Board of Directors

Catherine Clinehens

The Custom Rehab Network

Benicia, CA

Gilbert Herrera

Gilbert Herrera, Vice President Government Affairs – I’ve worked at Shield Healthcare for 16 years. I manage cash collections, utilization management, and government affairs for Shield. I currently serve as the Region D DME Advisory Committee (DAC) Chairperson. I previously served as the President of Pacific Association for Medical Equipment Services (PAMES). For 10 years I worked for Medicare as an Auditor.

Michelle Knowles

Byram Healthcare

Huntington Beach, CA

Thomas (Tony) A. Lewis

New West Medical

Redding, CA

Nadien Menke

Timberlake

Sacramento, CA

Nancy Nittler

SG Homecare

Costa Mesa, CA

George Nour

George Nour was born in 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. Immigrated to the USA in 1983. George lives in Cypress, California with his wife Simona and their three children, Steven, Serafina, and Joseph. 

Education: 
BIOLA University, MA in Organizational Leadership, 2011 
Orange Coast College, Respiratory Therapy, 1994 
California State University, Long Beach, BS in Microbiology, 1987 
Good Shepherd Secondary Institute, Beirut Lebanon, High School Diploma, 1982 

Career: 
Founded and lead Elixair Medical, Inc. 1992 till Present. 

Skills: 
Restoration, Connectedness, Analysis. 

Values: 
Faith in God, Relationships, Growth and Learning.

Kristina Ohrberg

Advanced Pharmacy & Respiratory Care Solutions

Laguna Hills, CA

Paul Ondrusek

Paul Ondrusek is an accomplished professional with a proven track record in sales, management, and community engagement, with 20 years’ experience working in the HME industry. Currently serving as the Western Regional Account Manager for The VGM Group, based in Waterloo, Iowa, Paul oversees relationships with over 300 members throughout the western region of the United States. In this role, he leverages his extensive experience and industry knowledge to drive growth and foster strong partnerships within the home healthcare sector. 

Prior to joining VGM Group, Paul held the position of Regional Manager at The MED Group, headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, where he spearheaded operations and business development initiatives across the western United States. Before that, he served as a Territory Business Manager for Invacare, where he excelled in driving sales and market expansion strategies. Paul's career journey also includes a tenure as Branch Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, where he demonstrated his leadership and customer service skills. 

Paul is a proud alumnus of the University of Akron, where he earned a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Sales and Marketing. During his time at the university, Paul was a four-year letter winner in football, showcasing his dedication and commitment to excellence both in academics and athletics. 

Outside of his professional endeavors, Paul is deeply involved in his community. Since 2009, he has served on the Board of Directors for CAMPs, currently serving as the President of the Board.  Additionally, Paul has been actively engaged with the SWMESA Board and the Big Sky Boards at various points in his career, demonstrating his commitment to making a positive impact at both the local and regional levels. 

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Paul was honored as the Regional Account Manager of the Year by VGM in 2021, a testament to his dedication and leadership within the organization. 

Beyond his professional and community commitments, Paul is an avid runner and actively participates in the running community, reflecting his passion for health and wellness. 

Terry Racciato

Terry Racciato is the Founder and the President of RAC & Assc, DBA SpecialCare (SpecialCare) in San Diego, California. 

Terry started SpecialCare in her garage in 1979 with a BS in nursing, and a minor in business administration and $500.  Initially, she was the sole employee.  Always focused on nurturing and supporting her patients as a nurse, SpecialCare continued to grow in interesting areas based on the needs of its patients and customers.  For instance, SpecialCare provided a fully capitated one stop shop for home health care, DME, and home pharmacy back in the 1980s. 

In 1990, Terry lobbied for a new care category  in California called "Pediatric Day Health and Respite Care".  In such, medically fragile and typical children have an inclusive program that better prepared both groups to be successful in school and in our society, while providing a safe place for medically fragile children when their parents need to work and for respite overnight weekend programs. 

The pediatric day health and respite care centers creation necessitated lobbying for legislation, creating regulations, and ultimately earning federal funding for the program.  Terry is proud of the fact that from those humble beginnings eventually EPSDT federal funding was born.  EPSDT currently provides funding for hundreds of thousands of special needs children throughout the US. 

SpecialCare  is a full service DME including rehab and respiratory specialties.   

 SpecialCare has always has a pediatric focus as well, and has served Rady"s Childrens Hospital for over 35 years. 

