Meet our Executive Team

Chris Chirumbolo’s entire professional career has been spent serving residents and patients at Carespring facilities.  This perspective has allowed Chris, as Carespring’s Chief Executive Officer, a unique ability to connect each of those Carespring experiences to assure the organization’s leadership encapsulates the company’s mission.

Chris was blessed to have received years of direct leadership training and development from Carespring founder, Barry Bortz.  Chris has served the Carespring community on many fronts during his previous tenure as Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President of Rehabilitation Services before becoming CEO.

Chris, and his two brothers, were very active in many team sports while growing up in Mariemont, Ohio. It was during his recovery from a sports-related injury that he saw, firsthand, the power of rehabilitative services. And, as a result, Chris was called to pursue a degree in Physical Therapy.  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Rehabilitation Sciences from the College of Mt. St. Joseph, graduating Summa Cum Laude.  The following year, he continued his studies to earn his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy. 

More recently, Chris achieved his Geriatric Clinical Specialty (GCS) Certification from the American Physical Therapy Association. He has taught as an adjunct professor at the College of Mount St. Joseph covering Geriatrics and Prospective Payment System with relation to reimbursement for skilled nursing facilities. Chirumbolo has served as the Clinical Coordinator of Clinical Education (CCCE) for Carespring with the College of Mount St. Joseph, the Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Cincinnati State, Sinclair College as well as other universities.

Prior to joining the Carespring team, Chris completed four different clinical internships. His final internship led him to Highlandspring of Ft. Thomas.  It was there that Chris discovered his deep connection with seniors and made the decision to dedicate his career to long term care. 

At Highlandspring, Chris received the training he needed to be not only a respected and loved physical therapist, but also developed the financial, management and leadership acumen to run a successful department.  From there, Chris was tapped to lead his own therapy team at Villaspring of Erlanger.  He was well prepared to take over Carespring’s Rehabilitation Programs a short time later before being named Vice President of Rehabilitation.

Serving in these roles, Chris was driven to learn as much as possible about Carespring’s operations.  He studied our processes, becoming instrumental in affecting changes that improved the delivery of patient care and the retention of excellent team members. Chris became a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. He still took the time to practice so that he could connect and truly understand the needs of Carespring’s patients and team members.

The natural next step for Carespring was to name Chris Chief Operating Officer and, ultimately, its Chief Executive Officer.  His proven leadership ability, understanding of the industry, compassion for the patients and team members and deep commitment to excellence are gifts to everyone at Carespring – and to the field of long term care industry.

Chris, his wife and children reside in Northern Kentucky. 

David Eppers is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 30 years experience and a history of executive financial leadership in the health care industry. He has served as Carespring’s Chief Financial Officer since 2004, achieving his primary vocational goal of using financial, analytical, and leadership skills to help the company achieve excellence. He became an owner in 2007.

Mr. Eppers joined Carespring with more than 15 years experience in the long term care industry which began in 1989 with a large publicly traded corporation, Extendicare Health Services, Inc. There he served for eleven years directing internal financial operations, and accounting functions. Also prior to joining Carespring, Mr. Eppers was responsible for chief financial and operational accounting functions in both for-profit and not-for-profit multi-facility senior care companies. David began his successful professional career working for the audit division of Arthur Anderson & Company.

David was born and raised in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, enjoying youth interests such as hunting, working on nearby farms and playing sports. His introduction to the business world was through his first job, restoring and selling antique furniture. David attended the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, where he played Division III football and met his wife prior to graduating with a Bachelors’ Degree in Accounting. Mr. Eppers is a member of both the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Since the early days of Carespring Health Care, CEO Barry Bortz has dreamed of having a corporate medical director who would move beyond industry norms to develop a culture of warmth and excellence in the delivery of geriatric care and medical services.

Dr. Art Gendelman’s appointment as Carespring’s Director of Clinical Services in 2005 marked the fulfillment of that dream, and his impact upon each facility has been dramatic and measurable.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Dr. Gendelman is responsible for building the future of its health care, as Carespring is setting the pace through his initiatives. Dr. Gendelman is responsible for the implementation of resident care policies throughout the facilities and the coordination of medical care to all residents. He leads and manages the Carespring team of medical directors and interacts with the healthcare delivery team, which includes the directors of nursing, nurses at all levels of direct care and management, and employees whose role descriptions directly interact with medical care.

