Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health proudly announces two new additions to its growing team, strengthening its mission to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to patients and families throughout the region.
Elizabeth (Liz) Testa, LICSW, has joined the organization full-time as a medical social worker for both home care and hospice patients. Liz brings over two decades of experience working with diverse patient populations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Her wide-ranging background includes supporting teenagers in dropout prevention programs, providing care in intensive care units, telemetry, emergency rooms, the VA system, nursing homes, and home hospice care.
“Throughout my career, I’ve done a little bit of everything,” said Liz. “But I fell in love with hospice from day one. I’m honored to support families at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. I believe deeply in walking alongside patients and families on this emotional, often unpredictable journey.”
Prior to Pemi-Baker, Liz served at Tufts Care at Home in Lowell, MA, where she was the sole social worker covering a large territory across southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. After spending hours on the road every day, Liz sought a change—one that brought her closer to home and back to the community roots she values.
“I’d heard great things about Pemi-Baker as a community-based agency,” she added. “I hope my 20-plus years of experience can support patients, families, and my colleagues as we continue to look for ways to improve care and make things easier for the people we serve.”
Liz is guided by the words of Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Joining Liz is Gretchen Smith, RN, who steps in as Pemi-Baker’s new Clinical Manager. Gretchen comes to the role with a decade of nursing experience, primarily in long-term care, and a lifelong dedication to guiding and supporting others.
“Nursing is actually my second career,” Gretchen shared. “Before this, I trained horses and taught riding for over 20 years. The skill sets overlap more than people might think—patience, trust, clear communication. Interestingly, several of my riding students became nurses, too.”
Gretchen describes her leadership style as “supportive guidance” and finds inspiration in the African philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” She is relocating to the area and sees herself as a modern-day version of the nurses in Call the Midwife—providing care with warmth and compassion in people’s homes.
“As our communities age, more people will choose to stay at home surrounded by what’s familiar,” said Gretchen. “My guiding principle is simple: the ‘grandma test.’ Is the care I’m providing good enough for my own grandmother? If the answer is yes, I know I’m doing right by my patients.”
Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is excited to welcome Liz and Gretchen and looks forward to the dedication and heart they bring to patients, families, and the entire community.
