Experience

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  Nch healthcare system

  Aug 1984 - Aug 1989

  Staff & senior physical therapist - naples community hospital

  Progressive staff, clinical advisory and supervisory positions in acute hospital, IRF and outpatient venues.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• Upon physician referral, consulted on & treated Intensive Care, Telemetry, Orthopedic, IRF, Med. - Surg., Pediatric & Mother-Baby Nursing Units.• Rapidly developed reputation as a versatile clinician with expertise/credentials in evaluation & treatment of burns/wounds, post-spine & orthopedic surgery axial & extremity musculoskeletal pain/dysfunction, neurological & neurosurgical, mechanical & neurogenic pain, sports - injury & geriatric conditions.• One of the first 50 physical therapists to become credentialed by the McKenzie Institute International.• Active participant on Safety & Guest Relations Committees. Created injured employee ergonomic screen process – Presented to NCH risk management insurance provider. Organization received rate discount as a result. Show less

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  North collier hospital

  Aug 1989 - Sept 1993

  Rehabilitation manager - north collier hospital nchhcs

  Managed inpatient & outpatient PT and contract PT & SP services for new 50-bed hospital. Supervised 1 support staff, 2 PT’s, 1 PRN PT & PRN SLP and 10 volunteers. Reason for Leaving: Pursued increased responsibility. Carried a full caseload. Provided traditional, alternative & cutting-edge PT to patients in youth to older adult age groupsSelect Outcomes/Achievements:• Planned & executed inpatient & outpatient Physical Therapy policies & procedures, budgets, program development & volume growth plans to serve small developing communities of North Naples & Bonita Springs FL. • Developed relationships with and became preferred PT provider for local primary care and specialist physician offices. Expanded referral base eastward to depressed agri-business town of Immokalee and northward to Ft. Myers. • Years in advance of other providers - Saw spine pain patients in the ED. In rehabilitating joint replacement patients, worked with surgeons using epidural anesthesia, with RN staff to mobilize patients post-op-day-one and with orthopedic practices, to initiate outpatient PT immediately after discharge years in advance of other providers. • Applied TNS & electrical trigger point modalities for pain modulation as part of mechanical & movement-based diagnosis and treatment.• Because of practice pattern, treatment skills & functional fluency in Spanish, treated a disproportionate amount of the Mexican, Central American & South American labor force & communities. Show less

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  Firsthealth of the carolinas

  Oct 1993 - Dec 1995

  Manager & treating clinician – inpatient and outpatient physical therapy

  Managed inpatient (362-bed), hospital, including 15-bed IRF, outpatient Physical Therapy services and a staff of 22. Reason for leaving: Pursued expanded responsibility.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• Brought both inpatient and outpatient PT under manager role and transitioned outpatient PT services from contract to in-house.• Completed annual acute med.-surg., IRF & outpatient budgets. Provided director with monthly budget variance analysis with associated action plans.• Instrumental in opening new hospital wing including 27-bed IRF, outpatient rehabilitation & wellness center with aquatics. Successful initial Medicare, CARF & Joint Commission inspections.• Collaborated on interdisciplinary orthopedic joint replacement pathway.• Treated 50% combined inpatient/outpatient caseload. Show less

