Meet Our Team
Dedicated support staff, dedicated to you and your loved ones care
Karla Guerra, BSN, RN
Karla came to hospice through a deliberate shift in purpose. After years in international business, she chose nursing as a second career to do work that was more personal, accountable, and rooted in service. Hospice became the setting where she could combine leadership, advocacy, and direct patient care in a way that truly mattered. Karla’s unique perspective in leadership across multiple domains allows her to integrate and balance operational insight with a commitment to patient, family, and team support. This allows her to shape care and work environments that are effective, meaningful, and grounded in purpose.
As a Registered Nurse and co-owner of Devoted Care, Karla is committed to building a hospice culture where patients and families are treated with dignity, honesty, and respect, and where care teams are empowered to do the right thing, not just the easy thing. She believes hospice should be consistent, transparent, and centered on people, not processes.
For Karla, hospice work is an opportunity entrusted to her at a time when families are most vulnerable. She does not take that trust lightly. She approaches each role with presence, respect, and steady commitment, understanding that how someone shows up in these moments can leave a lasting impact. Karla shares that once we understand, as a people, our presence can ease fear, create trust, and offer reassurance in life’s most delicate moments, we recognize the responsibility that comes with how we show up for one another. That responsibility is what continues to give her work meaning.
Outside of work, she values time with her two children and husband, Raul Guerra, appreciating the balance and perspective family life provides.
Darrell Elliott, APRN, FNP-BC
Darrell is a Nurse Practitioner and co-owner of Devoted Care whose approach to hospice care is shaped by years of direct patient care and a clear understanding of how vulnerable people can be overlooked when systems become the focus. His path into leadership was not about scale or titles, but about responsibility, taking ownership of the care being delivered and the culture behind it.
Darrell believes hospice should feel steady, honest, and human. He is motivated by the belief that patients and families deserve presence, clarity, and follow-through, and that clinicians deserve support, trust, and standards that protect both their integrity and their well-being. His work is guided by consistency, showing up, doing the hard parts well, and making sure care reflects the values it claims to represent.
His work is informed and guided by experiences that stay with him, conversations held late into the day, families and patients searching for answers, and clinicians carrying more than their share. Those moments shaped his decision to lead in a way that keeps people from feeling alone in the process. It is not an exercise in control, but a way to stay accountable to patients, families, and the teams who care for them.
Darrell shares the message that “Birth and death are the only true guarantees in life. The privilege of playing a role in delivering life into this world through birth and holding a patient’s hand in their final moments is something that changes how you value people, time, and what truly matters – these experiences should be a reminder to live life intentionally and with purpose.”
Raul Guerra
Raul comes to hospice work guided by a lifelong commitment to service and purpose. His professional background in banking and finance shaped a disciplined approach to stewardship around understanding how trust is built, how resources are protected, and how decisions made today affect people far beyond the moment. But Raul’s motivation for this work extends well beyond his professional training.
Healthcare has long been a part of Raul’s life through proximity, family, and shared experience. Witnessing the emotional weight carried by his wife, a hospice nurse, for her patients, families, and care teams offered him an honest and unfiltered view of what it means to care for people, not in theory, but in real, everyday moments. That exposure further solidified his respect for the work and clarified where his own values aligned.
At his core, Raul is driven by a servant heart. He is consistently drawn to opportunities that allow him to give back, improve systems, and expand access for those who are often overlooked. His leadership and service as Chair for organizations such as Boysville and the Rey Feo Foundation reflect a longstanding commitment to supporting vulnerable communities and creating pathways for stability and growth. These roles were not taken on lightly, but accepted as responsibilities to serve with intention and follow-through.
Family and purpose are central to how Raul lives and leads. He believes connection gives life meaning and that a life without purpose is not fully lived. That belief naturally aligns with hospice care, where presence, trust, and accountability matter most. For Raul, this work is about honoring people, stewarding resources wisely, and ensuring that care remains rooted in dignity and humanity.
His involvement in hospice is not incidental, it is a reflection of who he is, what he values, and the responsibility he feels to contribute in ways that truly matter.
