Our Team

Providing compassionate end-of-life care and making a positive difference
in the lives of our patients, their families and our community.

Leadership

Deborah

Deborah Horning

LPN, CHPO
Chief Executive Officer

Jackie

Jackie James

RN, BSN
Clinical Director

Physicians & Nurse Practitioners

Manish

Manish Sahni, MD

Medical Director

Gerald Asin

Gerald Asin, MD

Physician

Pamela Conn

Pamela Conn

Adult Nurse Practitioner

Enrique Rick Salazar

Enrique "Rick" Salazar

Nurse Practitioner

Sarah

Sarah Snoda

Nurse Practitioner

Team

Maryann Tarango

Business Manager

Nancy Dowd

Nancy Dowd

Human Resources

Dotti

Dotti

Registered Nurse

I spent over 30 years working in critical care and psych care. I joined Hospice Promise with a strong desire to help provide comfort at end-of-life, and also allow patients to remain as alert as possible so they can be interactive with their family.

I love cats, dogs and people – and I have 5 children, 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. I also drive a big truck!

Audra Cusick

Audra

Registered Nurse

I have been a nurse since 1998. I love helping patients and making a difference. I joined Hospice Promise to continue making a positive influence in a new way, helping patients and their families on their journey. I am a wife and mother with three beautiful talented daughters and a rambunctious son.

Carol

Carol

Registered Nurse

I have been in nursing for 47 years. I have been blessed to do so many different areas of nursing, but when I stepped into Hospice Promise I knew my path had changed. Hospice is the only nursing I want to do, there’s so many things I can do but my heart, my compassion, and my desire is to care for people at the end of life. I love cooking in my free time. I also love the outdoors and being around people.

Christine

Christine

Registered Nurse

I have been a Registered Nurse since 1996. I have recently relocated to Arizona from Pennsylvania. Much of my background and experience has been working in long-term care. I joined Hospice Promise with the ardent desire to help provide comfort to patients and their families during the end-of-life process. It brings me much joy to be able to provide support to families and help them feel more at ease with their loved one’s terminal illness. My favorite part of life is being around people I care I love the outdoors and staying active. In my down time, I write poetry as it helps me keep grounded in the realities of everyday life.

Jill

Jill

Registered Nurse

I spent 15 years working in medical surgical area. I joined Hospice Promise because I want to be a part of my patients last journey. Be a witness on this important event of their life. I love spending time with family. as a nurse, my goal is to make a positive difference, one visit at a time

Meyra

Meyra

Registered Nurse

I have been a nurse for 20 years. I joined Hospice Promise with the desire to assist patients & their families during the end of life process. I want to help alleviate the fears and concerns of hospice care. I love my family and in my spare time, I love to ready and I am currently learning to cook and bake.

Stacey

Licensed Practical Nurse

I am from Buffalo NY and moved to the valley in 2008. I have been a nurse for 27 years. I enjoy caring for seniors and assisting families so they can spend quality time with their loved ones. To see the smiles and sparkle in a seniors eye while spending quality time with there family brings me so much joy.

Shelley

Licensed Practical Nurse

I grew up here in Arizona and have been an LPN for 45 years with a background of Medical/Surgical and Oncology. I have worked as a Hospice Nurse for 30 years now and have a passion for end-of-life care. I am also a professional musician and play with 2 different bands in the evenings and on weekends.

Nichole

Licensed Practical Nurse

I have been a nurse for 19 years and working in Hospice for about 16 years. Hospice is deeply rewarding to be the one helping facilitate closure between patients and their loved ones. I chose Hospice Promise because everyone on the team has a voice and plays an equal part in surrounding the patient and family with all aspects of care. Our team is incredibly special!

Rena Meler

Rena

Licensed Practical Nurse

I’ve been a CPN since 2013. I am originally from Minnesota. I moved to Phoenix in 2022. I have a diverse background in healthcare. I have worked in varous fields such as LTC/Skilled Psych, and inpatient hospital (PCU, observation. I have 1 son and 5 animals (2 dogs and 3 cats). In my spare time I enjoy cycling, swimming, and spending time with my son.

Cynthia

Licensed Practical Nurse

My passion for Hospice started in Louisiana where I became an LPN and worked on the Telemetry floor. During my time there I worked with a variety of patients, hospice being some of them. One particular patient didn’t have any family to comfort her so my team and I did what we could to comfort and care for her. That was when I knew hospice was what I would do for the rest of my nursing career. In my free time I enjoy photography, poetry, hiking and traveling.

