Arbor Place is led by an experienced clinical team and supported by a long-standing, dedicated staff. We bring together clinical expertise, operational excellence and close collaboration with providers and families, to provide exceptional care.
Walter H. Fanburg, MD, Founder
Dr. Fanburg is a board-certified psychiatrist with a subspecialty focus in geriatrics for more than 30 years. Over four decades, he has cared for older adults with dementia and complex neuropsychiatric conditions. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. He also maintained a long-standing private practice and served as Chair of Psychiatry at Holy Cross Hospital.
Before founding Arbor Place, he served as a consulting geriatric psychiatrist to more than 20 long-term care communities. These experiences revealed the need for a setting with consistent nursing and caregiving teams, sufficient staffing to support meaningful and consistent interaction, and continuity of care as needs change. That insight informed the model of care he and his wife, Eileen Fanburg, co-founded at Arbor Place in 1998.
Dr. Fanburg is committed to integrating high-quality medical and psychiatric care within a socially supportive residential environment. His clinical standards continue to shape Arbor Place’s care practices and interdisciplinary coordination. His mission continues to guide Arbor Place’s model of care and to inform best practices for supporting individuals living with neurodegenerative disease.
Rita Cherfan, RN, DN/CM, CDP, CADDCT, ALM
Director of Nursing & Assisted Living Manager
Rita brings nearly three decades of experience in hospital care, long-term care, assisted living, dementia care, quality improvement, and infection prevention. She began her nursing career in the hospital, building a strong clinical foundation while caring for patients with complex and chronic conditions, before discovering her passion for long-term care.
As Director of Nursing, Rita leads daily operations, regulatory compliance, and resident-centered programs with a hands-on approach. She stays actively involved in the community, supporting residents, families, and staff every day.
Rita is dedicated to creating warm, nurturing environments where residents are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. She believes strong systems and a supportive, engaged team are essential to high-quality care. She is passionate about inspiring her staff while making a meaningful difference in the lives of those she serves.
Deborah Fanburg, Executive Director
Debbie Fanburg plays a central leadership role at Arbor Place, providing operational oversight and senior-level accountability across the organization. She works closely with resident families, care managers, the Director of Nursing, and the leadership team, and helps develop and sustain partnerships that support Arbor Place’s clinical standards, operational goals, and long-term mission.
Debbie’s operational leadership is grounded in hands-on experience managing assisted living communities, including her work as an Assisted Living Manager with responsibility for daily coordination, staff support, and resident and family communication. At Arbor Place, she applies that background to consistent execution and follow-through, partnering closely with the Director of Nursing and leadership team to support clarity, continuity, and accountability across care and communication.
Families experience Debbie as a steady, highly responsive resource from the first conversation forward. She provides clear guidance, answers questions directly, and helps families understand what to expect as circumstances change, so decisions are informed and confidence builds over time.
She is also a trusted partner within the broader aging services community and a strong referral resource. Debbie is known for sharing connections, supporting colleagues, and collaborating generously in service of families. Her community leadership experience includes serving as donor relations officer with a community foundation in the Roaring Fork Valley, where she supported underserved communities and strengthened nonprofit organizations.
Julie Fanburg, Director, Human ResourcesÂ
Julie Fanburg serves as Co-Director of Arbor Place and leads the people side of the organization, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and staff support.
She has built and sustained a long-tenured care team, with many team members at Arbor Place for 10 to 15 years or more, a level of stability and job satisfaction that is rare, especially in long-term care. Her approach emphasizes fit and follow-through, selecting caregivers who share Arbor Place’s expectations for attentiveness and respect, then supporting them with the structure and resources that make excellent care sustainable.
Julie holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation through HRCI and the Strategic Human Resources Leadership Program certification through Cornell University. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she serves as President of the Georgetown Day School Alumni Board and previously served on the Executive Committee of the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) in Kensington.
Linda Sperling, Community Liaison
Linda Sperling serves as Community Liaison for Arbor Place, working closely with referral partners and professionals across the aging services community to support families navigating memory care transitions. She collaborates with care managers, healthcare providers, and community organizations to ensure older adults and their families are connected to the right resources and clinical support at the right time.
Linda’s commitment to the aging community is deeply personal. After losing her father to dementia, she spent more than 20 years supporting her mother—coordinating care, organizing health records, and navigating long-term care planning. This lived experience informs her collaborative approach and deep understanding of the complexities families face during care transitions.
With more than 35 years of experience working with seniors and their families, Linda is a trusted partner and connector within the aging community. She takes pride in representing Arbor Place’s medically informed, compassionate approach to dementia care and fostering strong partnerships that help families feel supported, informed, and confident in their decisions.
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