Founders
Lynette Jaramillo and Agnes C. Poore formed Casa de la Luz, LLC, in November 1998 with the intention of providing superior hospice care to the Tucson community. They built a team of individuals who were committed to guiding patients and their loved ones through the end of life journey with knowledge, compassion, and the highest ethical standards. Lynette and Agnes continue to lead the company’s mission with a hands-on approach to the company’s daily operations.
Lynette E. Jaramillo
Chief Executive Officer
Lynette E. Jaramillo has more than 40 years of management experience. She is a proactive and highly motivated leader with exceptional problem-solving skills. From 1990 to 1995 Lynette was the Arizona Area Manager of the second largest national home care provider. In 1995 she opened the southeastern Arizona market for a privately owned home health agency which grew to be the largest privately owned home health agency in Tucson. She left in 1998 after the agency was sold to a regional home care provider. After leaving the home health agency, Lynette partnered with Agnes C. Poore to found Casa de la Luz. She is currently a member of the Mayor’s Senior Task Force for the City of Tucson, Women at the Top, and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. In 2015, Lynette was awarded the Inside Tucson Business Women of Influence awards in the Outstanding Entrepreneur category.
Agnes C. Poore
Chief Clinical Officer
Agnes C. Poore, a Tucson native, has over 45 years of nursing experience, primarily in management and administration. A graduate of The University of Arizona College of Nursing in 1972, she received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 1991. From 1990 to 1998 she was the Clinical Director of Home Health for large and regional home care organizations. In 1998, Agnes partnered with Lynette E. Jaramillo to form Casa de la Luz.
During her career, Agnes has served on the Pima Community College Nursing Advisory Board, the Arizona State Board of Nursing RN Scope of Practice Committee, and the Arizona Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Board of Directors. She was honored as one of Tucson’s “Fabulous Fifty” Nurses in 1999 and was inducted into the Salpointe Catholic High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009. Agnes is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, the Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and the National Association of Women Business Owners. She currently serves as a board member for the Pima Council on Aging. In 2014, Agnes received the Professional Achievement Award from the University of Arizona Alumni Association, and in 2016 was named the Hispanic Business Woman of the Year by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Physicians
James Nicolai, MD, HMDC
Medical Director
Dr. Nicolai is a graduate of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine fellowship under the direction of Dr. Andrew Weil.
Read More >>
Rebecca Powell, MD, HMDC
Associate Medical Director
Dr. Rebecca Powell is the founder and current chair of the Casa de la Luz agitation committee, an innovative program that researches and recommends non-pharmacological interventions for treating agitation in patients with dementia.
Read More >>
J. Kevin Carmichael, MD, FIDSA
Hospice Physician
Dr. Carmichael has dedicated most of his career to caring for people with complex medical conditions.
Read More >>
Richard Hoffman, MD
Hospice Physician
Richard Hoffman, M.D. joined the Casa de la Luz team in November 2015. He retired from the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System after 22 years.
Read More >>
Gail McDonald, MD, HMDC
Hospice Physician
Gail McDonald is board certified with the American Board of Family Medicine and the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has recently obtained her certification as a hospice medical director.
Read More >>Executive Leadership
Piper Frithsen, M. Admin, RN
Administrator
A registered nurse for over 25 years, Piper brings a wealth of bedside and leadership experience to her role as Casa de la Luz Administrator. During her 17 year venture in Tucson area hospitals she led multiple quality improvement teams and oversaw pat …
Read More >>
Jommel Fischer, BSN, RN
Director of Nursing
During her 27 years in healthcare, Jommel has worked almost exclusively with seriously ill patients. Beginning as a certified nursing assistant in hospitals and long term care facilities, she joined Casa de la Luz in 2004 as a licensed practical nurse …
Read More >>
Natalie Ronstadt, SHRM-CP
HR Director
Natalie Ronstadt has been with Casa de la Luz since the summer of 2002. The majority of her professional career has been in the healthcare industry
Read More >>
Ken Winchester
Chief Financial Officer
Ken serves as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, managing the Accounting Department and overseeing the MIS department.
Read More >>
David Fife
Director of Social Services
David Fife has been with Casa de la Luz since 2007. He served as a spiritual counselor with Casa prior to his work as director.
Read More >>
Karen Niles, BSN, RN
Quality & Compliance Director
Karen Niles joined Casa de la Luz in October of 2019. She has been a Registered Nurse in Tucson for almost all her 35 years of nursing. She received her Associates Degree in Nursing at Pima Community College and went onto the University of Phoenix for …
Read More >>
