Care Team Members

InnovAge Colorado PACE - Thornton

Center Director
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As a young student, I was blessed with the opportunity to regularly visit and spend time with residents at a local nursing home. That humbling and impactful experience, as well as the encouragement of a close friend and mentor later in life, compelled me to seek a career in this amazing line of work, which I now consider my calling.

Mike Maschka joined the Thornton PACE center in 2017, bringing more than 15 years of experience in leadership roles at various senior living and healthcare facilities. Prior to joining InnovAge, Mike served in executive positions with Catholic Health Initiatives’ Villas at Sunny Acres and Mountain Vista Senior Living Community. Mike has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Denver and is a licensed nursing home administration in Colorado and New Mexico.
 
Professional Bio

Regional Medical Officer – Central and Western Regions
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My father always said, "It takes courage to age." I enjoy working with the interdisciplinary team at InnovAge, and courageous seniors, to keep our worlds large, and our time meaningful.

Dr. Strange earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the St. Louis University School of Medicine, and is a diplomate with the American Board of Family Practice. A Colorado native, she has spent her career in private practice and residency faculty positions, teaching the next generation of family physicians in Pueblo. In 2015, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors gave her the Bronze Program Director Award. Under her leadership, Southern Colorado Family Medicine in 2012 and 2015 received NCQA Level 3 recognition for providing patient-centered medical care. Dr. Strange’s husband is also a family practitioner and they have three children. She enjoys volunteering with her church, riding bicycles and hiking.
Professional Bio

Medical Director
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Aging and illness sometimes make it hard to experience quality living. My goal is to help ease those difficulties so patients can enjoy life and participate in things that make them happy.

Dr. Litvak enjoys coming to work to learn from others, including patients, and is proud to be part of a medical team devoted to helping older adults. Following in her father’s footsteps, Dr. Litvak pursued a career as a physician. She earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She has worked in hospitals and private practice, including St. Anthony Hospital Systems and their affiliated clinics. She is board certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Litvak grew up in Michigan and has lived in Colorado since 1968. She is happily married and has three sons. She enjoys many hobbies such as softball, gardening, bonsai, travel, reading and golf.
Professional Bio

Primary Care Doctor
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I believe the two most important qualities in my relationship with my patients are trust and compassion—being able to put myself in their shoes so we can develop a mutual trust.

Dr. Davis brings valuable medical experience to the InnovAge PACE program. His areas of clinical expertise include Geriatric and Occupational Medicine, as well as acupuncture for pain control. He treats patients in a wide variety of settings including private practice, hospitals, urgent care centers, and a correctional facility. This helps him understand patients from many backgrounds. He is continually amazed at the resiliency of elderly patients and their ability to adjust and flourish at any age. Dr. Davis earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Michigan and his Family Practice residency at Mercy Medical Center in Denver. He is board certified in Family Medicine. He enjoys running and participating in triathlons. He makes documentary films on environmental and spiritual topics. He grew up in Detroit and has lived in Colorado for more than 20 years.
Professional Bio

Primary Care Doctor
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At one time in my career I made house calls. Most of my patients were older adults, often with dementia. Many were WWII veterans. During this time I developed an appreciation of seniors. They deserve the very best care; they’ve earned it.

Dr. Grushan grew up in New York but is a long-time Colorado resident. He previously worked at the People’s Clinic in Boulder, teaching new physicians at the University of Colorado/Rose Family Medicine Residency Program and most recently at Physician House Calls. He has expertise in Geriatric Medicine, Community Medicine and Pain Management. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and is board certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Grushan has also worked as a volunteer at the Samaritan House clinic. He speaks English and Spanish. Dr. Grushan is a self-proclaimed “Huge Colorado Sports Fan.” He is married with three children and enjoys skiing and biking.
Professional Bio

Primary Care Doctor
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I believe in creating a partnership with my participants.

Dr. Kimball is a board certified wound management specialist physician with additional qualifications in undersea and hyperbaric medicine, vascular medicine, geriatrics and surgery. She has a passionate focus on being a key opinion leader in the wound care industry and introducing innovative human designs that seek to improve the quality and delivery of care to patients.
 
Dr. Kimball received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School, completed her general surgery residency at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and completed vascular surgery research at the University of Utah. Dr. Kimball's primary professional goal is to build a thriving, self-sustainable wound management practice.
 
Dr. Kimball has two children, a son and a daughter.
Professional Bio

Primary Care Doctor
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I believe the most important part of being a physician is in educating people about their medical issues and developing a unique personalized approach to their medical care. InnovAge PACE offers a very unique, holistic approach to caring for people.

Dr. Vierthaler attended the University of Missouri- Kansas City for medical school and Internal Medicine residency. She then completed a nephrology fellowship program at the University of Utah. Prior to joining Innovage, Dr. Vierthaler worked at Colorado Kidney Care for fifteen years. Dr. Vierthaler loves hiking, fishing and gardening. She has two cats and one dog.
Professional Bio

Dentist
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I absolutely love working at InnovAge because the participants are such a joy to be around. I love hearing their stories and sharing time with them.

Dr. Kimball enjoys working in an upbeat, patient-centered environment where days are spent making a difference in patients’ lives, the quality of work is top-notch and the whole team is invested in success. He attended high school in Minden, Nevada, followed by college in Colorado Springs and dental training at University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. His focus is geriatric dentistry, oral manifestation of systematic disease and/or effects of polypharmacy on oral health. Dr. Kimball has lived in a variety of states in the South and West, but his favorite place to live is Colorado. He minored in theater in college and was a swing dance instructor and performer. He met his wife swing dancing; they now have two daughters and a cat.
Professional Bio

Nurse Practitioner
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I enjoy the relationship that develops over time at InnovAge among participants, their family members and our staff.

Joanne Lofthouse is a geriatric nurse practitioner, collaborating with physicians to provide primary care including physical assessments, evaluation of acute complaints and teaching. She is also a member of the multidisciplinary team developing and implementing plans of care.

Joanne earned Bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and nursing, and a Master’s degree in nursing from the University of Rochester in New York. She is also certified as a Gerontology Nurse Practitioner and specializes in geriatrics.

Joanne comes from a large family that is spread across the U.S. and U.S. military bases. She previously lived in Buffalo and Rochester, New York and now lives in Colorado. She enjoys hiking and snowshoeing.
Professional Bio

Primary Care Doctor
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I’m motivated at work because I know that every participant can teach me as much about humanity as I can teach them about staying healthy.

Dr. Poudyal is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology. She earned her medical degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed her residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.

Prior to joining InnovAge, Dr. Poudyal was a nephrologist. She strives to make high quality medical care accessible to everyone. She volunteers in primary care clinics to serve those that are uninsured and is passionate about developing programs and scholarship opportunities for children and young women in developing communities.

Dr. Poudyal grew up in West Texas and moved to Colorado in 2006. In her free time, Dr. Poudyal enjoys jogging, listening to 80’s music and reading.
Professional Bio