Sally S. Friedman, MSW
Executive Director

Sally has diverse, extensive experience as an administrator and social worker in elder living communities. Most recently, she served as Assisted Living Administrator for the Jewish Association on Aging (JAA), managing two AL communities and planning for continuity of care. Earlier Sally had been the Administrator of one of them, Weinberg Terrace, where she was noted for creating an inviting open community. She has also been Administrator at Harvest Hill, a retirement community in Lebanon, NH, and a Social Worker at its affiliated Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital and Extended Care Facility. She has worked as Community Partners Coordinator for the Upper Valley Support Group, Lebanon, providing respite care for families of children with special needs. She earned a BS and an MSW at Syracuse University, and studied French at the University de Lausanne. In her spare time, she volunteers at Forbes Hospice and with the Palliative Care Committee at JAA and the Pennsylvania Coalition on Culture Change.

Deanna Ferrella, RN
Care Manager

Deanna's was previously a Registered Nurse at Asbury Heights in Mt. Lebanon, where she assessed and implemented care plans, and educated patients on skilled nursing, intermediate and dementia units. Before that, she was Nurse Supervisor in charge of quality assurance and infection control at the Ronald Reagan Atrium I in Pittsburgh, a 160-bed long-term care facility. Her responsibilities included supervision and management of the facility, assessment, and staff development and education. Deanna also served as Registered Nurse for Triage and Back Office Coordinator at Mercy Hospital's Primary Care Network, providing nursing care for a multiple-site Internal Medicine practice, assessment and patient care plans and education. She received her Registered Nurse license after competing training at the Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing in McKees Rocks and studied at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh.

Martha L. Kwalwasser, MSW
Care Manager

Martha has been involved in senior care and healthcare management for 29 years. She has been the Program Director of Senior Services at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh for the past 18 months, which includes the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging Senior Center, and a member of the AgeWell Pittsburgh service collaboration. Prior to this, she was Executive Director of The Residence on Fifth, and before that, she was Personal Care Home Administrator at the Assisted Living Residence at Weinberg Village of the Jewish Association on Aging. She has also been Director of Care Management, Director of Social Work, Director of Admissions, and Geriatric Social Worker for the Riverview Center for Jewish Seniors, a nursing facility. Her BA in Sociology/Human Services was obtained at Arcadia University in Glenside, PA, and she earned a Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center in LA. Martha has a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, is a licensed Social Worker in the State of Pennsylvania and is a state licensed Personal Care Home Administrator.

Marilyn W. Long
Care Manager

Marilyn began her career as a 4th-grade teacher in the Ipswich, Massachusetts public schools, taught children at St. Edmund's Academy in Pittsburgh and also taught adults for over 10 years. In 2001 she devoted herself to care management work, working as a Social Service Assistant at Sterling Care Counseling, a provider of eldercare services that had been acquired by SeniorBridge. Marilyn received her Bachelor of Science degree from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.

Jean M. Miller, RN, MEd.
Care Manager

Jean has been with SeniorBridge for 6 years. Prior to that, she was a Staff Nurse at the Lawson Nursing Home in Jefferson, PA. She was with the Veterans Affairs Hospitals in Pittsburgh for 20 years; 12 years as a dialysis nurse in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and 8 years as Manager of the IV Therapy team and Respiratory Therapists. She obtained certification in both areas. A Registered Nurse, Jean obtained her diploma from the Allegheny General Hospital School of Nursing, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and a Masters degree in Adult Health Education from Penn State University.

Virginia Petersavage, BSN
Care Manager

Virginia has been nursing for over 38 years. Prior to coming to SeniorBridge, she was a nursing supervisor for Medi Home Hospice in Washington, PA., where she directed a team of nurses, social workers, chaplains and aides in caring for patients and their families in the final stages of living. She worked for over 17 years for the Visiting Nurse Association of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, in certified home health care as a staff nurse, pulmonary educator, home care coordinator, supervisor, and medical order reviewer. She also was the Executive Director of Broadmore Assisted Living at Lakemont Farms in Bridgeville, PA. She began her home care experience working for a hospital-based home care company in Frederick, MD. She is a licensed Personal Care Home/Assisted Living Administrator in the state of PA. Virginia is a volunteer with the Senior Center in her community, the Lupus Association, and is a parish nurse for her church. She received a BSN from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.

Ruth Farrago, CMC
Vice President of 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). She is a current member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers and the Case Management Society of America.