At Patina, you’ll have a dedicated care team that gets to know you and what matters most to you. You are at the center of the team and always in charge. You can choose to make others part of your team, too – family, loved ones and others who support you.
Hear more about what you can expect from a Patina experience.
Primary Care Practitioners (PCPs)
Our board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners are committed to getting to know you and supporting your unique needs and goals. Your PCP will work with you and other members of your Patina care team to develop a personalized care plan and ensure you get the high-quality care you need, when and where you need it.
Patina Health Champions and Nurse Champions
Your Patina Health Champion is your “go-to” person for any health-related needs. Your health champion will take the time to really know you and understand your needs and goals. They’ll help coordinate your care, find resources, answer questions and advocate on your behalf. As a dedicated member of your Patina care team, your health champion will stay in close contact with your PCP and also bring in a nurse champion or other specialized resources as needed for your care.
LaKisha Blackwell
Patina Health Champion
Luis Gonzalez
Patina Health Champion
Nina Hernandez, RN
Patina Nurse Champion
JaCarla Royall
Patina Health Champion
Valerie Voluntad
Patina Health Champion
Irene Yeboah Ameah, RN
Patina Nurse Champion
Hee Cho, RN
Patina Nurse Champion
Ruth Manning, RN
Patina Nurse Champion
Marshalee Markland, RN
Patina Nurse Champion
Specialized Team Members
Patina focuses on supporting the “whole person” not just physical health. Our team includes experts who can help you with emotional or behavioral health issues, as well as individuals who support the design and delivery of our unique care model.
Expert Advisors
Depending on your individual needs, your Patina care team might also consult with one of the experts from our esteemed Clinical Advisory Board.
Kerry Burnight, PhD
National Expert on Aging & Founder of the Gerontologist, Inc.
Auguste Fortin, VI, MD, MPH
General Internist and Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
Bruce Leff, MD
Director, The Center of Transformative Geriatric Research and Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Reed V. Tuckson, M.D., FACP
Managing Director of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC and Co-Founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID
Andy Ellner, MD
Founder, Firefly Health, and Founding Co-Director, Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School
Brent Forester, MD
Chief, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, The Harvard Medical School
Kathy is a Patina Primary Care Practitioner. She leads care for her patients and works with Patina’s Nurse Champions and Health Champions to ensure her patients are receiving the convenient, personalized experience they want. Kathy enjoys having the opportunity to bring care to her patients where they are – whether it’s in-person or virtually. She enjoys spending valuable time with her patients and getting to know their values, goals, and preferences for the way they want to experience their healthcare and aging journey.
Those discussions are one of Kathy’s favorite parts of the job, as it helps her guide her patients and develop healthcare plans that are personalized to them. That’s why Kathy joined Patina. She understands that healthcare tends to plant itself front and center in our lives, rather than mold itself to fit our lives. At Patina, she has the opportunity to tune care to her patients. As Kathy says, “We want to know what ‘living’ really means to you!”
Kathy studied nursing at Neumann University and earned her MSN/NP, with a focus in geriatrics, from the University of Pennsylvania. An avid runner in her free time, Kathy has completed an astonishing 15 marathons (and counting!). She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family – especially her grandchildren.
Kathy’s Favorite Quote: “We don’t stop playing when we get old, we get old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw
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Michelle is a Primary Care Practitioner at Patina, where she cares directly for her patients while leading a collaborative care team that includes Nurse Champions and Health Champions. Michelle works hand-in-hand with her patients to identify their values, goals and preferences, which in turn allows them to lead in their own care. As a Primary Care Practitioner, Michelle values honesty and transparency. She encourages her patients to tell her exactly “as it is” rather than what they think she wants to hear – an approach that allows Michelle and her patients to make the best decisions together about their care journey.
Michelle has a unique perspective on what it means to age gracefully and with dignity, as she was raised by her grandparents while her own parents were in school. She joined Patina because she believes that exceptional care is based on trust and individual choice, and her goal is to use her clinical training and compassion to support her patients in making the best decisions for their health and well-being. Michelle trained at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, where she earned her MSN and BSN. She is also a licensed Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (A-GNP) and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).
Whether she’s running, hiking, or having a picnic, Michelle prefers to be outdoors in the sun. In her free time, she loves learning new skills and working with her hands, including everything from patching drywall to crocheting and sewing. She lives in Delaware County, where she loves being able to choose between going into town for food and community or driving to nearby parks and hiking with her family and their dog.
