What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite for Children?
I am an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist working primarily at the Frisco campus.
What do you do on a daily basis or what sort of duties do you have at work?
My primary role is an outpatient occupational therapist, specializing in pediatric hand conditions. While this sounds like a small subset, I assess and treat a wide range of diagnoses, including upper limb and hand differences, traumatic injuries and sport-related injuries involving hand, wrist, elbow and/or shoulder. In addition, I also see patients with cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis, arthritis and brachial plexus injuries. My job is to figure out what deficits are limiting their participation and independence with daily activities, such as dressing, bathing, toileting, school participation, sports and leisure participation and play. I then address these deficits through meaningful activities to get them back to doing what they love. Since we see all ages from newborn and up, every hour of my day looks different, ranging from playing a game of Connect 4 or Mancala to bear walks, push-ups and weight machines. We also fabricate custom orthoses (splints) for children who have fractures or surgeries that require immobilization.
My first job was as a certified nursing assistant at a hospital while I was in college. I always knew that I wanted to be in the medical field. My high school had an amazing health careers program where we were able to shadow many different jobs across the medical field. It was then that I was able to shadow an OT and fell in love with the career! I have been an OT for 13 years and at Scottish Rite for almost three years. I moved from Nashville to Dallas just to work at Scottish Rite, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made!
I love the atmosphere and team here! It is such a positive place to work. I love the collaborative approach to treat every patient. There is an open line of communication between therapists and physicians and that creates great outcomes for our patients. I love that everyone here has the same mission — to give kids back their childhood.
Tell us something about your job that others might not already know.
Your hand strength is important! This is something that I preach daily. People know to go to the gym and workout, but no one really focuses on hand strengthening. So, grab a stress ball and keep your hands strong!
What was the best vacation you ever took and why?
I love traveling, so it is hard to pick just one. I would have to say my favorite was the cruise I took to the Bahamas last month because I got engaged!!
Do you collect anything? How did you start?
Shoes and sunglasses — I guess not a true collection, but I have a lot of both!
Do you play any sports or instruments?
I was a competitive cheerleader in high school and then coached through college. My sister owns a cheer and tumbling gym, so I am still surrounded by it. I also belong to a kickboxing gym and love it.
