All ERS team members, not just at Marjorie P. Lee but also at other ERS flagship communities, strive to ensure our residents feel like they're being cared for not by expert professionals but by people who seem like family. One way we accomplish this goal is by creating opportunities for residents to build close relationships with staff. What you may not realize is that this process starts long before move-in day, with unique events designed to show seniors what our community is all about.

Lunch and Learn, for example, occurs a few times a year and gives individuals who are interested in living at Marjorie P. Lee a chance to learn what role that different staff members will play in their care — all over a delicious lunch. Guests literally get a taste of what it is like being an MPL resident. The event also gives interested parties a chance to ask questions and learn more about what it’s like to live at a continuing care retirement community.

Though Lunch and Learn events are currently postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we still want to give you a chance to “meet” staff members from the Kirby, Morris, and Luther Memory Support Households. Keep reading for a virtual Lunch and Learn event!

Karen Immell, Director of Community Relations

Karen Immell is the Director of Community Relations at Marjorie P. Lee and has served Episcopal Retirement Services for 11 years. Before her current position, Karen was PRN for social work, transportation, and then admissions. She permanently joined the ERS family as a marketing event planner and finally the Director of Community Relations. 

Now, Karen is responsible for creating waitlists and managing the admissions into the Memory Support Households. We recently sat down with Karen to discuss who to effectively plan ahead for a loved one’s senior care in this interview.

Her favorite thing about working with these communities? “I love working with and building relationships with the Memory Support residents and families,” Karen said.

Anthony Williams, Administrator of Health Services

Anthony Williams is the Administrator of Health Services at Marjorie P. Lee. He has seven years of service at ERS and loves helping residents meet their health goals.  

Anthony and the Marjorie Health Services team don’t just work with residents in times of challenge. It’s their goal to get to know residents, their wishes, their likes and dislikes, and their interests the second they join our Marjorie family. They’ll work in partnership with you to help you be successful in meeting your health goals here at Marjorie.

Something else you should know is that Anthony is a big animal lover and has two dogs at home: Skittles and Rhys.

Brittany Kauffman, Memory Support Household Coordinator

Brittany Kauffman is our Memory Support Household Coordinator and has been in the position for just a few months. She served as our Admissions Coordinator for Short-Term Rehab for 3 years before leaving to be a stay-at-home mom for two years. Her role varies day-to-day, but mostly Brittany acts as the liaison between our residents, families, and staff. Her goal is to make sure our households run as smoothly as possible for our residents.  

Brittany says her favorite thing about working at MPL is the community. “Not only is the staff amazing and supportive,” she explains, “but the families are just as amazing. The relationships I’ve made with the residents have made this the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had.”

Emerson Stambaugh, Director of Hospitality

Emerson Stambaugh is Marjorie P. Lee’s Director of Hospitality. He is excited to be celebrating his 20th anniversary with ERS this year! Over the years, Emerson has held several different roles including Director of Dining Services and Health Services Administrator. His current role is to manage the hotel functions of Marjorie P. Lee and our sister campus Deupree House. This includes Dining Services, Maintenance, Housekeeping, Transportation, Security, and Groundskeeping. Emerson says his work allows him to stay in direct contact with residents and have meaningful relationships, which happens to be his favorite part of the job.

“I have had the privilege to help our residents live their best life,” Emerson explains. Serving others in their time of need is a personal mission. In addition, I have had the opportunity to work with and support my fellow staff on their journey with ERS. It may sounds cliché, but we really are a big family!”

When not at work, Emerson loves to get lost in a good book or take a long walk with his dog.

Chloe Hough, Wellness Director

Chloe Hough is the Wellness Director at Marjorie P. Lee and has served at ERS since August 2019. During Lunch & Learn events, Chloe strives to let everyone know about all the great activities happening at Marjorie P. Lee. “We offer a variety of wellness programming,” she explains, “from group exercise to aquatic exercise to personal training to massage therapy! Our wellness programs are fun and designed to help keep our residents active and involved. We also welcome all fitness levels.”

In our Memory Support Households, specifically, Chloe also leads 360 Wellbeing. This program employs chair aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi, and other low-impact, easy-to-scale, group exercise programs, that can easily be modified to meet changing abilities on a given day,  to get seniors moving and, hopefully, slow the progression of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other cognitive disorders. 

Judi Dean, Director of Nursing

Judi Dean is the Director of Nursing at Marjorie P. Lee and has served ERS for 31 years. She is responsible for organizing, controlling, and maintaining operations for the nursing departments as well as leading our Memory Support specialty program. 

"Most importantly," Judi explained in a recent interview, "I make sure we are providing quality resident care. I accomplish this by looking at systems, interventions, and ways we can improve care and care delivery." Read the full interview here to learn more about Judi Dean and our nursing services! 

Contact Karen Immell to Attend the Next Lunch & Learn

As previously mentioned, Lunch and Learn events are currently postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, if you’d like to be added to our mailing list and receive updates on the next Lunch and Learn, you can contact Karen Immell via email at kimmell@erslife.org or by phone at (513) 506-2841. For more on our Memory Support Households, we also invite you to fill out our information request form.