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The long-term care landscape is fast changing.

Hosts Sara Kekula and Talia Pletcher are here to guide you. With years of expertise in senior living, they bring insights on innovation, disruption, risk management and candid conversations.
By staying open to new perspectives, we can transform the experience for everyone.

Meet the hosts

Sara Kekula is dedicated to serving senior living & social services clients through an innovation-focused lens.

Sara has spent her career at M3 identifying out-of-the-box solutions for senior living & social services organizations and delivering and executing impactful strategies with her trademark candid approach. Sara is involved in a number of relevant associations and continues to expand industry thinking around what is possible for providers.

Talia Pletcher is a risk manager at M3 Insurance. She works with clients in the long-term care, assisted living, social services, and healthcare industry to identify and develop risk management programs surrounding workers’ compensation and liability exposures.

Talia prides herself on her first-hand experience in health care with over 12 years of experience as an administrator for skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and home care. In addition, she is an expert with the regulatory environment for long-term care with the removal of CMS Special Focus Facility list, quality management projects, and leadership development for administrators.

Talia Pletcher

From the Vault.

Catch up on past conversations of Candid Care

Long-term care providers face a rapidly changing landscape, making it crucial to stay ahead. In this episode of Candid Care, hosts Sara Kekula and Talia Pletcher unpack key takeaways from M3’s 2025 Pulse Report. Tune in for a candid conversation on what’s ahead.

Want more control over your insurance costs? In this Candid Care episode, M3’s Brendan Bush unpacks property and casualty captives—an alternative risk strategy for long-term savings and stronger risk management. Tune in to see if it’s the right fit for your organization!

Explore how PR and communications shape strong brands and navigate crises in Candid Care. Hosts Sara Kekula and Talia Pletcher talk with Lori Richards of Mueller Communications about strategies for long-term care providers to “frontload the good,” build trust, and share compelling stories. Gain practical tips on crisis response and brand protection in this insightful episode.

In this episode of Candid Care, M3’s Sara Kekula and Talia Pletcher chat with Lauren Davis, CEO of David Clinical Consulting, to explore evolving trends in assisted living and skilled care. From rising patient acuity to wound care citations, they tackle real-world challenges and share expert strategies on risk management, staffing, and new technologies. Tune in for actionable insights to help future-proof your organization!

This episode of Candid Care explores the critical cyber risks facing healthcare. From ransomware to bulletproof incident response plans, get actionable insights to protect and future-proof your organization. Don’t miss these key strategies!

This Candid Care episode features Ellison Hitt and Pat Sullivan from Siesennop and Sullivan at Law. They dive into handling police and regulatory investigations, offering insights on trends, first impressions, and managing pressure. Get key strategies on staff training, reporting, and crafting a positive narrative to boost your practice’s resilience.

Hear about the significance of addressing cyber exposure within the senior living and social services industry.

Explore how technology can help the senior living and social services industry solve for issues like labor shortages and rising costs.

Explore how technology can help the senior living and social services industry solve for issues like labor shortages and rising costs.

In this episode of the Candid Care podcast, we address the pressing issue of workforce shortages in the senior living and social services industry. Bob Simandl shares considerations when attracting international talent to the U.S. workforce.

In this episode of the Candid Care podcast, we’re excited to share exclusive insights from M3 Insurance’s the 2023 Healthcare Defense Symposium.

Tune in to explore the connection between the surge in employment-based lawsuits and the prevalence of arbitration agreements in the workplace.

Hear about the critical workforce challenges facing the long-term care industry and the significance of instilling middle management in small teams to drive big results.

Get insights and practical advice on how organizations can take the first steps towards implementing DEI initiatives. Tune in to uncover the key aspects of building a workplace that values diversity, ensures equity, and promotes a culture of inclusivity.

This episode of the Candid Care Podcast covers a hot topic in the healthcare and human services industry: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practice.

In this introductory episode of the Candid Care Podcast, hear a rapid-fire conversation around emerging and evolving risks specific to healthcare organizations.