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  Nch healthcare system

  Jan 1995 - Aug 1997

  Administration of rehabilitation services for a system of 2 acute care hospitals (330-bed with 29 IRF beds & 50-bed) and 6 OP rehabilitation centers over a large geographic area. 8 distinct clinical programs and over 75 staff members. Reason for leaving: Administrative Director position eliminated - Service Line outsourced. Subsequent NCH HCS Executive Team turnover.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• Consolidated leadership into a unified service line of 2 managers, 9 site supervisors and condition-based clinical steering committees led by clinical experts. • Stopped turnover by ensuring a leadership culture of listening to staff’s concerns, identifying opportunities and devising action plans using staff input. In 9 months, reduced contract staffing by 50%, saving the organization $250,000.• Instituted productivity monitoring, cross-training and cross-coverage. Ensured staff had routine access to leadership. Established a servant leader to both retain staff and to reduce operating costs.• Successful CARF and JCAHO inspection in successive years. • Expanded OP Therapy from 3 to 6 clinics including to Immokalee – Aa disadvantaged rural agribusiness community. Covered over a 60-mile diameter. At flagship center, integrated Therapy services with NCH Wellness Center and The International Spine Institute – A partnership between NCH a neurology medical group and a neurosurgery practice.• As a Leadership Committee Member, assisted senior leadership in obtaining employee pledges to the NCH Healthcare System Ability to Care Campaign. • As a member of the NCH HCS EMR search committee, narrowed the list of vendors down to two for senior management evaluation.• Accomplished all of the above while carrying a VIP caseload, enrolling in the University of Miami Executive MBA/HA program and celebrating the birth of our second and third children – Twin girls. Show less

  • Physical Therapist - Community Home Services

    Mar 1997 - Aug 1997

  • Administrative Director, Rehabilitation Services

    Jan 1995 - Mar 1997
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  Collier neurologic specialists, llc

  Jun 1997 - Aug 1999

  Director, physical therapy

  Sole full-time treating PT for neurology-neurosurgery physician practice with two locations. Oversaw one part-time PT and one office staff member. Reason for leaving: Pursued increased responsibility after earning Executive MBA/HA.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• In consultation with (4) neurologists, (3) neurosurgeons & (2) practice managers, outlined & achieved PT Service strategic objectives to increase medical & surgical referrals & practice revenues and to reduce practice risk by instituting quality/outcome-focused rather than a volume-driven operational strategy. • With neurosurgeons & their practice manager, amended spine patient surgical triage by including PT more upstream in the decision tree.• Developed integrated medical + physical therapy outpatient pain management protocol with NCH pain management group.• Increased cross-referrals with (2) in-house neuropsychologists thus improving patient functional outcomes.• At two locations, personally treated full outpatient PT caseload of complicated post-surgical, neurological & pain issues. Show less

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  Del sol medical center

  Aug 1999 - Jan 2001

  Administrative director, rehabilitation services - del sol med. center & del sol rehab hosp.

  Directed all business development, marketing, financial, budgetary operational, regulatory/compliance, clinical quality improvement, human resources and service line integration 4 locations and 6 programs – IP, IRF, OP including industrial rehab. & cardiac rehabilitation. 120+ nursing, therapy, social work, clinical & facility ancillary, wellness & business office staffs. Reported to Medical Center CEO with dotted line reporting relationship with Medical Director of 50-Bed free-standing Rehab hospital. Medical Director oversaw PM&R physicians and consulting physician staff totaling over 50. Reason for Leaving: Medical Director opened his own competing Rehab hospital. Organizational re-structuring. The Administrative Director job was eliminated. Slightly more than half of Del Sol IRF beds relocated to Medical Center.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• Secured admissions to HCA Del Sol Rehabilitation Hospital (DSRH) from all points and hospitals of El Paso including Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso General Hospital (county-owned), two Tenet hospitals and two HCA hospitals by leading admissions liaisons and by personally developing relationships with physicians, care managers, social workers & therapists.• Using hands-on leadership, steered DSRH to both Joint Commission and CARF re-accreditations and achieved multiple commendations & no deficiencies.• Guided DSRH management & staff to a National Follow-Up Services IRF patient satisfaction rating of 95%. • With mentoring & direct oversight of at Del Sol Medical Center, transitioned SLP services from contract to in-house reversed downward trend in cardiac rehabilitation referrals and increased outpatient therapy referrals by 30 percent. Show less

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  Specialty rehab management inc

  Jun 2001 - Aug 2001

  Rehabilitation consultant - crossroads regional medical center

  On behalf of the contracted IRF management company, prepared hospital for initial Medicare & state inspections for new 9-bed IRF. Reason for leaving: Pursued full-time position with increased responsibility.