Michelle Masker, LMSW
Michelle serves as Administrator of Devoted Care, bringing both clinical insight and steady leadership to the care of patients, families, and care teams. With a background in hospice social work, Michelle has spent years guiding individuals and families through some of life’s most meaningful and challenging transitions.
Michelle chose hospice because she believes end-of-life care should focus on living well by supporting comfort, dignity, and personal meaning for as long as possible. Her work is shaped by a calm presence, and a practical understanding of the emotional, social, and logistical needs families face during this time. She approaches each situation with respect, justice, and a belief that quality of life remains essential, regardless of prognosis.
As Administrator, Michelle applies that same perspective to leadership - supporting interdisciplinary teams, strengthening care delivery, and helping ensure hospice services remain patient-centered, consistent, and compassionate.
Outside of hospice, Michelle is also a working actress with experience in film and television. Whether on set or in hospice leadership, she brings presence, empathy, and intention to every role she takes on.
Valerie Peterson, RN
As a RN Case Manager with Devoted Care, Valerie brings more than 30 years of nursing experience to hospice care, grounded in consistency, honesty, and an unwavering commitment to patients and their lived experience. Throughout her career, Valerie has remained focused on what matters most, honoring each patient’s needs, values, and dignity at every stage of care.
Valerie has served in leadership roles including Administrator and Director of Nursing, experiences that shaped her understanding of what effective leadership should look like. Yet she found that her skills were best expressed at the bedside, where her presence and clinical judgment directly influence the patient and family experience throughout their time on hospice.
Her approach to care leaves no uncertainty about where her priorities lie. Valerie advocates for patients with clarity and conviction, ensuring their comfort, concerns, and voices are never overlooked. As a mother of seven, she brings a deep sense of responsibility, accountability, respect, and compassion into her work, qualities that consistently guide how she shows up for others.
For Valerie, the reward of hospice nursing is difficult to explain unless you’ve lived it. She views the work not as something taken on, but as an opportunity given, an act of trust that she carries with humility. That perspective has shaped not only her career, but who she is as a person after many years of service. Hospice work remains a calling she approaches with appreciation, recognizing each patient and situation as unique and meeting them with respect, presence, and care, while embracing our unique differences as opportunity to strengthen the human experience and our ability to connect.
Brenda Flores, CNA
Brenda is dedicated to providing consistent, compassionate care rooted in respect and dignity. She approaches each patient with the same attentiveness and consideration she would offer her own family, the foundation of her work as a CNA, ensuring that each patient feels supported and valued throughout their hospice journey.
Brenda shares that not growing up with her own grandparents led her to form a close bond with a loving elderly couple who helped care for her during an important time in her life. That relationship left a lasting impression and shaped the way she connects with patients today. It taught her the importance of patience and genuine care, qualities that define her approach to caregiving.
For Brenda, caring for patients is about more than completing tasks; it is about building trust, offering comfort, and honoring each individual’s story. Her quiet dedication and compassion make a meaningful difference in the lives of those she serves, and we are grateful for the heart and commitment she brings to our team.
Madison Kubeczka, CNA
Madison brings dedication, consistency, and a strong work ethic to her role. She is thoughtful in her approach to patient care, understanding that reliability, routine, and attention to detail are essential to maintaining comfort and dignity for those receiving care as delicate and impactful as hospice care is.
Madison takes pride in supporting patients with hands-on care that meets daily needs while also providing reassurance to families through her presence and loving nature. She is attentive, respectful, and dependable; qualities that allow patients to feel secure and supported throughout their time on hospice. Madison further expresses that she also feels these qualities are and should be demanded for our elderly neighbors as a basic standard of human interaction. Her willingness to learn, adapt, and collaborate with the care team contributes to a positive and supportive care environment. An environment Madison feels inspired to be a part of and contribute to each day.
If you do what you love, it seldom feels like work, and Madison feels she truly has been given the opportunity to do something she loves. The reward of finding purpose in caring for others is the source of motivation and gratitude for Madison that she seeks to exude in the care she provides.