Our Compassionate Team of Senior Living Professionals

Mapu has over twenty years experience in senior living operations. She began her career in admissions and marketing in senior living and found that her compassion for seniors enticed her interest in pursuing her administrator’s license. Mapu earned a Bachelor of Science from Emporia State University and majored in Finance. Beyond her formal education, Mapu volunteered for the Kiwanis Club where she served for a few years, and for Meals on Wheels. She is active in her church and volunteering there as well.
Watch Mapu’s video bio.

Dr. Patel is an internal medicine specialist and hospitalist, board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He oversees on-site medical care for residents. Serving as an in-house physician for the skilled nursing residents allows him to provide continuity of care and convenient access to medical care. Dr. Patel earned his medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine. His residency in internal medicine was at New York Medical College, where he completed his training with a fellowship in geriatric medicine.

Yolanda is passionate about serving the elderly community and providing quality care to residents. She began working at Walnut Place as an LVN in 2007. She’s worked in the long-term care field for more than 15 years. Yolanda is a graduate of North Texas Career Institute and Lamar State University.

Mia has been with Walnut Place for over 18 years. She’s a certified dementia professional, fiercely loyal to our community and our residents. She actively advocates for residents in our short-term rehabilitation care to ensure they’re consistently receiving the high-quality care Walnut Place is known for.

Julie has served as a certified activity director since 2005. She began her career in the healthcare field as a CNA. Her passion has always been to provide top notch customer service to her patients. She takes pride in creatively planning monthly activity calendars full of engaging events, games, friendly competitions, and social and community gatherings that entertain residents.

After completing his post-graduate degree in Hospitality Management JJ found his passion working with the seniors. As the Life Enrichment Coordinator, he strives to empower residents to set goals, make friends and have fun. Seeing residents smile and laugh fuels JJ’s passion working with seniors.

Katrece’s passion for helping others and delivering a high quality of life to those she serves has led her to work in both the for-profit and nonprofit industries throughout her career. She is dedicated to helping families make a smooth transition when finding short-term rehab or longterm skilled nursing to care for your loved ones’ needs.

The journey to find the right fit for your loved one can be difficult. Maria takes pride in being a resource to help families find quality skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation care. With over 10 years of experience in the healthcare field, her main goal is to help residents find happiness, comfort and joy at Walnut Place.
Watch Maria’s video bio.

As the Director of Community Relations, Svetlana is committed to supporting families searching for assisted living or memory care for their loved ones.
Check out Svetlana’s video bio.

Todd attended Macomb Community College, where he earned his degree in occupational therapy. He is a seasoned practicing therapist with more than 10 years of experience, and is also a certified lymphedema therapist.
Check out Todd’s video bio.

Etosha is driven by her passion for providing quality, delicious meals for the residents. She prides herself and her team on preparing meals based on the residents’ feedback and requests, so they are served meals that taste like the home cooked meals they enjoy. She has a culinary arts degree from Sowela Technical Community College and a management degree from Louisiana State University at Eunice. She has more than ten years’ experience in the food & beverage industry.

Charles moved to the United States from Jamaica in 2012. He has over 20 years’ experience in plant operations, working at a college in Jamaica for 23 years, and then at a warehouse his first year in the U.S. He enjoys repairing items for residents to ensure they have a comfortable environment to live in.