Meet the Authors
Peggy Baddour, MBA
Peggy Baddour, President and CEO of One Source Solutions, Inc. and LifeSource, Inc., has over 23 years’ experience in health care management and operations. Following successful IT positions in large health care organizations early in her career, she took a Senior Vice President position with a national health care consulting firm with 1,500 consultants. After six years of traveling the country as she worked with major health systems with operations including new product launches, finance, and billing, Baddour decided to focus on health care closer to home. She founded One Source Solutions, Inc., a premiere billing company serving clients in multiple states, as well as a coding training company for clients, staff, and the general medical community around her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina. After a friend who was running a nursing home told her how difficult it was to get certain residents the care they needed because of the difficulty of transporting them to providers in the community, an idea was born. Baddour founded LifeSource, Inc., a health care management business that matches mental health clinicians in the community with facilities to provide superior on-site care to the residents living in long-term care communities. It was a natural progression for One Source, which does all the
billing for LifeSource.
Baddour holds a BS and an MBA from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, NC. She also served as a Professor in the Cameron School of Business teaching statistics and management science courses. Currently, she serves on the University’s Health and Human Services Advisory Board.
Chuck Whitlock, BS
Chuck Whitlock is an author, professional speaker, and award-winning television correspondent. Among his awards are the Sigma Delta Chi Award in Journalism and the prestigious National Headliner Award by the Press Club of Atlantic City for his story about Medicare. Chuck has produced hundreds of television segments for shows such as Hard Copy, Extra, Inside Edition, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, and many others.
Whitlock served as Interim Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina/Wilmington and taught in the UNCW business school as Adjunct Professor after teaching business and entrepreneurship at Clark College. For his humanitarian and philanthropic contributions, Warner Pacific University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He held the position of Vice President of Communications on the national board of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association.
The author of 18 books, Whitlock has worked with mainstream publishers including Simon & Schuster, Macmillan Books, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Renaissance Books. In LifeSource, Peggy Baddour and he have assembled a distinguished group of contributors which includes some of the nation’s best psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health practitioners. Chuck is proud to be part of a book that helps caregivers of elderly patients who have mental disorders.
Tamatha Arms, PhD
As a dual-certified nurse practitioner in both Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and Psychiatric-Mental Health, Dr. Tamatha Arms brings over two decades of nursing experience to her work through teaching students and working with patients. Her career has been defined by a commitment to improving the lives of older adults and individuals with mental health needs through research, education, and clinical practice. Currently a professor in the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and co-editor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Dr. Arms is passionate about advancing the field of geriatric nursing, mentoring future nurse leaders, and contributing to evidence-based practices that improve patient outcomes. Her work has been recognized through numerous honors, including the GAPNA Rising Star and Leadership Institute Fellowships. She continues to advocate for innovation in nursing care through service and practice.
April Bennett, PsyD
As a licensed clinical psychologist with over twelve years of experience, Dr. April Bennett has dedicated her career to providing evidence-based psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and families. In her role as a clinical supervisor at LifeSource, Inc., she offers therapy, multidisciplinary consultation, and educational presentations in health care settings. She also serves as treasurer for the South Carolina Psychological Association, where she fosters mentorship and contributes to state conferences. With specialized training in psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies, Dr. Bennett is passionate about advancing healing, education, and ethical practice in psychology.
James Bouknight, MD
Dr. James Bouknight is a psychiatrist with extensive expertise in adult and geriatric psychiatry. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of South Carolina and an MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. With a career spanning over four decades, he has served in various academic, clinical, and leadership roles, including as Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program at the University of South Carolina and Chief of Medical Staff at Palmetto Health Baptist. He is board-certified in psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry, with notable contributions to mental health care, particularly in long-term care settings. Dr. Bouknight has authored multiple publications and delivered presentations showcasing his commitment to improving care for aging populations. His academic achievements and leadership have earned him numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association award.
Tiffany Jackson, DNP
Tiffany Jackson is a nurse practitioner and educator with over fifteen years of experience spanning acute care, hospice, and palliative medicine. Her clinical focus and scholarly interests are improving the quality of life for individuals with serious illness and advancing palliative care education across nursing curricula. She serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Nurse Practitioner in the Charlotte region’s hospice and palliative care network. With a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Chatham University and board certifications in Family Practice and Hospice and Palliative Nursing, she has committed her career to mentoring future clinicians, developing innovative teaching strategies, and contributing to interdisciplinary care models that support patients and families. Whether through simulation-based learning, faculty-led research, or community engaged service, she is passionate about bridging academic excellence with compassionate care.
Kevin O’Neil, MD
Certified in Geriatric Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Kevin O’Neil is a geriatrician with nearly 20 years of experience as a Chief Medical Officer. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Fellow of the American Board of Internal Medicine. As the founder of O’Neil Senior Health Consulting, LLC, he offers comprehensive consulting services that enable health care provider groups and senior living companies to optimize their geriatric health care offerings. Together, they develop strategies that focus on improving patient care, increasing operational efficiency, and ensuring compliance with the latest health care regulations.
John Painter, PMHNP
As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C), John Painter has spent the last two years providing psychiatric services in long-term care settings, focusing on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning. With over ten years of experience in acute care, he brings a comprehensive understanding of patient needs and evidence-based care. He holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree with specialties in both Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practice, and he is committed to improving mental health outcomes while supporting the growth of future nurse practitioners.
Michael Penland, PhD
Dr. Michael Penland is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in long-term care settings, with a focus on the mental health care of older adults. He holds a PhD from Florida State University and has worked with various mental health and health care organizations, including as Clinical Director at LifeSource Healthcare Management Services. He has contributed significantly to the field through his work as a clinician and educator, including his involvement in developing behavioral health programs for long-term care communities. Dr. Penland has authored and presented research on mental health interventions for older adults, including mindfulness based approaches to improve coping with stress and loss. His recent work explores resiliency in the aging population and improving communication of personal health related subjects between health care providers and their older patients. He is also affiliated faculty at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the Department of Psychology, where he mentors graduate students interested in research and treatment related to aging. In addition to his clinical and scholarly work, Dr. Penland is an active member of his community, serving on boards and developing educational programs for health care professionals.
Karl Ricanek Bio
Dr. Karl Ricanek is a professor of computer science and engineering and a cofounder and Chief AI Scientist at Lapetus Solutions, where he leads the development of world-class facial analytics technologies used in life sciences and health care. With a background in electrical engineering and a PhD focused on automated facial recognition, he has spent over thirty years advancing research at the intersection of AI, biometrics, and computer vision. He has served in leadership roles across academia, government, and industry, including directing the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Identity Sciences and cofounding the first Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Center of Academic Excellence in identity science. He has consulted on AI technologies for Australian, Norwegian, and United Kingdom governments, and he holds patents on AI technology for facial analytics. Much of his work is interdisciplinary, ranging from national security to predictive health technologies. Dr. Ricanek is driven by a passion to make a real-world impact and mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Meredith Troutman-Jordan, PhD
Dr. Meredith Troutman-Jordan is a nursing educator with a diverse background in clinical practice, research, and education. She holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of South Carolina and has served various academic roles at UNC Charlotte, including Clinical Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor of Nursing and Gerontology. Her research primarily focuses on promoting successful aging and mental health in older adults, with a special interest in the challenges this population faces. She has published several peer reviewed articles and book chapters, contributing to the field’s understanding of aging-related health issues. Dr. Troutman-Jordan is also honored to be a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and is committed to mentoring future nurse scientists, registered nurses with advanced education and expertise, to ensure they are prepared to meet the needs of our aging population.