Dr. Gendelman has been in private practice since 1981. He has  served as the Medical Director at Eastgate Health Care Center, as well as Medical Director of other nursing homes.

Dr. Gendelman brings with him a long resume of business experience. He was Vice President of Internist of Anderson, Inc., leading and overseeing all aspects of management including human resources, finance, information technology, insurance billing and business development. Dr. Gendelman has also been an Investment Advisor for the Internist of Anderson Pension Profit Sharing Plan. Dr. Gendelman served on the Finance Committee for Physician Services of Mercy Hospital, and was an executive committee member of Medica where he played a key role in mobilizing physicians under an IPO in contracting with insurance companies for physician services. Dr. Gendelman also helped develop software for an electronic medication ordering system which was sold to Quest Diagnostics (formerly RX MadeSimple).

Dr. Gendelman has been widely active in his industry and community. He is a member of the Ohio State Medical Association, the American Medical Association and the American Medical Directors Association. He’s Board Certified in Internal Medicine, his most recent recertification coming in 2004 by both the Board of Internal Medicine as well as the American Medical Directors Association.

Dr. Gendelman earned his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati Medical School in 1978, and served his residency at the Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati Internal Medical Program from 1978-1981. Dr. Gendelman did his undergraduate work at Ohio University, earning degrees in Math and Pre-Med. Dr. Gendelman is married to his beautiful bride, Susan. They have three wonderful children: Sami, Stacy, and Artie.

Kim Majick is Carespring’s Chief Development Officer. She began her career at Carespring in 1999 as the Director of Marketing and Admissions at Eastgatespring Health Care Center.

Since 2002, Kim has served in significant corporate functions. Kim is responsible for all television, radio, and print media, as well as implementation and oversight of online media strategies and social media content. Kim also leads Carespring’s efforts to serve every community which hosts a Carespring facility, which includes community events, speakers’ bureau, sponsorships and other forms of community support.

In addition, Mrs. Majick directs Carespring’s sophisticated and thorough admissions processes and supervises admissions at all of the facilities. With a strong emphasis on sales leadership, training and development, Kim oversees the sales functions of each of Carespring’s admissions teams assuring that the relationships with community health partners are developed to the fullest extent.

Kim’s executive prowess has contributed to census growth and increased visibility in all of the communities that Carespring serves. As well, her vast understanding of changes in the healthcare climate, and the need to be nimble in effective care delivery make her a sought after change leader within Acute Care Systems that Carespring serves. Serving on many hospital committees and boards allows Carespring to be at the forefront of change and innovation in preferred partner relationships, bundled payment programs and ACO models of care.

Kim received her Bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University, which she attended on a Division One Volleyball Scholarship. Kim and her team achieved success on and off the court, where they not only did well competitively but also held the highest grade point average in the NCAA for two straight years.

Team sports have always been a part of Kim’s life and she has transported the valuable concepts learned there into an executive world that often must depend on outside consultants and team-building exercises to incorporate winning concepts into everyday team performance.

Kim is also a licensed Social Worker who has spent her entire career in the health care industry. She started as a hospital social worker at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, before being recruited to become the Director of Admissions and Marketing at Eastgate. Geriatrics has always been her calling and she feels blessed to have been able to have such wonderful experiences in the field.

Kim and her husband Mark live in Clermont County with their two children, Eli and Sydney.

John Muller is an ambitious, thoughtful and caring service provider who brings a significant mix of gifts and talents to the Carespring Corporate Leadership team. His impact upon direct care, customer service, organizational leadership, and corporate culture is felt throughout the Carespring Health Care network of facilities. Mr. Muller is not only a skilled Physical Therapist (licensed in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana) but also is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and holds a Master’s degree in Education in the area of Health and Exercise Promotion.

John was recruited to Carespring as the Director of Rehabilitation services at Highlands of Ft. Thomas. Three years later,  John was promoted to the corporate role of Vice President of Rehabilitation Services, charged with the objective of reproducing his excellent track record of clinical and managerial outcomes at the other Carespring facilities. The results in terms of clinical outcomes, financial outcomes, and systems development and refinement were excellent. After assisting in developing a successor to continue the progress he made in his role as Vice President of  Rehabilitation Services, Mr. Muller shifted his career focus to facility operations. “Teaching and training our staff to deliver a high quality, clinically excellent therapy product was a driving force for me, and now we’re able to communicate that past the realm of the therapy departments to all of the Carespring departments and facilities,” Mr. Muller reported recently. “I always love it when someone who knows the long-term healthcare world comes into a Carespring facility. They’re consistently surprised when they enter and more hopeful when they leave, and I’m humbled and grateful to be working with such a fine team.”

