Bridges of Caring — Board of Directors

President

Nancy Sanchez

As a physical therapist for over 25 years, Nancy worked in a number of different rehabilitation settings including; acute hospital care, outpatient sports medicine clinics, skilled nursing homes, home health services and in a wellness rehabilitation recovery center. In 1990, she co-founded a multimillion dollar outpatient clinic which was sold eight years later. It was during her work in the home health services industry that she became acutely aware of the problems people experienced in their personal lives following a major medical crisis. She witnessed the challenges individuals faced both financially and emotionally and wanted to help find a way to contribute her own understanding of these situations to create solutions to the problems so many people were facing.

Vice President

Linda Behling

About 30 years ago, Linda's father suffered a series of strokes which left him completely paralized on his left side. He was placed in a nursing home and during his stay there he was abused. The family was unable to protect him, and in frustration wrote to the governor who referred them to the State Nursing Home Director. Through her personal mission to resolve the problems her family was dealing with she came into contact with many people who where facing similar situations. This group of individuals formed a board of directors and Linda became the secretary. Their group made surprise visits to many nursing homes and then met to find ways to improve the quality of care. When she was approached by BBOC and asked to join she was excited to become a part of an organization geared towards helping those who are unable to help themselves. She has a background in network sales of health related products and over 35 years in the insurance industry.

Bookkeeper

JoAnn Gomen

JoAnn and her husband owned their own business for several years but sudden health issues left them with no income and they were forced to close. They needed assisance until they could find new employment and they experienced the personal, emotional and financial struggles associated with medical events. Later her husband contracted diabetes and heart failure. At one point he needed care while JoAnn was working. Because of her own personal experiences, JoAnn can empathize with the day to day struggles people must deal with when someone you care for is living with health issues and cannot care for themselves. She later received assistance from hospice care. JoAnn has over 40 years of accounting experience that she brings to BBOC.

Clerical Coordinator

Sharon Young

Sharon was almost 18 when her father was diagnosed with cancer. By the time he died 8 months later, his medical bills were astronomical and her family found themselves without any income. Her father's insurance provided by his company only covered limited portions of his medical costs, but she remembers the Cancer Society stepped in and paid the remaining amounts. She worked for an independent branch of Cottage Grove Hospital and enjoyed working with and assisting her homebound clients. She later left that employment to live with and care for her aging mother. She describes her mother's experience as being "blessed" by the fact that her medical expenses were fortunate enough to fit into the government's strict criteria and could be paid. Sharon's first hand experience taught her the importance of non-profit organizations and BBOC allows her to share what she has learned.