Caring for the Community Since 1980

Ron Cottrell

President & Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Cottrell previously worked as Vice President of Business Development, Blue Ridge Region of Sentara Healthcare, serving Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital (Charlottesville) and Sentara RMH Medical Center (Harrisonburg). During his time at Martha Jefferson Hospital, Mr. Cottrell also worked as Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Planning and Corporate Development. Mr. Cottrell is the incoming chair of the Board for the Virginia Association for Hospice and Palliative care and is a board member for the Martha Jefferson Hospital, Physician/ Hospital Organization; and has been chair of the Board of the Martha Jefferson Outpatient Surgery Center; former chair of Physical Therapy at ACAC; Ron has served as chair, Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development and has been on the Board of the Charlottesville/Albemarle Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Cottrell graduated from Central Michigan University and received a Master’s of Business Administration degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Mr. Cottrell and his wife, Dawn, live in Charlottesville and have four sons.

Alina Fomovska

MD, HEC-C

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Alina Fomovska joined Hospice of the Piedmont in January 2023 as a Medical Director, and was promoted to Chief Medical Officer in June 2023. She is a dual-board certified physician specializing in both Emergency Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is committed to promoting excellent end-of-life care across all patient care settings. She has a strong academic experience in medical education, teaching at both Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education levels. Prior to coming to Hospice of Piedmont, Dr. Fomovska served as an Assistant Professor at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her academic focus is on the ethics of end-of-life care, and she is Healthcare Ethics Consultant certified by the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities. She is a graduate of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. In 2020, she completed a Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the University of Virginia.

Patti Dewberry

BSN, RN, CHPN

Chief Clinical Officer

Ms. Dewberry joined Hospice of the Piedmont as a Clinical Services Manager and has held several other roles with the organization. She is a Six Sigma Green Belt and holds certifications in Case Management and Geriatric Case Management. Ms. Dewberry brings two decades of nursing leadership to Hospice of the Piedmont, with the majority of her career focused on designing, implementing, and overseeing innovative programs to help seniors retain their independence and age in place. Prior to joining Hospice of the Piedmont, Ms. Dewberry was the Director of Clinical Operations for Locus Health in Charlottesville, VA (2013-2018), and United HealthCare/Optum in Long Beach, CA (2004-2013). Patti earned her BSN through Western Governors University and is currently pursuing her MSN in Management and Leadership, also through Western Governors University. She lives in Charlottesville and in her spare time enjoys exploring Virginia with her husband and daughter, and is an aspiring fiber artist.

Jennifer Kincaid

Chief People Officer

Ms. Kincaid brings more than 30 years of experience in human resources to her role, having worked in various industries, including behavioral and mental health, higher education, and manufacturing. She graduated with honors from Columbia Southern University with a BS Business Administration/Human Resource Management. Ms. Kincaid is a member of Omega Nu Lambda – National Honor Society and Sigma Alpha Pi – National Society of Leadership and Success. Ms. Kincaid is married with a daughter and enjoys spending time with family doing various outdoor activities.

Lois Pearson

Director of Business Development

Ms. Pearson previously served as project manager for Alliant Techsystems. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has held numerous roles at Hospice of the Piedmont. When not working, Ms. Pearson enjoys spending time with her three children and four grandchildren, as well as tending to her herb and flowers gardens.

Jenn Downs

Chief Marketing and Development Officer

Ms. Downs joined Hospice of the Piedmont in 2022. She brings more than 15 years of marketing and development experience to the organization. Previously, Ms. Downs served as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Sentara Blue Ridge Region and prior to that was a news reporter and producer for NBC29 in Charlottesville. Ms. Downs has a strong and insightful understanding of the community we serve. As part of the Hospice of the Piedmont family, she is pleased to be able to help those in our community understand the services provided by the organization, and the tangible benefits and support that Hospice of the Piedmont provides for both patients and their families at the end of life. In addition, Ms. Downs understands the importance of the complementary services the organization can offer thanks to generous community philanthropy. She’s committed to stewarding the gifts the organization receives and ensuring philanthropy provides an ongoing meaningful impact to patients, families, and the greater community. Ms. Downs graduated from the University of Virginia. She also is a graduate of the The Advisory Board Fellowship and Leadership Charlottesville. Ms. Downs and her husband live in Crozet with their two sons. In her free time, she enjoys distance running, biking and exploring the great trails and wineries and breweries our area has to offer. Ms. Downs can be reached at jenn.downs@hopva.org.

