The MyZiva Team

The MyZiva team offers more than 100 years of well-recognized and respected experience in the nursing facility profession, and is dedicated to the advancement of quality care and the empowerment of the profession.

A diverse group of healthcare experts and professional consultants from across the nation contribute to the information and resources contained in MyZiva. The following individuals are the creators of and core contributors to MyZiva:

MARIAN SCHARWACHTER
Executive Director, ACHCA-MyZiva.com

Marian Scharwachter, RD, AHCFA, CPHRM, LNHA, has been in the healthcare profession for more than 25 years, holding key operational positions in New York nursing homes while concurrently teaching long-term care topics in educational institutions. Marian is a Registered and Certified Dietitian, a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management and a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. She has been recognized as an Accomplished Healthcare Foodservice Administrator by the American Hospital Association, has served as president of a chapter of the American Society for Hospital Food Service Administrators and has worked on the public relations committee for the Long Island Dietetic Association. A graduate of New York University, Marian's experience ranges from the neo-natal unit at Stony Brook University Medical Center to several nursing homes on Long Island. During her internship at the New York Institute of Technology in 1997, she was honored with the Clinical Dietetic and Nutrition award. Marian was an adjunct instructor at Suffolk Community College and St. John's University and a substitute teacher at NYIT Culinary Institute. Marian has brought a wealth of experience to MyZiva, where she has authored numerous courses approved for credit by NAB and other certifying agencies and provides research and education on numerous topics. Marian's contribution to MyZiva has helped to make the site a leading resource for nursing homes across the country.

LYDIA RESTIVO
Director of Regulatory Compliance and Clinical Services, MyZiva.com

Lydia Restivo, RN, has been involved in long-term care for over thirty years. Starting as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Lydia later held positions such as Staff Educator, MDS Coordinator, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Nursing Services. Lydia has had the unique professional experience of being with a long-term care facility from its inception and leading it to become one of the finest facilities on Long Island. Under her leadership, the facility received perfect certification surveys continuously over the years. Lydia's past experiences include surveyor/auditor for IPRO (PSRO of Queens County, NY) where she assisted facilities with Medicare coverage determinations and quality of care requirements for Medicare recipients. Lydia has also been a consultant to numerous facilities over the years and continues to demonstrate her exceptional operational knowledge in the long-term care profession. She has been the president of AGENDA (Suffolk County Directors of Nursing Association) and is a current member of NADONA, the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care. For the past several years, Lydia has used her extensive experience to develop a body of courses devoted to providing facility staff with state-of-the-art information on a myriad of clinical and administrative issues. Lydia uses her expertise and the comprehensive resources of MyZiva to answer key questions from members of the industry, assisting staff in providing high-quality care to residents.

ROBERT ABRAMS
Founder - MyZiva

Bob Abrams, MyZiva's founder, is a nationally recognized leader in the long-term care community. Bob was honored as a "Pillar of Knowledge" by the New York Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) in March of 2004, in appreciation for his contributions to long-term care, for maintaining the highest level of professionalism for over three decades and for creating an educational foundation which will serve thousands in the years to come. In 2007, the American College of Health Care Administrators acquired MyZiva.com to provide MyZiva as an association benefit.