Michelle’s Favorite Quote: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world” – Desmond Tutu
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Katie is a Primary Care Practitioner at Patina. She provides care to her patients and works collaboratively with her patients’ care team to comprehensively support their healthcare and aging journey. Katie is energized by caring for her patients. She joined Patina because she believes all older adults should receive primary care that is focused on the whole person.
Katie, who graduated from Jefferson School of Nursing, believes primary care is built on meaningful, long-lasting relationships with her patients and their loved ones. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, Katie studied the bio-psycho-social model of health, which focuses on all of the factors that contribute to health. She partners with her patients to help them understand their health and ways to stay healthy, and then builds a comprehensive care plan that reflects their values, goals and preferences.
Katie has lived in West Philly and Center City, but her family has fallen in love with South Philly, where they currently reside. She says they were drawn to South Philly for the diversity, sense of community, proximity to city attractions, and of course, the food. In her free time, Katie enjoys cooking and baking, spending time with her family and friends and exploring the city.
Katie’s Favorite Quote: “Knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks
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Dr. Neil Patel is Patina’s Chief Health Officer, and has been a family doctor for nearly two decades. He guides Patina’s team of Primary Care Practitioners, Nurse Champions and Health Champions and ensures they have everything they need to give patients the healthcare and aging experience they deserve.
Dr. Neil, as his patients affectionately call him, joined Patina because he believes in taking the lead from his patients, honoring their expertise and wisdom and guiding them through the experience of aging. These beliefs have inspired Patina’s mission to create a new kind of primary care for adults 65 and over, one that completely reimagines the aging experience by prioritizing patients’ values, goals and preferences.
Dr. Neil graduated from Rutgers Medical School and completed his residency in family medicine at Boston University. He understands the importance of humility in the practice of medicine. In his eyes, healthcare is a gateway to helping people heal or age as confident leaders of their own journey. Patina’s care team is here to build that gateway for older adults, giving them greater strength in leading their own care.
Prior to joining Patina, Dr. Neil helped found a number of organizations, each of which aimed to improve primary care for people across the country. A father of three children, Dr. Neil enjoys spending time with his family.
Dr. Neil’s Favorite Quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
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Dr. Ristow is the Lead Primary Care Practitioner at Patina. She serves as added support for the Health Champions, Nurse Champions, and Primary Care Practitioners who make up her patients’ core care team. She oversees all care at a high level, and is part of patient care in complex situations or when coordination with specialists and hospital teams is needed. With a bachelor’s degree in biology from Claremont McKenna College, Dr. Ristow earned her Doctor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, and completed her internal medicine residency program at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Ristow believes high-quality care is working together with patients in equal partnership. She brings medical expertise to the table, but her patients bring vital knowledge of their own experience, values and goals. She says that throughout her career, she has been seeking a place to practice primary care in the way she knows it should be practiced – as part of a team that truly listens to each patient and treats them as leaders of their own care. That’s why Dr. Ristow joined Patina. Her goal is to learn what matters most to her patients, and to partner with them to ensure their care empowers them to live the life they want to lead.
In her free time, Dr. Ristow enjoys spending time in the parks and green space in her community just outside of Philadelphia on the Mainline. She loves the community feeling of each individual downtown. Dr. Ristow is an avid reader, and she loves to hike and explore new places.
Dr. Ristow’s Favorite Quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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Jamie is a Primary Care Practitioner at Patina, where she works to empower her patients, listen to their goals and needs, and provide care according to their personal preferences. Jamie believes those personal preferences — and the preferences of her patients’ loved ones — are critical to provide meaningful and comprehensive care.
Jamie is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson University, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, with a focus on family practice. At Patina, Jamie provides personalized care centered on knowing her patients and understanding their concerns. That level of understanding allows Jamie to help her patients make decisions about their care and aging experience that work best for them and their lifestyle.
A New Jersey native, Jamie has worked in Philadelphia’s Fishtown and Northern Liberties neighborhoods for years. She enjoys visiting the museums and restaurants Philadelphia has to offer. Jamie grew up spending much of her time with her grandparents, who taught her to appreciate the beauty in life.
Jamie’s Favorite Quote: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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LaKisha is a Patina Health Champion – or, in her words, “the person my patients didn’t know they needed.” She works hand-in-hand with her patients to coordinate their care, answer their questions and seek resources to ensure her patients receive the healthcare and aging experience they want and deserve.
