06/16/2025
Monika Goins, BSBA, RCFE, CMDCP
Community Relations Director at Absolute Compassion Hospice | Senior Living Strategist | Healthcare Advocate | CMSA Sacramento Committee Member
Meet Monika Goins who brings over 25 years of dynamic leadership experience across healthcare and senior living, with a deep commitment to improving the lives of older adults and their families. Currently serving as the Community Relations Director at Absolute Compassion Hospice, Monika leads strategic outreach, community partnerships, patient and family education providing hospice 101 and communications to ensure families receive exceptional, compassionate care—while helping the organization grow its impact and reach.
Her healthcare journey began in the 1980s, working in the Internal Medicine Department at Sutter Davis Medical Group, followed by a role in Internal Medicine at UC Davis. It was during this time that a college friend introduced her to the world of assisted living—a pivotal moment that ignited her lifelong passion for working with seniors, particularly those living with dementia.
Since then, Monika has held executive leadership roles across California, Arizona, and Nevada, including Executive Director, Regional Director of Operations, and Vice President of Sales & Marketing, for multi-site assisted living and memory care communities. Her strategic leadership has resulted in significant operational turnarounds, occupancy growth, compliance improvements, and long-term staff retention. She has consistently exceeded goals while fostering environments focused on dignity, empathy, and innovation in care.
Monika is RCFE-certified and a Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional (CMDCP), with deep expertise in Title 22 compliance, quality assurance, EMRs, and patient-centered programming. Her leadership style blends operational excellence with genuine advocacy, bridging healthcare delivery with meaningful community engagement.
A trusted voice in the field, from 2019- 2024 Monika contributed to broader public health initiatives, including work with the M.O.R.E. Coalition, led by previous Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and his previous Chief of Staff & Advisor for Racial Equity, Public Health & Safety, Kelly Rivas. During this time Monika spearheaded the research by interviewing John Tateishi the former redress director of the Japanese American Citizens League, a key figure in the campaign for reparations for the Japanese who were held in internment camps during World War II and Kamm Howard, who lead a team to re-vise HR 40, the federal reparations bill. She’s also a long-time supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association, participating in and promoting awareness events for over two decades. Monika volunteers her time and hosts dementia support groups at various senior living and dementia communities and does art therapy with seniors in memory care and skilled nursing facilities.
Her Core Expertise:
• Healthcare & Hospice Operations | Title 22, OSHA, JACHO
• Senior Living Strategy | Dementia & Memory Care
• Community Engagement & Social Media
• Business Development | P&L & Budget Oversight
• Sales, Marketing, & Brand Growth
• Staff Training & Team Leadership
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
RCFE Certification – State of California
CMDCP – International Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners
In her free time Monika enjoys propagating and planting her succulents and cooking meals from her New Orleans Creole heritage in addition to learning new dishes from other cultures. Family time is important so Sunday dinners are especially dear to her when she can get everyone together for a meal. One fun fact about Monika is that she loves poetry and writes as a therapeutic method but rarely shares her poetry. She loves all types of music but jazz and reggae is a favorite.
Monika has been a member of CMSA for two years now but is new to being a part of our Board/Committee.
As a new committee member of CMSA Sacramento, Monika has hit the ground running—taking charge of the chapter’s social media and newsletter strategy. She hopes to bring her rich healthcare background, collaborative spirit, and a deep-rooted passion for serving seniors to help elevate the role of case managers and support those navigating complex care needs. Be sure to stop and say hello to Monika and our other new Board/Committee members at our next CMSA event on July 16th.
