Post-acute care and CMS compliance leader

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Robert D. Zitsman, LNHA, MBA, NHA, has over thirty-five years of experience in healthcare administration, focusing on promoting excellent, evidence-based patient care outcomes and creating positive experiences for patients, residents, families, and staff. His extensive career spans the continuum of care from critical care to long-term care, including inpatient acute rehab, post-acute rehab, dementia care, assisted living, and entry fee model continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Robert has consistently maintained substantial compliance with CMS surveys for over twenty years. Currently, Robert serves as the Administrator at Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai’s Continuing Care Center, a 75-bed skilled nursing facility. He has held numerous leadership positions, including Interim Administrator at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Administrator at Escondido Post Acute Rehab, overseeing operations at facilities with up to 180 beds. His role at Life Care Services at University Village Thousand Oaks CCRC involved managing a 367-unit life plan community with a 48-bed skilled nursing facility and a 49-unit assisted living facility. Robert has a proven track record of improving facility performance, as evidenced by his tenure at GlenBrook Health Center, where he maintained a continuous Medicare 5 Star rating. At Palomar Heights Post-Acute Rehab, he developed and implemented the “Service that Sells” customer service training program and significantly improved the facility’s CMS Five-Star Quality Rating. In his role as Interim Director of Case Management & Social Work at Sharp Memorial Hospital, a 464-bed acute care hospital and trauma center, Robert was responsible for discharge planning, utilization review, and social work services. He successfully implemented patient flow improvement strategies based on the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s guidelines. Robert holds an MBA from Wright State University and a B.S. in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. He is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in California (#6110) and has been recognized for his contributions to healthcare management through multiple awards and achievements. With a deep commitment to regulatory compliance, Robert has led initiatives to improve patient flow, implement successful customer service programs, and enhance facility ratings. His expertise in healthcare operations, staff development, and patient care quality improvement makes him an invaluable resource for attorneys seeking an expert witness in healthcare administration and skilled nursing facility management.