
The Director of Social Services primary responsibility is to be the advocate for our residents. Other critical elements of her job are to mediate family social dynamics, facilitating discharges, ensuring our resident whom return home have the necessary supplies and equipment, lining up local home health agency services and coordinating care conferences, to name a few.
Donne’s tireless efforts earned her the 2016 Compassion Award at Carmel Hills.
Business Office Manager – Melanie Tubera
Melanie graduated from San Jose State University in May 2011, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Health Science Administration and a minor in Kinesiology. Melanie has worked for Carmel Hills Care Center since June 2012, where she was the Assistant Director of Rehabilitation. In 2014, she earned the promotion to Business Office Manager.
Melanie’s primary role is to align the finances at Carmel Hills and frequently speaks with residents and their families about insurance coverage, Medicare, Medi-Cal and manages the company’s payroll department. Melanie’s focus and follow-through earned her the 2017 Accountability Award at Carmel Hills.
You can find Melanie competing in various distance running events around Monterey and the Bay Area, having completed several half marathons including the Monterey Bay Half Marathon.
MDS Coordinator – Woo Hong, RN
Woo was born in Korea and moved to the United States in 1990. While in Korea, she attended Sahmyook University where she received her Bachelor of Nursing degree in 1987. In 1997, she earned her RN in California and realized her dream of being a nurse in the U.S. Woo has been married 28 years and has two children in college.
Woo began working at Carmel Hills in 1999 when it was under different ownership and a different name. She was kept on as a charge nurse under the Bowersox family ownership and has truly developed her nursing potential. In 2010, she was promoted to MDS Nurse. In this role, she ensures the compliance, accuracy, and reliability of resident charting done by the nursing staff. She collects this data for use in determining patients’ treatment, compliance with treatment norms and privacy standards and also in supplying information to third parties, such as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and private insurance companies.
Being a nurse is rewarding to Woo by knowing she’s helping those who are having a difficult time, both residents and families. She believes that Carmel Hills, being a family-owned company, really promotes a family atmosphere to the staff for the residents to experience. She began her career as a nurse in the United States at Carmel Hills and appreciates the opportunity provided to her and loyalty shown by the Bowersox family.
Health Information Manager – Hector Salcio
Hector Salcido is the Director of Health Information Management and maintains an accurate clinical documentation record of each resident stay from start to finish, including coordinating visits with the primary care physician. He finds great joy in taking time away from filing and audits to get to know and spend time with residents during their stay.
Hector has worked at Carmel Hills Care Center for over ten years. His experience in several departments, including being a CNA, has resulted in his extensive overall knowledge of the health care facility. He believes the staff at Carmel Hills Care Center is a one of a kind team, promoting individualized and professional care to its residents.
Hector is a Monterey local who enjoys reading and bringing his dog Luna in for visits with the residents.
Director of Staff Development – Robert Fields, LVN
Robert Fields is the Director of Staff Development at Carmel Hills, responsible for the training and education of staff, and oversees the Certified Nursing Assistant staff. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Robert enlisted in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman shortly after graduating high school. While enlisted, he spent time in Okinawa, Japan, San Diego, CA, and Sicily. From emergency rooms to providing health care on a warship to coordinating medical evacuations, Robert acquired a wealth of knowledge and skills during his service. After separating from the Navy in 2016, he lived in San Diego for a couple of years where he received his Vocational Nurse License and an associate degree in Biology for Allied Health.
Relocating to Pacific Grove in 2018, Robert began his career at Carmel Hills as a charge nurse. Ultimately responsible for the care of his residents, Robert would complete his daily tasks such as passing medication, changing dressings, documenting care, and communicating with doctors with ease. He would always take that little bit of extra time to help make sure his residents were happy and satisfied with their care. Easily approachable and constantly calm, Robert helps residents, families, and staff feel comfortable.
When not at work, Robert can be found walking around Pacific Grove with his wife, Sarah, and their German Shepard-Husky mix dog, Berlin.
Director of Dietary – Cheryl Clark
Cheryl Clark’s culinary journey began at The Culinary Institute of America in New York before she honed her craft at the acclaimed Rosewood property, The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. Her talents led her to Hong Kong, where she designed menus and assisted in opening multiple restaurants for a prestigious group. Returning to the U.S., Cheryl became Consulting Chef for an Urban Developer in Orlando before realizing her dream of entrepreneurship with Heirlooms Cafe & Catering and Heirlooms Bistro in Jacksonville. In 2012, she founded Everyday with Chef Cheryl, focusing on wellness, catering, and culinary education.
With a fervent dedication to nutrition and wellness, Cheryl now brings her expertise to Carmel Hills Care Center, eager to enrich residents’ lives through nourishing cuisine and compassionate care. Her journey, marked by a relentless pursuit of culinary excellence and a passion for helping others, sets the stage for Carmel Hills to offer not just meals, but transformative dining experiences that uplift and rejuvenate.