A graduate of Penn State and a former elected official in Montgomery County, Kisha has spent much of her life helping people. She joined Patina because she wanted to be able to help her patients lead their own care, amid the often confusing healthcare landscape. Kisha finds joy in spending time with her patients and getting to know them in the context of who they are and what they value. Having worked on the health plan side of the healthcare industry, she knows her way around benefits.
Born and raised in Chester, Pa., Kisha currently lives in Montgomery County with her husband and their children. Kisha says she enjoys the walkability of her neighborhood and the friendliness of her community. She runs her own jewelry business at home, and is fond of traveling, experiencing new cultures and being on the water. Her friends, she says, call her “Cruise Kisha.”
Kisha’s Favorite Quote: “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” – Oprah Winfrey
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Luis is a Patina Health Champion. He serves as the go-to person on his patients’ dedicated care team, quarterbacking care. As a Health Champion, Luis takes the time to get to know every patient he works with, and to ensure he has a comprehensive understanding of their needs, goals, values and preferences. In fact, talking with his patients is Luis’ favorite part of the job.
Luis, a graduate of La Salle University, began his professional life working in finance before realizing he enjoys working with people much more than numbers. Luis has an extensive background in healthcare and education, and joined Patina because he is motivated by the opportunity to make an impact on peoples’ lives. He believes that you get what you give; Luis values the relationships he builds with his patients and has made it his goal to help them navigate the complexities of the healthcare system and empower them to, as he says, “live their best life.”
Born in Puerto Rico, Luis is a former ESL tutor. He resides in the Mayfair neighborhood of Philadelphia, a cultural melting pot where he enjoys trying new cuisines at restaurants in his neighborhood, volunteering for the local animal rescue as a transporter, and spending time with his family – including his two dogs, Tobbie and Rosie. When he’s not working with his patients at Patina or caring for animals at the shelter, Luis likes to travel.
Luis’ Favorite Quote: “Stand for what you believe, even if you are standing alone.”
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Nina is a Patina Nurse Champion — or, in her words, a “jack of all trades.” Nina’s role is to work closely with her patients’ Primary Care Practitioner and Health Champion to make sure they get the care they need. Nina does everything from having important discussions with patients about preventive care and wellness to helping families through confusing or critical healthcare events. Nina was fortunate enough to grow up in the same home as her maternal grandparents and right next door to her paternal grandparents. She says their own healthcare experiences deeply impacted her, and motivated her to pursue a career in healthcare and join Patina.
A graduate of SUNY Purchase College and Frankford Hospital School of Nursing, Nina approaches patient care the way she would want someone to care for her family and loved ones, and strives to ensure her patients know she is always in their corner. Before becoming a nurse, Nina received her undergraduate degree in literature, which is perhaps one reason why she loves taking time to listen to the stories her patients share with her.
In her free time, Nina likes to go on long runs, travel and spend time with her husband and their dog. Nina lives in Philadelphia, where she loves to spend time with her tight-knit community. Her neighborhood, she says, is the kind of block where you can knock on someone’s door for a cup of sugar or a few eggs.
Nina’s Favorite Quote: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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JaCarla is a Patina Health Champion. She is the go-to advocate on her patients’ care team, working with Primary Care Practitioners, nurses, specialists and loved ones to ensure her patients get the healthcare and aging experience they deserve. As a Health Champion, JaCarla has mastered the art of authentic listening. JaCarla joined Patina because her passion is helping people, and she’s able to do that by being someone her patients know will have answers whenever they call with questions.
JaCarla is a graduate of La Salle University, and has over a decade of experience working in healthcare, primarily on the insurance and benefits side of the healthcare system. She draws on this experience often to help her patients better understand what’s available to them through their health plan. JaCarla strives to give her patients the same quality of service she would want her own family to receive, and she does that by making sure she not only hears her patients, but listens to what they have to say.
Originally from Chicago, JaCarla currently resides in Mount Airy with her husband and their two children. In her free time, JaCarla enjoys participating in fun activities with her family, whether it’s having cousins over to the house, visiting museums or organizing playdates.
JaCarla’s Favorite Quote: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelo
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Valerie is a Patina Health Champion, where she works closely with her patients as part of their care team to ensure they have everything they need to live and age well. As a Health Champion, Valerie is the go-to advocate for her patients – or, in her words, their “cheerleader for anything related to health and wellness.”