Rosita

Rosita

Licensed Practical Nurse

I have had the privilege of working as a Licensed Practical Nurse for over 12 years. I feel its an honor to be able to help patients and their families navigate one of the most vulnerable times in their lives with dignity and compassion. I look forward to working alongside other healthcare professionals with the same purpose

Caitlyn Christman

Caitlyn

Certified Nursing Assistant

I have been a CNA for 2 years but have been in the medical field since I was 18. I love being apart of the team at Hospice Promise knowing that the patients and employees are truly cared for. In my free time I love spending time with family, dogs and reading.

Laticia

Latisha

Certified Nursing Assistant

I have been in Healthcare field for 20 plus years. I love working with the elderly. I am a proud parent of three children: a 19-year-old daughter and two sons, aged 12 and 11. In my spare time, I love to be with my family.

Mariah Long

Mariah

Certified Nursing Assistant, Bilingual

I started working in healthcare at 18 years old, straight out of high school. I’ve worked in MedSurg, Long-term care facilities & fell in love with Hospice. Working in Hospice hasn’t been easy, but I love it. I love being able to provide patients the care they need whether it’s emotional support or physical support. As I am continuing my education in nursing, I’m happy I found my specialty!

Meghan Bendix

Meghan

Certified Nursing Assistant

My name is Meghan. I have been working in hospice for a few months. I chose to work for Hospice Promise because I feel End of Life care is one of the most crucial fields. My passion to help people has been shown the most in hospice because it’s all about the warmth and kindness that everyone wants to feel, especially during the end. I like to shop in my free time!

Paola Kibel

Paola

Certified Nursing Assistant - Bilingual

I have been a CNA for 21 years. I love to dance, go hiking, and play some sports. I am a mom of 5 kids and I am very blessed to be able to help others with love and compassion.

Dan Lepianka

Dan

LMSW

I have been living in Arizona since I was 5 years old and I love living here. I have been a hospice social worker for over 20 years and I really like working in hospice. I am a people person and I enjoy traveling, music, and Netflix. I am originally from Chicago and I have a lot of family members who live there.

Jose Gonzales

Jose

MDiV - Chaplain, Bilingual

I have been a pastor for over 25 years because I love people and I want the very best for them. I have written two books, and I have great relationships with many of our community leaders. At Hospice Promise, every team member cares for our patients as they would for members of their own family. It is so rewarding to see how my coworkers love our patients and always do the best for them.

Robin

Chaplain

After serving as a congregational pastor for 40 years, I decided to serve as a hospice liaison. In my free time, I’ve traveled to 60 countries all over the globe with a special heart for Africa

Avivah

Volunteer Coordinator

I have worked with volunteers for many years in theater and animal rescue. People who give their time get back so much more than they give. In the past I have been a Certified Pharmacy Tech. I am thrilled to be part of Hospice Promise and to positively impact the volunteers, patients and their families. In my free time I spoil my 6 pets, volunteer and enjoy water walking.

Kelsey

Kelsey

Admissions Manager

I have worked at Hospice Promise since the doors first opened. Our team does an amazing job meeting the needs of our patients and their families. The care we provide warms my heart and makes me proud of where I work.

Amanda

Amanda

Admissions Coordinator

I’ve worked in healthcare since I was 18. I’m very passionate in helping people and caring for their loved ones. I joined Hospice Promise in June of this year. I love being apart of Hospice Promise and knowing that our patients are truly cared for.

Stacy

Stacy

Admissions Coordinator

I bring many years if experience in the medical field, with a heartfelt calling to hospice care inspired by my own parents journey. At Hospice Promise, I am honored to support patients and families with compassion, dignity, and understanding. Outside of work, I am a devoted wife, mother, stepmother and proud Nana to six wonderful grandchildren

Paxton

Paxton

Hospice Liaison

I have lived in Arizona my whole life. I have always had the passion of connecting with people, understanding their stories, and making meaningful impacts. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids, creating memories. I thrive on my values of communication, teamwork, and discipline, from my life long journey of being involved in baseball throughout most of my life.

Ashley

Ashley

Hospice Liason

After caring for my mom while she was on hospice for most of 2023, I experienced firsthand the compassion, dignity, and support hospice provides – not just for patients but families too. In my free time, I enjoy exploring hidden gems around Arizona, discovering great food spots, and spending time outdoors. I love relaxing with my dog and finding little moments of joy in everyday life

Steven

Steven

Hospice Liason

I was born and raised in Southern California and left for Arizona in my early twenties. I have been a resident in Arizona for more than 25 ears and raised a family here. My passion for hospice started over 15 years ago when I helped care for a family member. Hospice means a lot to me and I enjoy meeting patients and their families to hear their stories.