The Hillcrest Durham Leadership Team

From our experienced Leadership Team to our compassionate RN’s, LPN’s, and Certified Nursing Assistants, we all work together as a team with one goal: To provide the best environment, the best care and the best quality of life for our patients and residents. Being the best is why Hillcrest has been the first choice for families that appreciate the value of quality for over sixty years.

Family owned and operated since opening in 1951, Hillcrest is currently managed by the third generation of its founding family. For them, providing elegant care for the older adults of discerning and distinguished families isn’t just a business, it’s a family tradition.

Ted’s Grandmother founded Hillcrest, and Bill’s Grandfather was an equal owner of Hillcrest with the Smith family since 1957. Today Ted is the CEO and Administrator, Val is Assistant Administrator and Bill is the CFO.

Family owned and operated since opening in 1951, Hillcrest is currently managed by the third generation of its founding family. For them, providing elegant care for the older adults of discerning and distinguished families isn’t just a business, it’s a family tradition.

Ted’s Grandmother founded Hillcrest, and Bill’s Grandfather was an equal owner of Hillcrest with the Smith family since 1957. Today Ted is the CEO and Administrator, Val is Assistant Administrator and Bill is the CFO.

Family owned and operated since opening in 1951, Hillcrest is currently managed by the third generation of its founding family. For them, providing elegant care for the older adults of discerning and distinguished families isn’t just a business, it’s a family tradition.

Ted’s Grandmother founded Hillcrest, and Bill’s Grandfather was an equal owner of Hillcrest with the Smith family since 1957. Today Ted is the CEO and Administrator, Val is Assistant Administrator and Bill is the CFO.

To Cynthia, “good enough” is simply NOT good enough. As she explains: “Whatever our residents or rehabilitation patients need – whether clinical or non-clinical, the nursing staff is committed to consistently exceeding expectations.” Her focus on combining excellent care with exceptional service is the ultimate expression of Elegant Care. Cynthia has been at Hillcrest since 1997. She progressed from a Nursing Assistant to Registered Nurse to Care Plan Coordinator prior to becoming Director of Nursing in 2010. Hillcrest has received a 5 Star rating – the highest awarded for quality care every year that Cynthia has been our Director of Nursing.

Natalie believes that short-term patients want to get well and go home as quickly and safely as possible. That’s why, right from the start, she consistently programs every rehab patient for the maximum appropriate therapy so they can make the most progress as quickly as possible. Natalie grew up in Durham and has fond memories of when her grandfather was a resident here at Hillcrest. She is a licensed Speech-Language Therapist with a Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Natalie joined Hillcrest in 2004 as a therapist and was promoted just two years later to Director of Therapy Services.

Daniel sees himself as a problem solver who uses his background and experience as a licensed social worker to help families make the right decision about what’s best for their loved one. Thoroughly familiar with every care option and virtually all of the senior care services in the Durham/Raleigh community, he often offers unique solutions to meet a family’s needs and circumstances. Daniel holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill in addition to a degree in Psychology with a focus on Aging. Daniel has been at Hillcrest since 1999. First serving in the Social Services Department and since 2002 as the Admission’s Director.

One of the many benefits of Hillcrest is that we have our own full-time, in-house licensed pharmacist. Harris is here Monday thru Friday, 8AM to 5PM providing clinical reviews of patients’ medication regimens while working directly with physicians and Hillcrest nursing staff. Hillcrest is the only nursing facility in North Carolina with its own pharmacist and pharmacy. Harris is a Registered Pharmacist with a BS from UNC Chapel Hill. His background includes twelve years at Eckerd Corporation as well as many years working in his family’s own pharmacy prior to coming to Hillcrest in 2005. He believes that being an integral part of the care team with personal knowledge of each resident is the key to safe and effective medication management.

Olivia is a licensed Clinical Dietitian and Nutritionist, serving as Hillcrest’s Registered Dietitian since 2014. Graduating Summa cum laude majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics, she also has extensive experience working with the specific needs of the geriatric population. In fact, she attends weekly care plan meetings so residents’ diets can properly support any health changes.

Emily sees herself as responsible to support the emotional needs – not only of the resident, but of their family members as well. She takes a personal interest in helping residents adjust to the realities of aging and life at Hillcrest. She believes in “getting everyone on the same page” in terms of setting realistic goals and expectations. Emily holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill. Her experience includes management positions in a non-profit organization providing in-home senior care services. Emily has been Hillcrest’s Director of Social Services since 2007.

The key to a successful activities program is participation. Jackie is very successful at getting residents to participate because she does her homework. Upon admission she meets with each resident (and their family) to learn about his or her background, interests and capabilities. Based on those meetings, a personalized activities program is created. The result: more residents participate in activities and enjoy the important benefits of stimulation and socialization that activities provide. Jackie began her career at Hillcrest in 1997, and has been Activities Director since 2006. Her one-to-one care experiences provide invaluable lessons on how to create activities programs that attract and satisfy residents.

Roxanne was hired in 2009 to lead Hillcrest into the era of electronic patient management. Prior to Hillcrest, Roxanne was employed by Dixon Hughes to implement and train facilities throughout the Southeast in the use of electronic clinical software programs and systems. In fact, Roxanne consulted with Hillcrest on many projects before expressing her interest in being a part of the Hillcrest Team. Thanks to Roxanne, Hillcrest is one of the few skilled nursing facilities in the Triangle community to provide our patients and residents with the safety and care benefits of a fully integrated electronic patient care capability.

Chief Petting Officer…she really runs the show!