Valerie, a graduate of Lincoln University, has worked in social services and healthcare for most of her career. She has extensive knowledge of how healthcare works and enjoys helping her patients navigate the complexities of the healthcare system to receive the care they need, when they need it. Valerie joined Patina because she loves helping her patients. In her words, “They come with a tapestry of stories about their lives, with knowledge of learned experiences.”
In her free time, Valerie enjoys cooking for company, gathering with friends and family (especially her two grandsons), going to the beach, walking trails and practicing mindfulness and yoga. Valerie grew up in a family of artists, and the creative gene did not skip a generation – she loves to paint whenever she has a chance. Valerie lives in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, where she likes to frequent her favorite Thai and sushi restaurants, and catch up with her community in the local coffee shop.
Valerie’s Favorite Quote: “To the world, you may be one person; but to one person, you may be the world.” – Dr. Seuss
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Irene is a Patina Nurse Champion. Her job is to work with her patients in their home, where she has an opportunity to get to know her patients personally in the context of who they are and how they prefer to live. She collaborates with her patients’ care team members to ensure her patients receive the healthcare and aging experience they want and deserve. A graduate of Harcum College, Irene is a registered nurse who understands that healthcare starts with seeing the person first — not their health conditions.
Irene joined Patina because she holds the practice’s mission close to her heart. She has had the support of many older adults throughout her life, and believes her work at Patina is an opportunity to pay it forward by helping her patients live the life they want. Irene loves what she does, and is motivated by helping her patients reach their goals.
Irene lives in Montgomery County, where she enjoys spending time with family and friends, shopping and cheering on Philly’s sports teams. Her favorite sport is rugby, which she also happens to play whenever she has the opportunity. Irene’s patients have taught her the importance of living life on her own terms.
Irene’s Favorite Quote: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
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Hee is a Nurse Champion at Patina. A graduate of the University of Virginia’s nursing program, Hee brings 25 years of nursing experience to her role. Working with her patients virtually, Hee supports her patients at every step of their care journey, from answering questions about treatments and therapies to being on hand to navigate confusing healthcare events.
Hee admires her parents, aunts, uncles and neighbors for the support they’ve provided her as she’s worked to achieve her dreams. That gratitude has fueled her passion for caregiving, and today, she is able to pay it forward through her work. Patina, Hee says, is unique in that it allows loved ones to easily be part of patients’ care, and ensure they have the support they need to enjoy a healthy aging experience.
Hee spent the first decade of her nursing career in telemetry, cardiothoracic, and heart and lung transplant step-down units, as well as trauma and general surgery in the ICU, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She also has an extensive case management background, related to Medicare complex cases and readmission reduction. Hee also worked as a utilization review nurse at Aetna for acute care admission, long term acute care admission, acute rehab and skilled nursing care admission.
Hee is a long-time resident of the Philadelphia suburbs, where she currently resides with her family. In her free time, Hee loves to read and listen to music, and is learning how to crochet. She has learned plenty of lessons from her patients, but foremost among them is to be humble and kind.
Hee’s Favorite Quote: “Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many” – Mark Twain
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Ruth is a Nurse Champion at Patina, where she meets her patients in person in their homes to ensure they receive the healthcare and aging experience they want and deserve. Ruth is a graduate of Abington Dixon School of Nursing and West Chester University, and has been a Board Certified Gerontological Nurse for over 10 years. Having worked with older adults for over two decades, Ruth strongly believes all people should be treated with respect and dignity. She believes healthcare should be easily accessible and convenient, and loves seeing her patients happy in their homes, receiving the care they need where they are most comfortable.
Ruth’s passion for caring for older adults stems from her experience with her own parents and their struggle to receive the care they wanted and deserved. Her favorite aspect of her role at Patina is the time she gets to spend listening and learning from the older adults she cares for.
A former high school and college science teacher, Ruth was born and raised in New York, and moved to South Philadelphia, where she enjoys local cuisine and watching the Eagles. In her free time, Ruth loves taking long walks through Philly’s neighborhoods and parks, and treasures the time she gets to spend with her three daughters.
Ruth’s Favorite Quote: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh
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Marshalee is a Nurse Champion at Patina, where she provides comprehensive care to older adults in the comfort of their home. As a Nurse Champion, Marshalee is able to address any concerns her patients have and follow up on any needs that require in-person care.
With a nursing degree from East Stroudsburg University, Marshalee brings over 20 years of nursing experience to her patients. Marshalee joined Patina because she is able to provide older adults the level of care she would want her own loved ones to receive. Marshalee works tirelessly to ensure her patients feel valued, empowered, supported and respected. She believes that by building a trusting relationship with her patients, she is able to help them live a full and independent life.
