Anita Mancini, LCSW, MBA
Executive Director

Anita Mancini has spent more than 20 years in the behavioral health arena. She spent 16 years at The Holliswood Hospital, becoming Regional Director of Marketing. She also worked at the Corona Elmhurst Guidance Center Day Treatment Program with chronically mentally ill adults and at St. Vincent’s Hospital with chemically dependent patients. Ms. Mancini earned an MSW from the Hunter College School of Social Work and an MBA from Baruch College of the City University. She is also a cofounding member and Secretary of the Health and Business Alliance and a board member of the Alfred Adler Institute.

James C. Schmidt RN, CMC, BSN, MPA
Director of Client Service

James Schmidt has over 25 years of experience in geriatric, home health and hospital care, as well as assisted living. Most recently he was the Administrator and Director of Patient Services for Extended Care Services, a home care agency on Long Island, NY. Prior to that he ran a consulting firm doing home health assessments, was Executive Director of Senior Care Assisted Living, and Director of Patient Services for several home care agencies. He has also worked in Emergency, Coronary and Intensive Care units in hospital settings. James has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Adelphi University, a Masters Degree (MPA) in Health Care Administration from Long Island University. In addition, he has a degree in Surgical Technology, a Professional Nursing License (RN), and is a certified Family Caregiver Instructor.

Thomas E. Christou, LCSW
Director of Professional Relations

Tom most recently worked as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for AstraZeneca, building relationships with key hospital accounts, and serving as a delegate for the American Psychiatric Association and a Customer Solutions Champion. He also was a Medical Sales Rep for Milex Products, Inc. Earlier, Thomas had served as a psychotherapist at the Queens Child Guidance Center, Staten Island Mental Health Society, and Steinway Child & Family Services, providing individual, family, and group therapy and community programs and workshops. He has been in private practice for the last ten years working with anxiety disorders, major depression, personality disorders and family therapy. He obtained a BA degree in Psychology and Sociology from Hunter College and a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Services.

Rita Campmier, RN, CMC
Care Manager

Rita Campmier has more than 20 years experience as a nurse. Before joining SeniorBridge, she was a Nurse Manager for 8 years at Winthrop – University Hospital in Mineola, NY, an RN Care Manager at Sunrise Senior Services, Port Washington, NY and a homecare nurse with the Visiting Nurse Association of Long Island. She received a BSN from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.

Carol DiBella, RN
Care Manager

Carol DiBella joined SeniorBridge in March, 2005. Prior to that she worked for Sunrise Senior Services in Port Washington as a Care Manager, and before that, she spent 10 years at Booth Memorial Medical Center in Flushing, Queens. There she worked as a RN on the medical surgical floors, in pediatrics, and in the ambulatory surgical unit. She earned her nursing credentials at Adelphi University in New York.

Joanna Laplaca, LCSW
Care Manager

Joanna LaPlaca joins our Great Neck office as a Care Manager with more than 10 years' experience as a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. Previously, she was a Case Manager for The Holliswood Hospital's inpatient and outpatient adult psychiatric units. Her focus there was on adult substance abusers and geriatric patients with mental illness. She was also the dedicated social worker for phase III clinical research trials of psychiatric medications and has been a field instructor for master's level social work students at Adelphi. Ms. LaPlaca obtained her MSW from the Adelphi University School of Social Work.

Patricia Mulholland, RN
Consultant

Patricia Mulholland attended Marymount College and is a graduate of St. Clare's Hospital School of Nursing in New York City, bringing 35 plus years of nursing experience to SeniorBridge. After working in various positions at several hospitals, nursing homes, physician's offices and patient's homes, she founded Executive Nurses Registry and then Executive Nurses Home Care, Inc. in Port Washington in 1979. There, she acted as President and Chief Administrator until 2008. Patricia is currently Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Hospice Care Network and a member of the Advisory Board of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation.

Ruth Farrago, CMC
Vice President of Regional Operations

Ruth Farrago has over 20 years of experience in health care administration. She was the Administrator of an inpatient and outpatient comprehensive Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Division at Downstate Medical Centers in Brooklyn. She has an extensive background in home care marketing and management having worked for St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers as the Director of Intake and was then the Branch Manager/Administrator at New York Health Care. Ruth was also the Executive Director of Sunrise Assisted Living of East Meadow where she was responsible for the daily operations of the facility, client and family satisfaction, management of the sales and marketing team and coordinated community outreach and events. Ruth has a Bachelors of Science from SUNY College of Oneonta where she majored in Business Economics and she is currently completing a Masters Degree at Long Island University specializing in Gerontology. Ruth has received her certification in Geriatric Care Management (CMC).