Skilled Nursing Staff

Skilled NursingMeet Our Team
Located onsite at Rowntree Gardens, our Comprehensive Care Center includes our Medicare-certified five-star rated skilled nursing services and New Leaf Agency. Our full-time skilled nursing staff and therapists work closely together to provide complete, integrated services aimed at helping people recover more comfortably, regain their independence, and experience a better quality of life. Skilled nursing and therapy services are provided by a highly trained staff who treat every person with compassion, respect and expertise.
Community Medical Director Gordon Glasgow, MD

Community Medical Director

Gordon Glasgow, MD
Dr. Glasgow has been serving as Rowntree Gardens’ Community Medical Director since 1998. His favorite part of his role remains the interaction with the community members and their families. In fact, Dr. Glasgow says he continues to learn just as much from the people he treats as they do from him. After earning his medical degree in 1976, he completed his residency at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Canada followed by a cardiology fellowship at UC Irvine. Along with his medical expertise and excellent bedside manner, he is devoted to helping seniors live healthier, happier lives.
Elmwood Community Administrator Katie Popov

Elmwood Community Administrator

Katie Popov
A licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Katie brings over eight years experience in long-term care, case management, and emergency preparedness to her role as the Community Administrator for Rowntree Gardens’ Elmwood Care Center. As Community Administrator, Katie ensures that the staff provides the highest level of expert, compassionate care while meeting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid guidelines. She enjoys working with a team that shares her passion for helping others. Every morning, Katie takes a walk through the Rowntree campus to talk with community members and recharge herself for the day. Katie is grateful to be part of such a warm, welcoming community and is proud of the people she works with on a daily basis.
Director of Nursing, Elmwood Care Center

Director of Nursing, Elmwood Care Center

Grace Marqueses
As the Director of Nursing for Rowntree Garden’s Elmwood Care Center, Grace calls on her extensive background and training as a Registered Nurse, caring for senior patients in a post-acute setting. By encouraging collaboration and compassion across her team of nurses and caregivers, Grace ensures that the Elmwood Care Center continues to live up to its Medicare 5-star rating. Over the course of her career, Grace has taken to heart the important lessons she’s learning from seniors, especially when it comes to appreciating every moment as a gift. In her free time, she enjoys watching Broadway plays and musicals and brings this love of the arts to her time with the Rowntree Gardens community members.
Elmwood Community Admissions/Benefit Coordinator Yoly Viernes

Elmwood Community Admissions/Benefit Coordinator

Yoly Viernes
Yoly joined the Rowntree Gardens family in 2001. As the Community Admissions and Benefits Coordinator for our Elmwood Care Center skilled nursing facility, she helps people understand their insurance benefits. She also conducts regular bedside visits at hospitals to assess before they arrive at our Elmwood Care Center. An integral member of our skilled nursing services team, Yoly frequently meets with our skilled nursing staff to prepare them for new admissions and report on individual progress. With over 30 years experience in healthcare, Yoly serves as a trusted resource and source of comfort for families.
Social Services Designee David Plascencia

Social Services Designee

David Plascencia
An experienced Certified Restorative Nurse Assistant with certificates in Social Services and Trauma-Informed Skilled Nursing, David brings a deep level of compassion as well as competency to his role as Rowntree Gardens’ Social Services Designee. In that role, David collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to ensure that our Community Members thrive not just medically but emotionally and socially as well. This includes making sure Community Members and their families have psychological support and resources. He is inspired by the dedicated team with which he daily works to provide the highest quality of care and service to Community Members. When not serving at Rowntree Gardens, David enjoys playing baseball and exploring the outdoors with his loved ones, including his three beautiful children.
Elmwood Community Activities Director Karla Tellez

Elmwood Community Activities Director

Karla Tellez
Karla began working in the healthcare field in high school, as a volunteer in a skilled nursing facility. After graduation, she continued to work there as a certified activities coordinator while also earning her college degree in psychology, social and behavioral science. As the Community Activities Director for the Elmwood Care Center skilled nursing services at Rowntree Gardens, Karla focuses on helping community members find and participate in activities that interest them. She especially appreciates the family-friendly atmosphere at Rowntree, and encourages family members to join in activities as well. In her free time, Karla enjoys taking walks with her dog, going to Disneyland, and spending time with her loved ones.
Registered Dietitian

