ER Senior Management OK announces the appointment of Will Otjen III as Executive Director of the skilled nursing campus that houses both Autumn Wood and Wood Manor skilled nursing communities, which the company manages.
Otjen joins the Autumn Wood/Wood Manor campus with nearly 30 years in senior living, most of which have been in skilled nursing environments. He has served as an administrator, general manager and executive director in senior living communities, primarily in skilled nursing facilities in Texas and Oklahoma, beginning in 1989.
“Will Otjen has been a growth-focused hospitality and health care leader since entering the senior living business in 1989,” said Chris Coates, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of ER Senior Management OK. “His expertise in senior living – and particularly in skilled nursing and health care – has touched every phase of community operations, from operations to budgeting and staffing, as well as sales and marketing.”
At Autumn Wood and Wood Manor, Otjen will manage the entire campus property and will have key responsibility for outreach to local hospitals and healthcare professionals on behalf of both communities.
Additionally, new key skilled nursing staff are being added.
“Having great people is key to operating a caring and successful skilled nursing campus,” said Chris Coates, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of ER Senior Management OK. “We have worked hard to recruit experienced professionals with outstanding credentials who we believe will deliver both compassionate care and clinical expertise to our residents.”
Director of Health Services, Keri McDonald-Oliver
Keri McDonald-Oliver joins the Autumn Wood/Wood Manor staff as Director of Health Services. With 15 years of experience as a director of nursing, nurse leader and critical care nurse, she brings broad expertise in all phases of nursing care. During her career, she has worked in numerous capacities and departments, serving in all phases of nursing disciplines. McDonald-Oliver served eight years in surgical and trauma and emergency nursing, as well as nine years in skilled nursing. She also opened new skilled nursing centers and instituted quality assurance programs for nursing in all Oklahoma Veteran homes.
McDonald-Oliver holds an Associate Degree in Nursing from Northeast Oklahoma A&M College, Miami, OK, where she graduated Phi Theta Kappa. She is currently working to complete a B.S. in Nursing from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla.
Clinical Liaison, Charlie Redding
Charlie Redding has joined the team at Autumn Wood/Wood Manor as Clinical Liaison. For the past 16 years, he has served in various capacities for healthcare and senior-related facilities and companies. His experience includes positions in skilled nursing and long-term care, as well as senior living and hospice care.
Redding has a B.S. in Community Health and a Master of Education in Gerontology; both degrees were earned from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
Speech Pathologists
Autumn Wood and Wood Manor Skilled Nursing campus welcomes the addition of two certified speech-language pathologists, Julie Edwards and Jeffery Cowen, both are VitalStim certified to provide neuromusculature electrical stimulation therapy for those with swallowing difficulties.
Julie Edwards
Julie Edwards graduated from the University of Tulsa with a M.S. in speech-language pathology. She is currently working on a second master’s degree at Oklahoma State University, this one in health care administration, and is scheduled to graduate in May of 2017.
Edwards holds a license from the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
Jeffery Cowen
Jeffery Cowen has worked for the past nine years as a speech-language pathologist in skilled nursing and long-term care environments. He has specific expertise in treating patients with swallowing issues, as well as dementia.
Cowen is licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for speech-language pathology and audiology, and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). He is a graduate of the University of Tulsa, from which he holds a M.S. in speech-language pathology.