Alina Fomovska

MD, HEC-C

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Alina Fomovska joined Hospice of the Piedmont in January 2023 as a Medical Director, and was promoted to Chief Medical Officer in June 2023. She is a dual-board certified physician specializing in both Emergency Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is committed to promoting excellent end-of-life care across all patient care settings. She has a strong academic experience in medical education, teaching at both Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education levels. Prior to coming to Hospice of Piedmont, Dr. Fomovska served as an Assistant Professor at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her academic focus is on the ethics of end-of-life care, and she is Healthcare Ethics Consultant certified by the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities. She is a graduate of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. In 2020, she completed a Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the University of Virginia.

Angela Stiltner

MD, CPE, HMDC, FAAHPM

Senior Medical Director

Dr. Angela Stiltner joined Hospice of the Piedmont in 2011 as Associate Medical Director, was promoted to Medical Director in 2012, and promoted again to Senior Medical Director in 2014. She is board-certified in Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The Hospice Medical Director Certification Board awarded her the Hospice Medical Director credential in recognition of her commitment to improving patient quality of life by displaying professional competency in the hospice industry. In November 2018, Dr. Stiltner earned the designation of Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 2000, she completed the UVA-affiliated Family Medicine residency program and Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at Carilion Health System in Roanoke, Virginia. Before joining Hospice of the Piedmont, she was an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of General Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care at UVA from 2004 until 2010. She is currently a University of Virginia Visiting Associate Professor of Family Medicine. In 2022 she earned the prestigious Certified Physician Executive (CPE) credential, which indicates a physician has achieved superior levels of professional excellence and management education while also demonstrating effective healthcare industry knowledge and leadership skills. She is the immediate past President of the Albemarle County Medical Society and serves on the Executive Board.

Will Anderson

MD, HMDC

Medical Director

In 2000, Dr. Anderson left an office-based general internal medicine practice to provide high-quality, personalized, facility-based health care to a limited number of geriatric patients. In addition to providing this concierge practice in facilities, he made a limited number of house calls to independent patients. The overarching purpose of this model of care was to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions, thereby improving quality of life for patients and families. While working in the solo geriatric practice, he worked part-time as a medical director for a hospice. From this experience, he first learned how much better an interdisciplinary team could deliver holistic end-of-life care than the physician-centered model. Dr. Anderson became certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in October 2012. Since August 2013, he has been a full-time hospice medical director. Since February 2016, he has also directed the development of a palliative care program and its integration with the established hospice program of a community healthcare system. Dr. Anderson attended Yale University for his undergraduate degree, then went to University of Virginia for medical school. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Bioethics from Columbia University, with a concentration in Global Ethics.

Rebecca Burke

MD

Medical Director

Dr. Rebecca Burke is a part-time Associate Medical Director for Hospice of the Piedmont. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency training at Duke University. After working as a hospitalist for four years, she completed a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Following this, she worked as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Rutgers University and provided palliative care services at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

Michael Dobson

MD

Medical Director

Michael S. Dobson, MD, is board certified in family medicine as well as hospice and palliative medicine. Born and raised in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada, a small mining town, he studied art history and biochemistry at Queen’s University and then medicine at Saba University. Michael did a residency in rural family medicine at the University of Nebraska and then a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at the University of Virginia. His interest in hospice and palliative medicine started just before medical school when he volunteered at the Kensington Hospice House in Toronto, Ontario.

Simran Mann

MD

Medical Director

Dr. Simran Mann joined Hospice of the Piedmont as Associate Medical Director in August 2020. A board-certified Internal Medicine physician with Hospitalist experience, Dr. Mann came to Hospice of the Piedmont with an interest in a more holistic patient care approach. Dr. Mann previously served as an internal medicine hospitalist at various hospitals including Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA, Southcoast Hospital Group in New Bedford, MA, and Signature Health Brockton Hospital in Brockton, MA. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and went on to get her doctorate from Ross University School of Medicine, in Dominica, West Indies. She has completed her hospice and palliative medicine fellowship, as well as her ACGME internal medicine residency. At Hospice of the Piedmont, Dr. Mann will care for patients and families to maximize the quality of life when patients are facing life limiting illness.

Ashleigh Bergstrom

MSN, RN, FNP-BC, ACHPN

Nurse Practitioner

Ashleigh Bergstrom became a part of the Hospice of the Piedmont team in 2015. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from the College of William and Mary, and her Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Virginia. She worked as a nurse with the University of Virginia Health System in geriatrics and palliative care before returning to UVA to complete her post-Master’s certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a clinical instructor with the UVA School of Nursing and a board member of Camp Holiday Trails, a camp for children with special health needs.

