Our Team
 |
Kathleen Ryzoc – Chief Operating OfficerSince 1988, Kathleen Ryzoc, a Registered Nurse, has worked in Home Health Care for most of her professional career. She started as a novice Home Health staff nurse and, as she gained experience in caring for patients at home, became the Operations Manager for Home Health agencies, while also being responsible for the company’s private duty home care, Infusion and DME programs. She was awarded her Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Jacksonville.Kathleen was agency administrator for over 10 years for a Home Health and Private duty company and was credited with achieving its Joint Commission accreditation at the initial survey. She served on agency committees for Performance Improvement, Policy and Procedure, and as a member of the Professional Advisory Board. She was also appointed to membership on the Board of statewide Home Health Care organizations.
Her other experiences, apart from operational oversight of home health agencies, include positions as Revenue Integrity Nurse Analyst in coordination with the regional hospital. She performed concurrent proactive/prospective audits for the Hospital as well as retrospective/defense audits as requested by insurance companies. Kathleen has worked as a remote auditor for Altegra Health reviewing claims for home health services submitted to Medicare. Kathleen joined the VNA and Hospice of the Florida Keys in December 2013 as the Chief Operating Officer, “saving the best job of my career for last.” She lives in Key Largo with her husband Paul. Please click here to contact Kathleen. |
 |
Steve Erjavec – Chief Financial OfficerSteven Erjavec is a successful executive with over 20 years of substantiated experience in financial, executive, and operational leadership in the dynamic environment of modern health care delivered in a not-for-profit setting.Prior to joining Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of the Florida Keys, Steve was the Chief Financial Officer of a major regional health care related not-for- profit organization providing financial, executive, and administrative leadership as that company grew organically and through acquisitions from $8 million in annual revenue with 140 employees to $95 million in revenues with 850 employees.
Steve is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. He is a former long- time member of the Executive Association of Fort Lauderdale. Please click here to contact Steve. |
 |
Liz Kern – CEO EmeritusLiz Kern, current CEO Emeritus, is the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of the Florida Keys.She is the vision and backbone of the organization which was originally established as a Hospice care agency in support for residents who were afflicted with the Aids virus.
As a result of Monroe County’s rural designation and that residents living in the Keys were so far removed from adequate and qualified home health care, Ms. Kern recognized the communities need for better access to health care and expanded the agency to include the first ever home health care system in the Keys. This expansion established the oldest – and only – non-profit home health and hospice care agency that serves all of Monroe County. Ms. Kern holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Regional Planning with a focus on Health Planning. She has served on numerous Governing, Executive and Advisory boards throughout Florida such as; Florida Keys Assisted Care Coalition, Health Council of South Florida, Rural Health Network, and Florida Council of Visiting Nurses, Inc. |
 |
Kim Sovia-Crandon – Development DirectorKim Sovia has over 30 years of experience as a successful professional with a strong leadership background in the nonprofit industry, both in Monroe and Miami-Dade County. In 2006 she started her own Public Relations and Consulting company specializing in marketing, multi-media, government and political affairs, as well as grant writing and specialized event planning for non-profits after working many years for Clear Channel Communications as Station Manager for WCTH and Regional Sales Director.Prior to joining the VNA/Hospice team, Kim was the Florida Keys Congressional Aide for seven years under the leadership of Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, as well as the Executive Director for the Good Health Clinic in Tavernier, the only free health care clinic in Monroe County. Her credentials include being the Executive Director of the Deering Estate Foundation, first woman hired as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce taking over the reins shortly after Hurricane Andrew.
Prior to that Kim worked as the United States Conference Center Liaison officer with the Department of Defense at Homestead Air Force Base and held the position of Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations for the Homestead Air Force Base Federal Credit Union for several years. In her previous life, she produced, directed and hosted a local cable series titled Gateway to the Keys, as well as the on-air personality for the popular WCTH Clear Channel Radio’s South Dade Living Show. She is the proud recipient of a Television Academy of Arts and Sciences 1999 Telly Award as Co-Producer for a documentary film she produced titled Homestead, Florida City, The Towns that Wouldn’t Die. Her past professional affiliations include serving on the boards of several civic and charitable organizations such as; Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, founding president of the South Florida Motorsports Host Committee, Coalition of Chambers, Miami U.S.O., South Miami-Dade Economic Development Task Force, Miami Dade Community College Advisory Council, South Dade Kiwanis, Coalition of Florida Farmworkers, and the American Cancer Society. She believes strongly in giving back to her community and paying it forward and works tirelessly in support of causes that she believes truly make a difference. Please click here to contact Kim. |
 |
Joanne Mahoney, MD – Medical DirectorDr. Joanne Mahoney is an internist and is affiliated with Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, part of the Baptist Health South Florida system.She received her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and has been in private practice for over 26 years. She has worked with VNA/Hospice as the Hospice Medical Director for the same period of time.
Specializing in the field of Internal Medicine, Dr. Mahoney provides care to patients suffering from a wide range of illnesses and diseases, ranging from the very common to the very rare. Her internal medicine training and residency was done at East Tennessee State University and Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for 25 years. Her clinical interests include hospice and end of life care, as well as complementary and alternative therapies. |
 |
Albert Sullivan, MD – Hospice PhysicianBiography and Image Coming Soon- Return to Top - |
 |
Elizabeth Allatta, MSN – Director of Clinical ServicesBorn in New Jersey. Married with 4 children and 2 step-children. Received her RN and BSN at William Paterson College in Wayne, NJ and her MSN and Nurse Practioner degree at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.After many years working as a Pediatric nurse practitioner for the local hospital she then went on to be a college assistant professor of nursing at Mercer County Community College in Trenton NJ. Elizabeth also conducted and taught numerous school based clinics through the state of NJ for many years until she transitioned into the home health and hospice field where she joined the VNA/Hospice clinical team in 2006.
She has been influential in the opening of VNA/Hospice of the Florida Keys new Palliative Care program. |
 |
Debbie Premaza – Director of Clinical ServicesA native of South Florida, Debbie graduated from Miami Dade Community College with Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree. She attended the University of Miami where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1982.Debbie’s career in nursing began as an aide in high School working at Mercy Hospital, leaving in 1990 as a Head Nurse at which time she moved to the Keys to begin her career in home health. She worked and managed multiple Home Health agencies throughout Florida and Monroe County for over 17 years and has an extensive background and experience in caring for people with Alzheimer’s and elder care.
With a deep passion and commitment toward helping people in her community, Debbie shifted her specialty to hospice care in 2005 and later joined VNA/Hospice of the Florida Keys in 2011. In 2014 she was promoted to the Director of Clinical Services for the Upper and Middle Keys market. Debbie serves as the leader for the Health Ministries program at Burton Memorial UMC and is an active member of the United Methodist Women’s group and Administrative Council. Her most current community project is “Raising Hope”, a group of caring mothers in the health care community that raise money to assist in the medical costs of treatment and to raise awareness of anorexia nervosa in teens. Debbie is a graduate of Leadership Monroe and her past professional associations and memberships include the Health Council of South Florida and Rural Health Network. She also is the founding member and organizer of the Wellness Interfaith Network – which led to the current department of Community Health Ministries at Baptist Health Systems. Debbie is married to a well-known fishing guide and a devoted mother to their 19-year-old daughter. |