In June of 2007, Mr. Muller was asked to take on the challenge of a facility under regulatory scrutiny and public relations stress. Mr. Muller and his Team successfully led the facility back into substantial compliance with the OIG. The track record at this facility continues today, with positive clinical, satisfaction, and operational results being consistently delivered. In 2010, Mr. Muller was recognized by the American College of Health Care Administrators with the Long Term Care Facility Leadership Award. 2011 brought Muller and the Villaspring Team the Risk Management Solutions rare Circle of Excellence Award for a record of consistent compliance with and exceeding sound clinical and risk management practices.

While delivering these results in the field Mr. Muller maintained an active role on the Carespring Corporate Leadership Team. He is one of five Executive Vice Presidents who work directly with the CEO, CFO, and CCO. Together this Team guides, leads, and actuates operations for Carespring Healthcare Management, which continues to grow and add facilities in the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Dayton areas.

John is a native Hoosier, born and raised near Evansville in Newburgh, Indiana. He received his Associate Arts degree from Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL where he played basketball and was a NJCAA Academic All-American. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy from IUPUI in 1996 and Master’s of Education from the University of Cincinnati in 2006. John obtained his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

John and his wife Terri live in Ft. Thomas, KY with their three children, Liza, Luke, and Lily. They are active in the community through John’s service as a Campbell County YMCA Board member, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Luke Muller Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament which benefits rotating agencies whose mission it is to battle childhood cancers. In 2014, John was elected to Ft. Thomas’ City Council.

As the Human Resource Manager, Barb manages a varied and extensive load of initiatives and is responsible for bringing leadership solutions to administrative items which rarely look the same from day to day.

“Carespring is always one step ahead of other long term care facilities and is always on the edge of technology and customer service,” Ms. McFarland has said of her professional commitment, while also appreciating the opportunity for personal growth. “Carespring allows me to pursue creative and technological interests while executing the responsibilities within my job scope.”

Starting with her assignment as the Medical Records Coordinator at Eastgate Health Care Center in 1994, Barb has always cared deeply about her management work in the Carespring environment. She earned her Associates Degree at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in Records and Information Management. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, Barb continued her efforts in streamlining the Medical Records function at Eastgate and turning it into a highly efficient department.

Ms. McFarland manages inter-company communications and serves as the corporate liaison to several major administrative accounts. Barb helped develop new software and web applications including the employee online orientation program, the personnel database for tracking all employee benefits, and the employee website. Acting as the HR liaison for each of the Carespring facilities, Barb also helps to coordinate all employee benefits including medical insurance.

Barry Bortz spent his entire career and most of his adult life dreaming about what the future of health care could and should be.

Under his vision, Carespring Health Care Management has emerged as the foremost senior health care organization in Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky As the organization’s creator and visionary, Barry led this charge and his leadership team continues to promote his dream today.

Mr. Bortz traveled an unusual route to become CEO of Carespring Health Care Management.  He left high school to join the Marines and graduated at the top of his regiment in boot camp. He then served 12 months in Vietnam before returning stateside to earn his GED.

With the money he earned from the service and the GI Bill, Barry put himself through college while working part-time jobs in Cincinnati hospitals.  After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Mr. Bortz earned his Nursing Home Administrator’s licenses in Ohio (1981), Florida (1988) and Kentucky (1992).

Barry built his first facility and opened it in 1986 as Eastgate Health Care Center. His commitment to providing care through innovative facilities and expertly trained team members has fueled the growth of Carespring and will continue to inspire opportunities into the future.  .

Barry’s highest inspiration was to honor his mother, Elinor L. Willet, RN, who instilled in him both a heart for caregiving as well as a sense of stewardship of all with which we’ve been entrusted. She is the inspiration for the Angel Award that Carespring gives each year to honor a heroic act by one of its employees, and she’s also the namesake of a nursing scholarship at University of Cincinnati’s Raymond Walters nursing school.  Today, Carespring continues to honor Elinor’s memory as well as Barry’s through The Carespring Hero Scholarship Fund, a fund established to help build the future of long term care through educating and inspiring current Carespring team members. 

Barry passed away September 1, 2016.  He leaves a legacy that the organization will strive daily to honor with love, commitment, grace and leadership.