May 5, 2025
Diane Sanders-Cepeda, DO, CMD, PALTmed’s new vice president, wants every member to know their voice matters. “The knowledge and insights our members have around delivering quality, improving care, and building community define our organization,” she says. “And this is what motivates me, this responsibility to make sure our voices echo across this industry.”
Another thing that motivates her is “solving the hard problems. How do we build up our health-care infrastructure, deliver equitable access, and evolve the practice of medicine? This is what drives me forward and excites me as I think about the solutions we need to stand up.”
Dr. Sanders-Cepeda is a long-time PALTmed member and is well-known as the host of the PALTtalk podcasts and author of Caring for the Ages’ popular Dear Dr. Diane column. Of the former, she says: “I find this to be one of the most rewarding activities I do. With every conversation, we can elevate topics, socialize content, celebrate accomplishments, and push our leadership forward. It is truly an amazing opportunity, and I am forever grateful to do the job.”
And she singles out columns on QAPI - call bells and dementia care as especially memorable. Of the latter, she notes, “Writing about Dementia Care: An Ever-Growing Controversy left me in tears; [it was] truly cathartic.”
Another thing that keeps her busy is working with her state chapter, the Florida Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, including serving as president from 2021 to 2023. “The key thing that I learned from my mentors and leaders in the Florida chapter is that you need to develop leaders to work at a state, regional, and national level. Our chapters are key to grassroots advocacy and leadership development, and are critical in promoting our message of quality,” she notes. “It is my hope that every PALTmed member becomes an essential member of their state and regional chapters.”
Dr. Sanders-Cepeda also hopes everyone involved with PALTC will take advantage of PALTmed’s Core Curriculum and become a certified medical director if applicable. She believes it’s important for the health-care industry to understand that there are clinicians with expertise and mastery of PALTC medicine, who understand care delivery, quality improvement, and clinical excellence. She adds, “For me, as I work with an interdisciplinary team to design, evaluate, implement, and measure solutions for folks, I credit the Core Curriculum and becoming a certified medical director with the career that I have.”
When she has spare time, which isn’t very often, she enjoys cooking and baking and loves drawing, reading, writing, and singing karaoke. But her greatest passion is her family: Her three kids, Catherine (22), Leila (16), and Jace (11); husband Cesar; and three dogs and a bunny. “They keep me busy in all the right ways,” she says.
