About Us

Hospice & Palliative Care Of Northeastern Illinois Administrative Leadership Team

Cindy Musikantow

President, Chief Executive Officer

Cindy Musikantow brings more than two decades of health care experience to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer at Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois. Former president and chief executive officer of Trinity Hospice, Dallas, Texas, she also held the position of senior vice president at Brookdale Senior Living from 2006-2008 in Chicago, and an eight-year tenure with Sunrise Senior Living from 1999-2006, serving as vice president of midwest operations, senior vice president of operations, and senior vice president of market strategy and product development. Prior to joining Sunrise, she served as chief executive officer at Linden Oaks Hospital, and as marketing director and vice president of corporate marketing for Psychiatric Institutes of America and Nu-Med Psychiatric respectively. Cindy is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management Executive Program.

Sarah Bealles

Chief Operating Officer

Former executive vice president and chief financial officer at HospiceCare Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin, Sarah has more than 16 years of leadership experience in healthcare, financial services and the nonprofit sector. Her professional expertise spans all core facets of strategic planning, governance, operations and financial management, risk management, business development and public advocacy. Prior to joining HospiceCare, Sarah served as controller for Care Wisconsin Inc., a nonprofit care management organization, and was vice president of finance for Credit Union 1 in Anchorage, Alaska, one of the state’s largest financial institutions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska, graduating magna cum laude.

Anne Van Oost

Chief Financial Officer

Anne is Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois. She has more than 20 years of experience in the finance and accounting profession. Anne joined HPNI in 2002 and oversees all organizational financial activities, including accounting and business planning operations, accounts receivable and payable, payroll, budgeting and cost analysis. In addition, she oversees the areas of Information Technology, Health Information, Support Services and Facilities. Anne is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago where she graduated magna cum laude with a BA in finance, and also earned an MBA degree. She is a Certified Hospice Administrator and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. She has also been actively involved in the community, serving on numerous boards over the past several years, including village trustee for the Village of Cary for over ten years; chairman of the finance committee and public works committee; and other not-for-profit organizations.

Kathy Erickson
Vice President, Marketing

Kathy Erickson directs the marketing and community outreach efforts for Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois. She also coordinates all internal and external communications, including branding and public relations. Kathy brings 25+ years of experience in healthcare, senior housing, marketing and sales to HPNI. Prior to joining HPNI, Kathy was the Principal of Mature Market Solutions, LLC, a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on the mature market. Before starting her own business, Kathy held key leadership positions in sales and marketing with such respected companies as Brookdale Senior Living, Alterra Healthcare Corporation and The Prime Group. She also worked in public and nonprofit organizations pioneering care coordination and adult day care. Kathy attended Eastern Illinois University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master’s Degree in Gerontology.

Beth Raseman

Vice President of Development, Hospice Foundation

Beth leads a staff committed to raising funds to support the many unfunded programs that Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois provides for patients and families. Her focus is on building relationships that strengthen HPNI’s ties with the community, donors, foundations, governments, and organizations. Fundraising efforts over the past several years have been focused on the Pepper Family Hospice Home and Center for Care. Under her leadership the Foundation raised over $18.5 million to build the first green, freestanding hospice home in northern Illinois. Beth was recently appointed to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Governance Nominating Committee. She also serves as the Senior Trustee for the Village of Barrington where she has been extensively involved in planning, zoning and economic development. Beth has a background in economics, graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Greg Belback

Vice President, Human Resources

With over 20 years as a human resources executive, Greg Belback joined HPNI in January as Vice President of Human Resources, where he oversees strategic planning, organizational development, employee engagement,  employee development, compensation, benefits,performance management, employee relations, recruitment and retention. Most recently, he was Senior Director of Human Resources at AseraCare Hospice and Home Health in Fort Smith, AR and has held leadership positions at Dreyer Medical Clinic in Aurora, IL, Career Education Corporation in Hoffman Estates, IL and NovaCare, Inc. in King of Prussia, PA. Greg earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Loyola University of Chicago. He is certified as a facilitator for DDI’s Learning Systems, DDI’s 360 Leadership Mirror, the MBTI Masterclass Qualifying Program and has completed the Center for Dispute Settlement Mediation Training. He holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Society of Human Resources Management and is a member of the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC).

Ben Baran

Director of Information Technology

Ben Baran joined Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois in the spring of 2010. As the Director of IT (Information Technology), Ben is responsible for developing the agency’s IT strategy to support patient care and administrative functions and management of all IT projects. His department oversees the agency’s IT systems and administers the agency’s voice and data networks. Before joining HPNI, he served as Interim Director of Information Technology for a non-profit community based health center in downtown Chicago, where he managed the IT department and oversaw the opening of two new health center locations. From 2006-2008 Ben worked for the Chicago Public Schools as a senior Windows engineer and was responsible for the messaging and collaboration infrastructure for the district. Ben received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chicago.

