Lori Walsh, Policy and Program Specialist

Lori earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts, working her way through school as a nursing assistant in a local nursing home. She joined CARIE as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman in 1997 after advocating on behalf of Philadelphia nursing home residents who were restricted in their right to vote.  In her 27-year tenure at CARIE, she held several positions but most recently, as a program director where she supported staff on various advocacy initiatives, including managing two long term care ombudsman programs. Forever interested in systemic advocacy, Lori went back to school during the pandemic and obtained a master’s degree in public and policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh. She joined Consumer Voice in 2024. In her position, she supports state advocacy to improve accountability and transparency in nursing home finances and ownership.