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Meet Our Team

Medical Director

David Reuben, MD

Preferred Name: Dave Reuben

• Past President of the American Geriatrics Society
• Past President of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP)
• Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine
• Chief, Division of Geriatrics Medicine at UCLA

Dr. Reuben is Director, Multicampus Program in Geriatrics Medicine and Gerontology and Chief, Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Sciences. He is the Archstone Foundation Chair and Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Director of the UCLA Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center and the UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care program.

Dr. Reuben sustains professional interests in clinical care, education, research and administrative aspects of geriatrics, maintaining a clinical primary care practice of frail older persons and attending on inpatient and geriatric psychiatry units at UCLA. His bibliography includes more than 220 peer-reviewed publications in medical journals, 39 books and numerous chapters.

Dr. Reuben is lead author of the widely distributed book, Geriatrics at Your Fingertips. Dr. Reuben is a past President of the American Geriatrics Society and the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs. He served for 11 years on the Geriatrics Test Writing Committee for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and for 8 years on the ABIM's Board of Directors, including as Chair from 2010-2011.

Associate Program Director 

Kemi Reeves, DNP, MBA, GNP-BC

Kemi Reeves, DNP, MBA, GNP-BC, is the Associate Director of the UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program and the inaugural Director of Nursing Health Care Equity for the UCLA Health System. Dr. Reeves' unwavering commitment to patient advocacy is at the heart of her work as a Dementia Care Specialist and pivotal to her efforts to enhance health care equity in nursing practice.

Dr. Reeves volunteers as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Nursing and has held numerous leadership positions at UCLA Health. She takes pride in mentoring and fostering an environment of creative and bold thinking. Dr. Reeves obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Saint Mary's College, graduated as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from UCLA School of Nursing, and completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Business Administration at Johns Hopkins University, focusing on Executive Leadership.

Dr. Reeves has received multiple awards, including the 2022 Osterweil Award for Innovation in Geriatric Medicine, the 2023 Inaugural UCLA Health Nursing Unity Award, the 2023 Inaugural Off the Chart Award: Rewarding Nursing Greatness, and the 2024 Just Action Summit Health Justice Commitment Award.

Program Manager

Andrea Centeno, MS

Andrea received her Bachelor of Arts in Gerontology and her Master of Science in Health Policy and Management from Mount St. Mary’s University. Prior to joining the ADC, she gained experience in social services and case management at skilled nursing facilities. With nearly seven years of experience in the program, Andrea has played a key role in training and onboarding staff, supporting administrative workflows and the implementation of the CMS GUIDE Model, and leading the administrative team while also consulting on administrative processes for ADC dissemination sites.

 Dementia Care Specialists

Michelle Panlilio, DNP, GNP-BC

Dr. Michelle Panlilio is the National Lead Dementia Care Specialist (DCS) in the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program, where she has been a DCS since 2013. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in nursing from Mount St. Mary's College and completed her Master's and Doctoral Degree from UCLA. Prior to joining the ADC Program, Dr. Panlilio worked in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Dermatology, and clinical research trials for Alzheimer's Disease. While Dr. Panlilio continues to see patients in the Westwood and Santa Monica offices, she serves as the National Lead DCS for the dissemination efforts of the UCLA ADC Program funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation. She is also the Lead DCS for the Dementia Care Aware Initiative, which is a collaborative effort with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and several University of California Healthcare systems, funded by grant developed in response to Senate Bill 48.

Leslie Chang Evertson, DNP, RN, GNP-BC

Dr. Leslie Evertson has been a Dementia Care Specialist for the UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care (ADC) program since 2012 and is a geriatric nurse practitioner with experience in primary and long-term care. She graduated from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences with a Master of Science in Nursing as an Adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and Forensic Clinical Nurse Specialist. Dr. Evertson obtained her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the Northern California State University Consortium.

Winnila May Escalante, ANP-C, ANP-BC

Winnila May Escalante graduated from University of the City of Manila (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila) in Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 2005. She then moved to the United States and worked in the inpatient setting as a bedside nurse handling adult and geriatric population. In 2014, she completed her Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) with Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP) specialty at Azusa Pacific University. As a nurse practitioner, she focused more on Primary Care and Internal Medicine to care for the adult and geriatric population. She finds the overall impact of memory disorders and dementia both fascinating and challenging. She is hoping to maintain and/or improve the quality of life of the patients and families she will encounter, therefore looking forward with enthusiasm in working with the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program.

Kristine Lee, AGPCNP-BC

Kristine Lee is an ANCC board certified Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Roseman University of Health Sciences in Nevada in 2012, then went onto get her Master’s in Nursing from UCLA, graduating as a Nurse Practitioner in 2017. Prior to joining the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program, her work experience includes adult internal medicine and geriatric primary care in home, long-term care and skilled nursing home settings. 

Ivette Jimenez, MS, AGNP-BC

Ivette Jimenez (pronouns: she/her/ella) was born and raised in Los Angeles. Ivette attended the University of California, Los Angeles for her undergraduate degree and the University of California, San Francisco for her Masters and Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner degree. At graduation, she received an extra certification in Diabetes Management due to her extensive training in diabetes. Afterwards, she continued her education at the San Francisco VA Medical Center where she completed her NP Residency. 

Since then, she has worked as a Primary Care Provider at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, and as the associate co-director of the NP Residency Program at the San Francisco VA.  Most recently, she led a Gerontology NP house call program. Currently, she is part of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care team. She is passionate about delivering family and patient centered care to all the communities she is part of.  

Ivette continues to be clinical faculty at UCSF and is active in community outreach to help BIPOC students choose careers in STEM.  

Ivette loves to run marathons and is proud of her Zapotec indigenous roots.   