Marshalee resides in Lansdowne, where she enjoys spending time with her family. Being a nurse is Marshalee’s life’s work — she cannot think of anything else she would rather do. In her own words, “I have found that there is so much valuable life knowledge and wisdom that can be learned from older adults,” and she appreciates the opportunity to incorporate those lessons into her own life.
Marshalee’s Favorite Quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
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Alex is the Head of Clinical Operations at Patina, where he works closely with the care team to ensure every patient is receiving the level and quality of care they deserve. Alex joined Patina to change the way older adults receive care. He watched his mother take care of many of his grandmother’s healthcare needs, and even as a healthcare professional, he had trouble helping his grandmother navigate the complexities of the system.
At Patina, Alex says he is able to work with a talented team of mission-driven individuals who are working to change that system for the better. Alex believes listening and learning are key to good healthcare. The stories people tell, and their lived experiences, can give the critical context that clinicians need to truly understand their patients.
Alex brings key experience building and managing care teams and operating primary care clinics to Patina. A graduate of Wake Forest University, Alex has spent over a decade working in healthcare, including for large health systems and for healthcare technology companies focused on providing quality care for older adults. He is passionate about developing new ways to deliver dignified care to older adults.
In his free time, Alex enjoys Philadelphia’s local restaurants, and experiencing the physical and mental perks of a good exercise regimen. If he can exercise with his wife, their two-year-old daughter and their two lovable dogs, that’s even better.
Alex’s Favorite Quote: “Live for each second without hesitation.” – Elton John
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Lina is the Senior Manager of Strategic and Clinical Initiatives at Patina, where she works with the care team to develop new programs that ensure older adults are receiving the level of care and the type of aging experience they deserve.
Lina graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in human biology and a master’s degree in community health and prevention research. She is completing her Doctor of Medicine from Yale University School of Medicine, where she has conducted research on value-based care. She received her master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.
Lina has experience managing primary care free clinics, assisting health plan members with understanding their benefits, and designing and implementing new processes and quality improvement projects. She is passionate about value-based care, digital health and the opportunity to put those concepts into practice to deliver a high-quality and patient-centered healthcare and aging experience to older adults.
Lina’s Favorite Quote: “Listen to your patient; he is telling you the diagnosis.” – Sir William Osler
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Liza is the Director of Social Work and Care Navigation at Patina, where she partners closely with the care team to design and implement processes that make care more convenient for patients through coordination and social support. With master’s degrees in social enterprise administration (MSW) and population and family health (MPH) from Columbia University, Liza joined Patina because she believes all people deserve access to high-quality care and a care team that treats their whole-person medical, social and behavioral needs.
Liza loves to learn from Patina’s patients, their families and their communities. The time that Patina’s care team is able to spend with patients, she says, is a rarity in the healthcare industry, and allows each care team member to better understand the unique needs of each person they support. Liza believes that the ability to build those strong relationships empowers her patients to live their best lives.
Liza approaches every day with curiosity as she strives to learn from her team and her patients so they can all become stronger together. In her free time, Liza loves exercising, outdoor activities and spending time with her family and community in her neighborhood.
Liza’s Favorite Quote: “If we have no peace, it’s because we’ve forgotten we belong to each other.” – Mother Teresa
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Dr. Monika Downey is the Senior Director of Behavioral Health at Patina, where she helps the care team provide their patients with the healthcare and aging experience they want and deserve. As a Behavioral Health Consultant, she partners with patients to achieve their health-related goals by helping to navigate and manage barriers that may prevent them from living an empowered life. She enjoys helping patients tackle the challenges that often impact the aging process, such as insomnia, stress, adjustment to illness, caregiver burnout and the management of complex medical conditions.
Dr. Downey earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Palo Alto University and also holds a master’s degree in psychopharmacology from Alliant University. She has spent over a decade working in primary care and various medical settings promoting the integration of behavioral health into a patient’s routine medical care experience. As a licensed clinical psychologist with experience in health psychology, Monika is passionate about empowering people to live fully, independently and with dignity at every stage of their life.
In her spare time, Dr. Downey enjoys pickleball, hiking and playing frisbee with her Australian Shepherd, Huckleberry.
Monika’s Favorite Quote: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'” – Mary Anne Radmacher
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