Meghann Luczkowski, Program Manager
After a decade in non-profit management and business administration, Meghann turned her focus toward direct support services and trained with the Lovaas Institute in Los Angeles where she provided early intervention services to children with Autism and support for their families. A move back to Philadelphia led Meghann to becoming a certified Special Educator, teaching grades 6-12 for several years before leaving the classroom to care for her own medically complex child. It quickly became clear that the systems in place to support families caring for loved ones with medical complexities and other disabilities were falling short, and that the family voice was often missing from the planning and implementation of necessary home and community-based services. Meghann is excited to bring her blend of professional and personal experience to PA Families Need Nurses Now - a program of Vision for Equality - to further its family-driven focus on advocating, educating, and creating a lasting change around the home health nursing crisis in PA.
Meghann graduated from Arcadia University with a degree in Psychology and earned her master's in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She presently sits on the board of Partnerships for Community Supports, is an appointee of the PA MAAC Consumer Subcommittee, and is an active member of the Imagine Different Coalition. Meghann's favorite and most important role, though, is Mommy to the three boys she and her husband still can't believe they are lucky enough to call their own.
Victoria Farrell, Community Coordinator
Victoria Farrell lives in Chester County with her son, Cole. Victoria’s background is in special education, with additional background in management, communication, and planning. Her son is a lover of all things outdoors and keeps her very busy between his activities and his medical complexities. Cole has Mitochondrial Disease and has a very diverse group of 30 doctors and 4 specialists and requires hospital-level care at home with the help of homecare nurses. Victoria is very dedicated to homecare initiative, not only because her son relies on their care, but because homecare is one way to keep families together in their communities, which is a right she strongly advocates for.
Victoria is also a member of the Imagine Different Coalition, Little Lobbyists, and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. She has done advocacy work with all of these organizations and is grateful for the opportunity and responsibility of being a voice and presence for families like hers.
Danna Casserly, Advisory Council
Danna Casserly is the Director of Development and Communications and a Supervising Attorney in PHLP’s Philadelphia office. Ms. Casserly has advocated for health care access for lower-income consumers since she began her legal career as a Staff Attorney with PHLP in 2013. Her work focuses on representing children with complex disabilities in Medicaid appeals involving denials of home health services, e.g. skilled nursing. She is committed to systemic advocacy efforts around improving access to home health services for children with disabilities. Ms. Casserly is a member of the Imagine Different Coalition, a grassroots effort led by a group of passionate and informed parents, individuals with disabilities, advocates, and professionals from across the state. Ms. Casserly earned her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Providence College. During law school, she interned in the Public Benefits Unit at Community Legal Services. She also served as a Research Assistant to Professor MaryBeth Musumeci and worked as a certified legal intern in Villanova's Civil Justice Clinic, where she represented low income clients in a range of civil disputes including public benefits, family law, and civil asset forfeiture. Ms. Casserly is a recipient of the Walter Lucas Public Interest Fellowship and the Deirdre L. Bailey Leadership Scholarship.
Gloria Shotz, Advisory Council
Gloria is a staunch advocate of a community life for all, regardless of your level of disability. While raising her son Jacob, Gloria learned first-hand how the lack of a highly qualified, stable homecare nursing workforce impacts families across the country in being able to support their medically complex loved ones at home. When Jacob earned his angel wings, Gloria vowed to continue fighting for better supports for families like hers.