Our Leadership

Meet Our Team of Experienced Leaders

phil ward website

Phillip Ward

President and Chief Executive Officer
Phil serves in dual leadership roles as Chief Operating Officer of Alivia Care, Inc. and President & Chief Executive Officer of Community Hospice & Palliative Care. In his role as President & CEO of Community Hospice, Phil provides strategic oversight and leadership for the hospice to ensure alignment with mission, vision, and values of the organization and to set the course for innovation, excellence, and growth. Joining the organization in 1992, Phil served in a number of leadership roles during a time a significant growth and expansion and his depth of experience and expertise ensures proper focus on the core hospice organization as the larger Alivia Care organization continue to grow and develop.
kenny stevenson website

Kenny Stevenson

Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, Kenny provides direction of operations to ensure alignment with the mission, vision, values, and strategic direction of the organization. Kenny is a seasoned healthcare executive with a track record of excellence in leadership, compliance management, and quality improvement initiatives. With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama, Kenny has been a pivotal leader at Community Hospice & Palliative Care since 2007, holding various positions including Director of Compliance, Vice President of Quality and Chief Compliance Officer, and the Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence.
dr ana sanchez website

Dr. Ana Sanchez

Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Ana Sanchez leads a multidisciplinary team of physicians and nurse practitioners, delivering compassionate medical services to over 1,500 hospice patients and approximately 600 palliative care patients across inpatient and outpatient settings. Throughout her 15-year tenure with the organization, Dr. Sanchez has been instrumental in advancing patient care standards and promoting education in Hospice and Palliative Care. Dr. Sanchez's contributions to the field have been recognized with one of the highest honors bestowed by the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. This prestigious accolade acknowledges her unwavering dedication, exceptional professionalism, and profound impact on the advancement of Hospice and Palliative Care.
mary mcelroy

Mary McElroy

Senior Vice President of Hospice Services
Oversees all clinical nursing and nursing assistant functions, including inpatient, home care, long term care, triage and nursing services administration. Mary received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University and a Master of Science in Administration and Health Services from Central Michigan University. In 2003, she was honored as one of the Great 100 Nurses of Northeast Florida.
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Annie Tuttle

Vice President, Philanthropy & Community Impact 
Annie, a graduate of the University of North Florida, has been a resident of North Florida for over 35 years. Annie provides leadership to the Foundation, establishes, and maintains relationships with donors, and works closely with the Board of Trustees to support their work on behalf of the Foundation. Annie has a wealth of knowledge having supported various local non-profit organizations including Champions for Hope, The Donna Foundation, Wolfson Children's Hospital, Hugs Across the County, and The Kate Amato Foundation.
phil ward website

Phillip Ward

President and Chief Executive Officer

Phil joined Community Hospice as a financial analyst in 1992 and has served in a number of roles including chief information officer and chief operating officer, a role he held from 2009 until his appointment as chief executive officer in June 2020. During that time, Community has grown to be one of the largest not-for-profit hospices in the nation serving more than 8,000 hospice patients annually. Community’s palliative programs serve another 8,500 patients annually including more than 300 children in its pediatric palliative program Community PedsCare. Phil is a graduate of the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida and is a frequent speaker on business analytics, development of hospice inpatient units, and measuring financial performance of business operations.

andrea fritz website

Andrea Fritz

Senior Vice President, Finance

Andrea is responsible for the Finance department and billing functions for the organization. She previously served as controller from 2000 to 2008. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the State University of New York at Geneseo and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Florida.

mary mcelroy

Mary McElroy

Senior Vice President of Hospice Services

Oversees all clinical nursing and nursing assistant functions, including inpatient, home care, long term care, triage and nursing services administration. Mary received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University and a Master of Science in Administration and Health Services from Central Michigan University. In 2003, she was honored as one of the Great 100 Nurses of Northeast Florida.

dr ana sanchez website

Dr. Ana Sanchez

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Ana Sanchez is Chief Medical Director for Community Hospice & Palliative Care and oversees medical services for nearly 1,300 hospice patients from a team of physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners. After earning her medical degree in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Sanchez completed a family medicine residency through the University of Florida in Jacksonville. Double-boarded in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine with more than 18 years of patient care experience, she began her own family medicine practice in Jacksonville, renting out one room in the office of her father’s psychiatry practice.

kenny stevenson website

Kenny Stevenson

Chief Operating Officer

Kenny provides executive oversight and management of compliance and regulatory issues, as well as the quality management program for Community Hospice. He is accountable for corporate compliance, quality, contracts, credentialing and medical records. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama.

annie tuttle

Annie Tuttle

Vice President, Philanthropy & Community Impact 

Annie, a graduate of the University of North Florida, has been a resident of North Florida for over 35 years. Annie provides leadership to the Foundation, establishes, and maintains relationships with donors, and works closely with the Board of Trustees to support their work on behalf of the Foundation. Annie has a wealth of knowledge having supported various local non-profit organizations including Champions for Hope, The Donna Foundation, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Hugs Across the County, and The Kate Amato Foundation.

Representation from the community is integral in guiding Community Hospice management. The organization was formed as a community resource by consolidating the efforts of various healthcare providers. Members of our boards provide insight about end-of-life needs, trends and other community issues.

Board of Directors

** – Executive Committee Members

Marie Gnage, PhD **
Chair

Greg Miller, MBA **
Vice Chair & Treasurer

Tracy K. Arthur **
Secretary

Alison A. Bartfield, M.D.

Steven Blumberg

Jane R. Boles

 

Selena Breedlove

Matthew G. Breuer

Gerardo Colon-Otero, M.D.

Nancy L. Dawson, M.D. **

Carlton DeVooght

Lt. Col. Bill Dudley (Ret.)

Dr. Wanda L. Ford

Audrey Gibson

John D. Logue, CFP

Michael Mayo

Wayne A. Marshall

Reverend Dr. Vaseal V. Montgomery

Mario Pulido, M.D.

Sandy L. Robinson, PhD **

Christine Sapienza, Ph.D.

Dr. Judy Sayre

Sue Leger-Krall, ARNP, Ph.D.

Dale M. Williams

 

Ex-Officio Members

Fontaine LeMaistre, IV **

Murray “Skip” Marsh **

Susan Ponder-Stansel **

Phillip C. Ward **

Emeritus

Joy Korman

Yank D. Coble, Jr., M.D. (Honorary)

Tom Petway

Lawrence A. Solberg, Jr., Ph.D., M.D.

Empower Our Mission

The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care generates philanthropic and community support for patient care services, family needs and community programs.

Quick Links

Click below to learn more about our Hospice Care, Palliative Care, and Advance Care Planning programs.

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Hospice Care

Hospice care is appropriate for people who have received a prognosis of 12-months or less to live. (6-months for Medicare)

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Palliative Care

If you or someone you love lives with a serious or complex illness, palliative care can help, regardless of your age or the stage of the illness.

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Caregiver Support

If you or someone you know has experienced the death of a loved one, the support of others can play an invaluable role in the healing process.