Celebrating 13 years of service to the Washington community

Mary Ann Buckley & Stephanie Chong
ESM Cares' Directors

Mary Ann began with ESM Cares in 2000 as the Assistant Director and now is the Director of Client Operations. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Ohio University and received her Master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Maryland at Baltimore. She has worked in a variety of settings with seniors, from an adult day center, a teaching hospital on the Geriatric Unit where she served on an Ethics Consult Team and in a nursing home setting. Mary Ann was trained by the Alzheimer’s Association and ran a Support Group in the nursing home.

Stephanie Chong, MSW, LICSW - Director of Operations
(202) 364-0013

Stephanie began with ESM Cares in 2006 as the Assistant Director and now is the Director of Operations. Prior to being a Social Worker, Stephanie was a Certified Home Health Aide, providing personal care to seniors for two years. Stephanie graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Fordham University. She has nine years of experience in senior living, including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Nursing Home and Dementia Care. Stephanie was trained by the Alzheimer’s Association and co-led a Support Group for families affected by the disease. She also has several years of experience providing discharge planning at a Montgomery County hospital.

Susan Walker, MSW, LICSW - Supervisor

Susan Walker has celebrated her 40 th anniversary as a Social Worker in 2007.  She has been a hospital discharge planning social worker where she worked in Rehabilitation Medicine, dialysis and on a Medical Unit.  She has worked in Home Care for 25 years and Hospice for 5 years.  Helping people to remain at home has been her mission as a social worker.

Martha Gaston, LGSW, ACSW - Staff Care Manager

Martha Gaston received her graduate degree in Social Work from the University Of Tennessee School Of Social Work. Her experience in senior services includes working as a Senior Independent Living Facility Social Worker, Home Health and Hospice Social Worker, D.C. Office of Aging funded Social Worker and has worked 10 years with ESM Cares as a Social Worker/Care Manager. Martha lived and worked in many areas of the world for many years. During her years overseas Martha continued her interest in aging and assisted in presenting seminars for the State Department's Family Liaison Office regarding how to cope as a child of an aging parent while living overseas. One recommendation was for these families to investigate hiring a Geriatric Care Manager.

Don McArthur - Office Manager

A Minnesota native, Don served in the US Navy as a Court Reporter aboard the USS Coral Sea, aircraft carrier, with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Don received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Marquette University and an MBA in Health Care Administration from The George Washington University. His work experience includes positions as an Administrative Assistant at Abbott Hospital, Minneapolis, MN; Administrative Resident and Assistant Administrator, Greater Southeast Community Hospital, Washington, DC; and Administrator, Springwood Psychiatric Institute, Leesburg, VA. Following retirement to Jupiter, FL, he worked with the Children’s Home Society of Florida as Data Management Specialist for residential and non-residential clients, and was Data Management Supervisor during the privatization of foster care services for Palm Beach County.

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