About Us
Bergen Geriatric Care
At Bergen Geriatric Care, we value the quality of life of our senior population and respect their vast experience. Working together with our growing team, we strive to achieve the best quality of life for each individual and consider it a privilege to provide care to our respected seniors. These beliefs are the foundation of our practice.
Our dedicated family of clinical and administrative staff look forward to providing you with all of your health care needs, answering any questions you might have, and building a lifelong solid and rewarding relationship with you.
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Our Dedicated Staff
Dr. Odessa Hoinkis
MD, CMD, HMDC
Dr. Odessa Hoinkis is a graduate of University of Essen, Germany, and completed her residency in Family Medicine at JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey where she received formidable training in a program with a strong geriatric background.
Dr. Hoinkis is a member of AGS (American Geriatric Society,) AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians,) and ABPLM (American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.) She is also a licensed Certified Medical Director, as well as Hospice Medical Director Certified (HMDC).
She enjoys working in diverse settings along the long term care spectrum and actively advocates for the recognition of home based primary care as an important and necessary part of preventive care within our healthcare system .
Dr. Hoinkis enjoys reading, listening to music and exercising in her spare time. Most of all she loves spending time with her husband and their daughter and two sons.
Ashley Lewinn
APN
Ashley is a Licensed Nurse Practitioner in New York and New Jersey. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from State University of New York, Magna Cum Laude and a recipient of The Karpas Scholarship, Beth Israel School of Nursing. She earned her Gerontological/Adult Nurse Practitioner Degree from City University of New York/Hunter College, Summa Cum Laude and a recipient of The Dean’s Award. Ashley has 9 years of nursing experience with 4 years of experience as an advanced nurse practitioner providing patient and family centered primary, palliative and end-of-life care to medically complex older adults in their home, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
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Ashley’s love for geriatrics that began while living with her grandmother in Brooklyn, NY. Discussions about aging, the impact of health on quality of life and its influence on medical decision making were regular chats around the kitchen table. These conversions lead to the strong desire to be both a nurse and an advocate for older adults.
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Ashley has lived in three countries but is happy to call Nyack home and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two children.
Rachel Lipschitz
APN
Rachel is a Certified Nurse Practitioner, licensed to practice in both New York and New Jersey. She has an impressive academic background, having graduated as a member of Sigma Theta Tau with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from City University of New York/Hunter College. She then went on to pursue her education further and achieved her Gerontological/Adult Nurse Practitioner Degree from City University of New York/Hunter College with Summa Cum Laude distinction.
Rachel was also a recipient of The Dean’s Award. Rachel has a wealth of experience in the nursing field, with 11 years of experience overall and 6 years as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. During this time, she has provided exemplary care in acute, sub-acute, and long-term settings.
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Rachel began her journey caring for the geriatric community at 4 years old when accompanying her mother who was a volunteer as a patient advocate and regular visitor to their local senior care facilities. The impact of these early childhood visits still inspires her every day to connect to and enrich the lives of her patients. Rachel lives in North Jersey where she enjoys cooking, baking, and having fun with her husband and four energetic boys.
Anne Quin
APN
Anne has been an Advanced practice Nurse for 26 years, working in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. She is certified in geriatrics and loves what she does. Anne’s free time is spent with her siblings, her dad, her 3 children and 2 grandsons.
Reading books is a favorite activity. Anne is very happy to be working with Bergen Geriatric Care.
Mariafe “Faye” Yu
RN, BSN
Faye earned her nursing degree from Velez College of Nursing in Cebu, Philippines and began working as an RN in 1987. Her nursing career ranges from various settings including hospital, long-term care facilities, and field nurse services. As a new addition to the BGC team, she is excited to gain new experiences as well as contribute her knowledge and expertise in the field of nursing.
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Faye is certified and a member of AANAC- American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinator during the time when she was an MDS Coordinator. She was certified in NJ Choice for MLTSS clinical eligibility assessment as a field nurse when she was with Horizon BCBS.
In her free time, she loves to attend boxing classes, trail hikes/runs on the weekends, travel and spend time with her family and friends.
Lori
Practice Supervisor
Lori’s role is multi-faceted. She coordinates all rounding and staffing schedules, manages credentialing and is committed to overseeing a variety of administrative responsibilities that serve BGC. She is reachable in the office every day. After raising her daughter, Lori re-entered the field of health care and has been with BGC since its inception. She loves her work, writing, walking and spending time with her family.
Santana
RMA, Care Navigator
Santana's role is versatile, serving as a medical assistant in the office and in the field, and she is very dedicated to our senior population. In the evening her attention turns toward a much younger population as she loves spending time with her nieces and nephew singing, dancing, and doing art projects. In her free time, she channels her creative expression into her love for crochet!
Cherry
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Cherry earned her bachelor’s in nursing degree from William Paterson University. She has worked as a RN in geriatrics for 10 years. She began her career in the assisted living setting and has not ventured outside of the geriatric population. Cherry views it as one of the most unique populations in healthcare, as it necessitates close communications with patients and families as well. When Cherry is not working in the field/office, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 4 children.
Heather
CMA, Care Navigator
Heather serves as a compassionate Care Navigator and medical assistant in the office and in the field. Her experience began in hospitality and developed into caring for seniors with a delightful and positive energy. Heather is presently studying to become a cardiovascular sonography and ultrasound technician. She loves her profession and spending time with her family and friends.
Elvie
Billing Manager
Elvie handles all of BGC’s billing, insurance and Medicare-related matters and is well adept at troubleshooting on behalf of our patients. Elvie has been working with our providers since long before BGC was even born. She enjoys walking and spending time with her extended family.
Stacy
Administrative Assistant, Home Care Navigator
is a dedicated administrative assistant and enthusiastic member of our home care team with over 7 years of experience in healthcare. In her private time she is an animal lover and loves spending time with her family and friends.
Maria Colina
LPN
Maria started her nursing journey in 1997. Her work experiences include home care, LTC, sub-acute rehab and now has transitioned to assisted living proudly working for the BGC team. Maria earned a DAISY Award in 2015 serving the geriatric community. She is a self-proclaimed food and coffee enthusiast who loves to spend time with her husband and two kids enjoying new culinary experiences.
Amanda Hawthorne
Office Assistant
Amanda is a recent graduate of Tulane University and a longtime people-person. While new to the medical world, she is attentive to detail and committed to the care and comfort of our patients. She feels excited and privileged to contribute to the team at BGC. In her free time, Amanda enjoys reading and traveling.
Last but not least - we have an outstanding group of individuals that support us remotely, virtually, and often voluntarily but mostly - in spirit! Students, past and present team members, friends, family, and volunteers from as close as the neighboring towns to as far as across the Pacific Ocean: They all share the dedication to the care of our elders as well as a giving heart. Thank you!