Registered Dietitian

Megan Settles
Rowntree Gardens Registered Dietitian, Megan, is committed to providing nutritional education and using her expertise across the community. Megan enjoys connecting with others and sharing her knowledge of healthy eating. As the campus Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Megan brings years of experience in nutritional education. She has completed her B.S. in Clinical Nutrition at the University of California, Davis, followed by a Dietetic Internship through California State University, Long Beach. Megan has worked in Northern and Southern California facilities, including hospitals, nursing facilities, and school districts. While nutrition is her passion, having the ability to create connections with Community Members and being a part of a team of people who care deeply about others is the best part of her position at Rowntree Gardens. Megan is an outdoor enthusiast with her happiest place being the ocean where she enjoys spending her spare time with family and friends.
Executive Chef

Executive Chef

Emilio Venegas
Emilio has been a valuable member of the Rowntree Gardens team since June 2004, taking on various roles within the dietary department. He is currently our Executive Chef, leading the culinary team to provide exceptional meals for our community. In his role, Emilio supervises the cooking staff, oversees food preparation and presentation, and ensures that all cooking staff undergo ongoing training. Emilio is passionate about bringing joy to our community members through delicious food every day. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports to stay fit and satisfy his competitive nature. Emilio takes pride in his accomplishments so far and looks forward to achieving more in the future.

Director of Rehab

Marshal Truong
As the Director of Rehab, Marshal Truong oversees New Leaf Rehab services for the Rowntree Gardens Community and outpatient services for the greater community. This includes scheduling treatments and evaluations, monitoring patient progress, performing safety checks for new community members, and attending interdisciplinary meetings. Marshal has been working at Rowntree Gardens since 2018, where he began his journey as a Physical Therapist Assistant. He received his bachelor’s degree from CSULB, an associate degree in PTA from Cerritos College, and a DPT from the University of St. Augustine. Marshal loves the rehab team as they are like his second family. He also enjoys interacting with the community members and finds it easy to go to work motivated and eager. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and dog, playing basketball, hiking, traveling, and practicing photography. He is most proud of the journey he has taken to get where he is today. The challenges he faced and the people he met along the way have all played a significant role in shaping him into the confident person he is now.

Skilled Rehab Coordinator

Edna Garcia
As the Skilled Rehab Coordinator, Edna Garcia attends and participates in rehabilitation and operation meetings, speaks with families and patients during care plans, resolves therapy-related issues, and oversees patient and therapist scheduling. Edna began working as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Rowntree Gardens in January 2018. She graduated from Stanbridge University with an A.S. from the Occupational Therapy Assistant COTA program. She has her California license as an OTA and earned her National Board Certification as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Rowntree Gardens feels like home to her. She gets the opportunity to work in a community where respect and values are important. She finds Rowntree Gardens unique because everyone goes the extra mile to help one another, from community members to staff. In her spare time, Edna enjoys spending time in nature. She is most proud to say that each day, she gets to make a difference in another person’s life.
Executive Chef

Campus Pastor

Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson serves as the Campus Pastor at Rowntree Gardens. In his role, he offers encouragement, support, and prayers to community members and staff. Additionally, Pastor Robert leads worship services, Bible Study, and Prayer Meetings. He also provides devotional sessions at the Gardens Memory Care and Elmwood Care Center worship times. Pastor Robert joined Rowntree Gardens in August 2023 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Christian Education from Biola University. He has over 35 years of experience in ministry, working on staff at Bellflower Brethren Church in various positions, including children’s ministry, youth ministry, and adult ministries. Pastor Robert feels a strong spiritual presence at Rowntree Gardens and enjoys working with staff and community members who share his love for Jesus. He is always available to listen, pray, and offer support to anyone who needs it. He loves the sense of family at Rowntree Gardens and is free to pray with people and offer support whenever he senses a need. In his free time, Pastor Robert enjoys riding his bike and spending time with his family.

"It is the staff that transforms a place from good to great, and your staff does just that."  — Robert B

One of the area’s few licensed, faith-based Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), Rowntree Gardens provides a full range of integrated onsite services to meet the changing needs of active seniors.
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