Lauren Demarest

MSN, NP, ACHPN

Nurse Practitioner

Lauren Demarest, MSN, NP, ACHPN, previously worked as a nurse practitioner with One Community Hospice and Palliative Care, in Parkville, Miss. She has worked as an NP for hospices and in internal medicine and surgery at practices and organizations in Georgia, Hawaii, Ohio, and North Carolina. Ms. Demarest has her Master of Science in Nursing, Adult and Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, from University of Cincinnati, and her bachelor degree in Nursing in Psychology from University of Missouri.

Sarah Brown

MSN, RN, NP-C

Nurse Practitioner

Sarah Brown earned her bachelors in nursing at York College of Pennsylvania and then worked for 10+ years in acute care settings. She then achieved her FNP degree at Marymount University and subsequently worked for 7 years in internal medicine, primarily with geriatrics in long-term-care settings.

Sally Koch

MSN, RN, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Virginia. She previously worked at the UVA Medical Center as an RN in cardiothoracic surgery and in the acute care float pool.

Betty Strawhorn

MSN APRN, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Betty Strawhorn comes to Hospice of the Piedmont with more than 20 years of experience as a registered nurse. Ms. Strawhorn previously served in the dual role of nurse practitioner and RN case manager for Kindred Hospice Care. She has worked in hospice care since 2006. She received her advanced practice RN certificate in Palliative Care from California State University. She also has her Master of Nursing – APRN, FNP, degree from University of South Carolina, her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing, and her Associates degree in Applied Science in Nursing from Wallace College, Dothan, Ala.

Elizabeth Cobb

DNP, FNP-C

Nurse Practitioner

Elizabeth Cobb joined Hospice of the Piedmont in 2022 after practicing for 19 years as a Nurse Practitioner in Family Practice. For the past seven years, Elizabeth’s clinical area of focus as a Nurse Practitioner was skilled nursing and rehabilitation in the long-term care setting. Ms. Cobb received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia School of Nursing. She spent several years as a Registered Nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at the University of Virginia Health System. She then completed her Master of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Virginia School of Nursing. Elizabeth also holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Francis Ansa

MD

Dr. Ansa moved from Providence, Rhode Island, to Charlottesville in 2008 to start working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital (SMJH). Subsequently, he was appointed as the Medical Director of the ICU. A native of Ghana, where he completed medical school, Dr. Ansa has been a resident of the U.S. for 25 years. He came to the United States to pursue postgraduate studies at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore and at Brown University. Dr. Ansa has served on several committees at SMJH and is a member of the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, whose purpose is to improve the quality of life within the community and advocate eliminating the achievement gap of African American male students through mentoring. Dr. Ansa currently lives in Charlottesville with his wife and children.

Cathy L. Campbell

MD

Dr. Cathy L. Campbell is an Associate Professor at University of Virginia’s School of Nursing and an ordained Buddhist chaplain. Her area of research focuses on increasing access to palliative care for vulnerable and under-served people, community-based advanced care planning, and spiritual care for transgender elders at end of life. As a Fellow in UVA’s Center for Global Health, Dr. Campbell has served as a mentor for research experiences for an interprofessional team of undergraduate and graduate students from the US in South Africa and Thailand. Most recently she completed a project as a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand, where her work explored the role of lay health workers and professional nurses providing care palliative care in rural communities. Her scholarly work and research have been published and presented to audiences in the U.S. and internationally.

Abby Denby

Abby obtained her Associate Degree in Nursing from Piedmont Virginia Community College in 2001, her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Old Dominion University in 2008, and her Master’s degree at the University of Virginia with a focus on Health Systems Management in 2015. Currently employed with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital as a Director of Patient Care Services, she also received her DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) from James Madison University. Abby began her nursing career at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System on the orthopedic/trauma unit but has been employed at Sentara Martha Jefferson since 2001. Specialty areas include wound/ostomy care, orthopedics, and general medical-surgical nursing. When Abby is not working she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchild playing tennis, riding horses, or any outdoor activities.

Lynne Fleming

Lynne Fleming is a retired Associate University Counsel for the University of Virginia where she provided legal advice to the UVA Medical Center. Previously, she served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Virginia Office of the Attorney General and advised Virginia’s health regulatory boards and the Department of Behavioral Health. Lynne earned her B.A. at Mount Holyoke College, a Ph.D. in psychology from Syracuse University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Gaby Laufer

Gaby Laufer a native Israeli is a retired UVA professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and also the CEO and President of Avir Sensors, a UVA spinoff which he founded. He was the president of the Congregation Beth Israel from 2011-2013. In 2018 he published a book, A Survivor’s Duty, describing his father’s holocaust survival in the Hungarian forced labor battalions and in a German concentration camp. He is currently serving at SCORE as a certified mentor and a volunteer to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Gary Lee

Gary Lee is a retired Certified Public Accountant and a retired Principal with Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C. He was the manager of Culpeper-based practice from 1981 until 2013 and concentrated in the areas of estate/trust taxation; planning and administration; construction accounting and taxation; small business and individual taxation and consulting. Mr. Lee received the 2014 Outstanding Citizen Award from the Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce in 2014 and in 2013 received the Community Service Award from the Boy Scouts of America’s National Capital Area Council. He attended Virginia Tech and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business with Accounting Major. He was a member of Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma. Mr. Lee is married with two sons and four grandchildren. His interests include American history, antique collecting, golf, and the outdoors.