 Social Workers

Vanessa Myrie, LCSW, MSG

Vanessa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with dual master's degrees in Social Work and Gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC) and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Before joining the ADC team, Vanessa worked with diverse adult populations at UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. She provided individual and group therapeutic services to adults with acute and persistent mental illnesses in outpatient and inpatient settings. Vanessa also has over 12 years of experience in the healthcare field, working primarily with the geriatric population as a caregiver, care coordinator, and medical social worker. She strives to promote older adults' safety, dignity, and independence. As part of the ADC team, her unique role as a social worker is to spot, anticipate and address psychosocial issues that impact a patient's overall medical care plan. Vanessa is passionate about aging, dementia, and elderly care. Her goal as a social worker is to support older adults and their caregivers by providing them with the resources needed to minimize the negative impacts of aging, ensure their safety and increase their overall quality of life.

Tori Boyer, LCSW 

Tori is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker born and raised in Southern California with a passion for improving the quality of life of people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. Tori received her Bachelor’s in Social Work degree from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and her Master’s in Social Work degree from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. Tori began her career in social work career at Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, providing individual and group support, education, and resources for families experiencing Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Tori also has experience providing psychotherapy to residents living in skilled nursing facilities.  Outside of work, Tori enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors – she is a certified scuba diver and loves to spend as much time as she can in the water!  

Submissions Coordinator 

Crystal Chime 

Crystal “Chioma” Chime holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and is currently advancing her education by pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Community Health. She joined UCLA in March 2024 and is a valued addition to the ADC team, bringing both enthusiasm and a strong commitment to public health. Before joining UCLA, Crystal worked with nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, where she developed a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable populations and the importance of accessible resources. She is passionate about addressing health inequities and aims to combine her academic and professional experiences to drive meaningful, community-focused solutions.

 Dementia Care Assistants

Casey Wang

Casey has been working in the healthcare industry for over 8 years. Prior to joining the ADC, she worked in a community pharmacy helping a diverse range of patients across Central and Southern California. She enjoys getting to know her patients and finding solutions to their concerns. Casey is excited to join the ADC and wants to continue her passion to improve the quality of care and life for patients in the ADC program.

Dora Waight

Dora is a veteran of the USAR where she served as a Medical Specialist for eight years. She spent the last 6 years working as an Administrative Assistant, at Easterseals Southern California Autism therapy clinic for children affected by Autism and behavioral challenges.  In addition to her role as administrative assistant; she sourced and developed additional programs, which provided families with helpful resources and discounts. These discounts and resources provided access to local beauty/barber shops, optometrist, doctors, dentist, and indoor play facilities that cater to children and adults with special needs. In addition, she is also a certified First Aid and CPR Instructor for the American Red Cross. Among her other talents and skills, she has a heavy background in marketing, sales and digital photography. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her family, line dance, cycle, ski, roller skate, and travel. She joins the UCLA Health team bringing with her creativity, her attention to detail, organizational skills, and team playing attitude. 

Ivy Aguilar

Ivy has been in the healthcare industry for over 10 years and is excited to join the ADC Program. She enjoys dealing with the administrative side of medicine. She loves to help patients and their families with guidance through their healthcare issues. She wants to help caregivers and families build a strong foundation to care for their loved ones. She wants to help in her community by offering compassion and skills to make a difference in people's lives.

Eliot Kagan

Eliot Kagan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Gerontology from UCLA. Prior to joining ADC, he worked in UCLA’s Neurology department, where he researched the molecular progression of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, striving to uncover insights into how these neurodegenerative conditions develop. Additionally, he conducted separate research focused on caregivers of dementia patients, exploring the challenges they face and the toll it takes on caregivers. Passionate about making a difference, Eliot is dedicated to helping both patients with dementia and their caregivers navigate the complexities of the disease and improve their quality of life.

Kesha Stanton

Kesha has over 8 years of working with seniors with dementia and helping their families navigate the road ahead. Prior to working with the ADC Program, Kesha spent three years as a Geriatric Care Manager and two years at a Memory Care Facility, where she was responsible for overseeing safety, security, and care of those clients. Kesha began her career working with seniors in local community programs. With years of training and experience, both professionally and personally, Kesha has found her purpose in life. Kesha is currently working towards her Masters in Social Work and after graduating, her intention is to continue working with the geriatric population. She is proud to be part of the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Program team at UCLA. It is her belief she must champion quality of life for all her clients: preserving dignity, celebrating individuality, enabling freedom of choice, encouraging independence, and involving family. On her free time, Kesha loves to read romance novels and spend time with family and friends.

Patient Service Representatives

Cristina Romero

Cristina is dedicated and passionate about helping patients and being part of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care program. She is a graduate from California States University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management with over 7 years of experience in healthcare. Thus, bringing a unique blend of patient care and administrative assistance to her role. Cristina is committed to providing those in the ADC program with compassion, support and guidance. 

Claudia Malta 

Claudia has over 10 years of experience providing high-quality patient care. During her career, she has worked in a variety of healthcare settings, including orthopedics and oncology. Claudia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Administration, which has equipped her with a deep understanding of healthcare systems and the skills to effectively manage patient care workflows. Claudia takes great pride in assisting patients to ensure they receive the highest quality of care and support and is excited to join the ADC program.

Student Worker 

Perla Tapia 

Perla Tapia is currently a 4th Year Student at UCLA, studying to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Biology alongside a minor in Spanish. Through CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) work at a senior living home, she became increasingly interested in the level of care and services available to geriatric patients, specifically populations with Dementia and Alzheimer's. Additionally, through volunteering as a Care Extender at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital, she hopes to obtain a more holistic perspective about patient care outside the clinical setting. By understanding both patient and caregiver needs, she hopes to learn more about the difficulties of vulnerable populations and become involved with making a difference.