For over a decade, Terry has founded and then chaired an interdisciplinary community group of people surrounding medically fragile children.  A grass root effort that has brought together a widely diverse groups such as  the Children"s Hospital, the military family support centers, schools, providers, physicians, Regional Center, and county welfare and child protective services, HART (Health Action Resource Team) has developed a safety net of communication and trust between these entities. 

Terry is frequently asked if the impetus for her dedication to special needs children is because she has a medically fragile child of her own.  Her standard answer to that question is: " Several thousand of them, I just didn"t happen to give birth to them, they are all MY children." 

SpecialCare has been a major provider for TriCare for over 35 years in supporting the active duty, retirees, and dependants of the military.  One of the key beliefs of the Racciato Family Trust is to support the military families, especially when the active duty member is deployed.  Throughout the deployments in the Middle East, for more than a decade, the Racciato family, including their 14 grandchildren , founded and supported The Secret Santa Foundation.  That Foundation provided thousands of those kids a primary Christmas toy such as a bike for over a decade. 

In about 2000, SpecialCare sold its home health agency and home infusion pharmacy to concentrate on their DME business, and a new spin off company called Together We Grow for its pediatric day health and respite centers. 

With the support of a fantastic management team of extraordinary managers and staff at SpecialCare including the next generation of the family business, Terry has had some time freed up to dedicate to legislative activities to advance the cause for the Ca. DMEs and PDHCs. 

Together We Grow is the first and largest pediatric day health and respite care center in California.  Terry currently serves as the President of the California Pediatric Day Health Care Coalition. 

Terry currently serves as the President of the California Association for Medical Suppliers (CAMPS). 

Most recently, CAMPS biggest accomplishment was a successful appeal to CMS to block SPA19-0005, which would have cut the reimbursement rate for MediCal (Ca. medicaid) to 80 % of the medicare competitive bid rate.  Through grass roots efforts and rallying the Ca. DME providers, CAMPS was able to stop that SPA, and the state of Ca. resubmitted it as 80 % of medicare rural rates, making a huge change in the MediCal reimbursement rates, especially for oxygen. 

Terry"s optimism and "I believe that we will win" attitude  has lead the Ca. DME community to really start to function as a collegial industry.  In particular, the grass root efforts throughout the state has changed our view from one of competitors trying to protect our businesses from each other, to one of colleagues trying to work together to provide better access for our patients, including in these days of covid patients being cared for in their own homes as opposed to in the hospital.  Terry believes that with a lot of hard work, DMEs can finally earn the respect of the health care community and earn a "seat at the table" for our contributions. 

Always a "hugger", covid has been exceptionally difficult for her to express her normal nurturing personality. "Bring on 2021, I"m done with 2020, the best is yet to come!" 

David Siegel

David Siegel is the CEO and majority owner of Nationwide Medical, Inc.  David helped transform Nationwide Medical, Inc., from a small family-owned company into a national sleep and respiratory company.  David has primarily focused on the company’s strategic direction, payer contracting expansion, and manufacturer relationships. David currently sits on several industry committees including the Board of Directors at AAHomecare and CAMPS.  David holds an Exemptee license and has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Systems Management from California State University, Northridge. 

Todd Turner

Todd Turner has been involved in the Home Medical Industry for over 23 years.  Since 2007 he has worked for Philips Respironics, a leading manufacturer of Sleep and Respiratory products.  Todd is currently a Regional Sales Director and manages 15 western states.  He works very closely with DME/HME companies throughout California and has been a longstanding advocate for the homecare industry and the role it plays in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. 

Before joining Philips Respironics Todd worked for Pari Respiratory Equipment and a DME company serving Northern California and Nevada.  He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing management. 

Todd and his wife Cyndee live in the Sacramento area of California.  When he is not traveling for work you can find Todd on the golf course, in his RV or spending time with his 7 grandchildren. 

Sarah Wellman

Sarah Wellman is a lifelong California resident who has worked in medical sales for the last 20 years. Sarah has been an Account Manager with McKesson for the past seven years and is passionate about helping patients receive medical supplies they need, while also supporting providers who work tirelessly to serve their patients. She is part of a dynamic team of Account Managers that cover the western part of the US, with a collective goal of supporting patients and providers in the HME market.  Sarah currently resides in Orange, CA with her husband and two sons. She enjoys cooking and going to the beach.