Daneen Gorski-Adams

Director of Learning and Development

A member of the HPNI team since 2005, Daneen’s career path with the agency has taken her from Patient Care Team Manager to Director of Learning and Development. Passionate about mentoring staff and educating patients and family members, her current role allows her to do both through the development of all internal and external educational programming. Daneen is a two-time Harper College graduate, having completed both an Associate of Science degree in 1984 and an Associate in Applied Science Degree with a nursing major in 1994. In between, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University. Daneen possesses a combination of clinical and administrative experience in the specialized areas of oncology and hospice nursing  Prior to her current role, Daneen was HPNI’s Director of Hospice Home Clinical Care, where she was responsible for leading and coordinating patient care at two inpatient units. She recently received the Harper College 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award, and is certified by the American Board of Nursing Specialist, Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation and the National Board of Hospice and Palliative Nurses. She is also actively involved in several community organizations and continues her Harper involvement by serving as a member of the advisory committee to the College’s nursing program.

Alex Mamantov

Director of Inpatient Programs

Alex Mamantov is responsible for the day-to-day operations of our Barrington and Woodstock inpatient programs. He has 15+ years of clinical leadership experience in hospice, acute care and home health. He served as Nurse Manager at both Kindred Hospital and Resurrection St. Joseph Hospital, where he was awarded the Nursing Leadership Award. Alex also served as Clinical Liaison for Resurrection Home Health Services. Most recently, he was Director of Clinical Services at Horizon Hospice & Palliative Care in Chicago. Alex received a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Science cum laude from Long Island University. He is also a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm and has served as a medic in the Iowa National Guard.

Jim Marshall

Director of Access

As Director of Access, Jim Marshall plays a key role in defining and implementing the services our patients need most. He works closely with Patient Care Liaisons, providing leadership and mentoring, as well as continuing education and training programs. He also supports HPNI’s marketing and care coordination efforts. Jim’s impressive background includes clinical, educational and marketing roles, from Charge Nurse at Victory Memorial Hospital to Vice President/Regional Manager of Bayard Advertising. Prior to joining Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois, he was a Senior Hospice Care Consultant with Seasons Hospice. Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Arts from the University of St. Francis and a Nursing Degree from Elgin Community College.

Marjorie Pullinger, RA, LEED AP

Director of Facilities

Marjorie Pullinger is a Registered Architect and LEED Accredited Professional with over 20 years of experience in the architecture and construction industry in a wide variety of building types. For the majority of her career she has focused on the architect’s role in construction management, bringing design and problem-solving skills to the benefit of the construction/execution team. She has had noted experience in design and construction process analysis and re-engineering, training, and organizational development. For the last 6 years she has focused her career on project management and construction management as an owner’s representative that aids and assists owners through the construction process. Marjorie started with HPNI in September of 2009 as Project Manager for the Pepper Family Hospice Home and Center for Care. She transitioned into the position of Director of Facilities in July of 2010. She has worked on several LEED-certified projects, including LEED Gold, and is a member of the United States Green Building Council – Chicago Chapter.

Denise Sample, RN, BSN, CMT

Chief Nursing Officer

Denise Sample, RN, was named Chief Nursing Officer in December after serving as HPNI’s Director of Clinical Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Concordia University/West Suburban College of Nursing, and is a licensed and certified massage therapist. Denise was employed for 11 years at Sherman Hospital in Elgin, working on the Surgical Care Unit and serving as the unit manager for the last two years. She also has hospice nursing experience from a tenure with Rainbow Hospice as a field nurse and patient care coordinator. She is active in her community, volunteering as a Girl Scout leader for the past nine years and working as a church volunteer.

Lynn Sprangers

Director of Human Resources

Lynn has over twenty years of hands-on experience in the Human Resources field and joined Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois in June of 2006. Previously, she spent seventeen years in Human Resources management in the manufacturing sector. She has worked for small, mid-sized and international companies and has always been involved in corporate and divisional roles in a generalist management capacity overseeing HR and strategic development. Prior to HR, she utilized her degree in merchandising and distribution. She is active in her community as the former Elgin U-46 Business Education Partnership liaison, a board member of Well Child Center, vice president and volunteer of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and continues to be an active member of her church. Lynn is a past graduate of the Elgin Leadership Academy, board member of Fox Valley Women in Management, Chamber of Commerce and Illinois Manufacturing Association. She has a certificate in HR and was certified in Achieve Global Training for leadership and customer service. Lynn recently has been appointed to the Career Program Advisory Committee of Practical Nursing at Harper College.

CEO photo: courtesy of Susan McConnell Photography

Leadership team photos: courtesy of Sally Roeckell Photography