Chris Little

In 1997 Chris founded Dominion Digital (now SingleStone), a Richmond-based technology consulting firm, with the specific purpose of building an exceptional place to work. Since then SingleStone has been recognized regularly as a Best Place to Work, in tandem with excellent client satisfaction and community involvement. In 2017, Chris transitioned from the CEO role to consult with other business leaders and organizations who want to improve workplace culture in pursuit of excellent employee and customer experiences. A native of Ireland, Chris has B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Scranton and is a graduate of GE’s Financial Management Program. He has served on multiple non-profit boards, at present the Virginia Institute of Autism and Hospice of the Piedmont. He lives in Charlottesville with his wife Tori and their three children.

Neil Mairs

Neil Mairs, of Culpeper, VA, is the President of Solutions Recruiting, Inc., a national executive search firm that he started in 2001. Mr. Mairs is also an adjunct marketing professor at Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, VA, and has a 30-year career in marketing, sales, and management. He received his BA in Economics and MBA in Marketing/Finance from the University of Rochester in New York. Mr. Mairs joined the Hospice of the Piedmont Board of Directors in 2014.

Jeanne McCusker

Jeanne McCusker has owned Home Instead Senior Care, which is dedicated to helping seniors remain independent as they age, in Charlottesville since 2003. Ms. McCusker previously worked in the medical technology and information technology fields. Ms. McCusker is a graduate of Leadership Charlottesville and currently also serves on the board of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s in marketing. An avid nature lover, she loves to hike, ride horses, and garden.

Christopher Murray

Christopher Murray retired in 2014 as the Business Development Director for JABA (Jefferson Area Board for Aging), where he developed affordable housing for seniors. He continued that passion in 2016 developing Carlton House, a 10-room boarding house for extremely low-income persons, engineering the sale of it to Casa Alma (the Catholic Worker House) in December 2021. After 35 years in the private sector, as a product designer in the furniture manufacturing business and holder of three US patents, he ended that phase of his career starting The Children’s Furniture Co where he developed products that enable children’s day care to partner with nursing homes. His current initiative is launching a natural burial ground (or green cemetery) at his family’s Panorama Farms in Earlysville. He has a BA in English from Washington & Lee University and an MFA in furniture design from Virginia Commonwealth University. A life-long Charlottesville resident he is married with two grown children and three grandchildren.

Scott Syverud

MD

Dr. Syverud attended college at Michigan State University and medical school at Syracuse. He trained in Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and joined the faculty of the University of Virginia in 1992. Dr. Syverud has worked in the Emergency Department of UVA for the last three decades.

Peyton Taylor, Jr.

MD

Dr. Taylor, the Richard N. and Louise Crockett Professor Emeritus, retired from clinical practice in December 2011. Since retirement, he has remained active in the Division. He serves as the Medical Director of the TeleColposcopy Program, is an active participate in the Gyn Oncology Tumor Board, and serves as a professional consultant in Gynecologic Oncology. He completed his Residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and his Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Virginia after spending two years in Surgical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Taylor continues his involvement in East Africa, providing consultation in surgical training programs and investigations related to early detection of cervical cancer. Dr. Taylor was on the original Board of Directors of Hospice of the Piedmont, and rejoined the board in August 2017.

Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas is a CPA who currently serves as a fractional CFO with small or emerging companies in industries ranging from software consulting to medical devices to not for profits. Previously, she served as CFO of a NASDAQ-listed company and co-founded a company where she was responsible for all aspects of finance, accounting, and administration. She currently serves on the boards of The Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia and Building Goodness Foundation. She is a past president of the Junior League of Charlottesville and has served as treasurer of the Association of Junior Leagues International. Ms. Thomas spent 14 years with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and holds a B.B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

Judy Tobin

Judy Tobin most recently served as the Executive Director, Martha Jefferson Medical Group, from February 2006 until July 2013. Prior to that role, she was the Director of Martha Jefferson Medical Enterprises since April 1997. She has a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and has held numerous roles in business accounting over the course of her career.