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  Presbyterian healthcare services

  Nov 2001 - May 2004

  Director, rehabilitation service line - socorro general hospital

  Managed Socorro General Hospital (SGH) – A 24-bed critical access hospital, IP & OP OT, PT & SP services and a staff of 10. Matrix management of therapists for home health, charter school therapy and early intervention programs. Clinical caseload. Reason for leaving: Pursued increased responsibility.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• Improved early inpatient mobilization at SGH through personally visiting local practices on a monthly basis and speaking with providers.• Drastically reduced SGH falls by building, years in advance of the industry, a “falling star” interdisciplinary toileting rounds program. Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS), during its’ system inspection highlighted these results to The Joint Commission.• Overhauled Therapy billing processes. Received accolades from KPMG during their audit of SGH.• Expanded OP therapy geographic referral base to 50+ miles by pursuing relationships with patients from the Alamo Navajo Indian Reservation, Socorro County 4-H Extension Office, NM Institute of Mining & Technology and rural towns of Quemado, Magdalena & Belen. • Increased local community visibility with such efforts as providing SGH water stations at the annual Good Friday Pilgrimage.• Initiated & collaborated with New Mexico Tech Mechatronics Ph.D. Program “gait emulator” and Sandia Labs upper extremity mechanically-assisted repetitive motion device as each pursued NIH Grant funding for stroke patient rehabilitation. Advised on integrating electrical stimulation into their devices. Afforded mechanical engineering student observational experiences. And offered for SGH to be a trial site for their devices.• Accepted into membership New Mexico Telehealth Alliance with goal of expanding rehabilitation services into underserved communities.• Greatly expanded both clinical & administrative competencies through nationally-recognized clinical expert courses, PHS manager education & several ACHE in-person seminars. Show less

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  Hugh chatham memorial hospital

  Jan 2004 - Aug 2010

  Director, rehabilitation service line

  Oversaw acute hospital (59 acute med.-surg. beds), IRF (12 beds), SNF (127 beds) & Outpatient Therapy & Outpatient Cardio Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services and 53 FTEs including the IRF Nursing staff. Reason for leaving: Pursued increased responsibility.Select Outcomes/Achievements:• Expanded staffing & acute hospital, IRF, SNF & Outpatient Therapy services by uniting all Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital (HCMH) rehabilitation services under my administrative direction. Opened Pulmonary Rehabilitation service to compliment Cardiac Rehabilitation.• Reduced operating costs by taking over IRF management from Specialty Rehab Management, eliminating contract labor and supporting, instituting a personally-developed productivity tool and by developing & retaining high-performing clinical & support staffs. • Increased IRF & Cardiopulmonary Rehab referrals to HCMH Rehab Service Line by forging relationships with Executive Director, North Carolina Stroke Association, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Surgery practice administration & Allegheny Memorial Hospital.• Earned staff & patient loyalty by listening to, empowering & engaging them. HCMH’s IRF Rated in top 5% nationwide by UDSMR. Prioritized HCMH employee outpatient appointments. Administered Employee Ergonomic Assessments. Obtained community volunteers for an Amputee and Paraplegia patient mentor program• Enhanced HCMH ED & inpatient flow, increased IRF admissions and laid the groundwork for future Primary Stroke Center Certification by obtaining Teleneurology services for HCMH. Show less

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  University of maryland baltimore washington medical center

  Sept 2010 - now

  Director of rehabilitation services

  Responsible for hospital & outpatient PT, OT, SLP & Cardiopulmonary Rehab. for a growing 320-bed community medical center of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). Oversee 50 staff & 9 direct reports. Engage in short & long-term planning & innovation to improve patient & operational outcomes.Select Outcomes/Achievements:•FYTD25 - Promoting UMMS IHarbor Innovation Center to OK2StandUp breakthrough fall prevention technology. Enhanced Rehab engagement in root cause analyses. Mentoring UMSON DNP with graduate research. •FY24 - EM (Early Mobility) shown to reduce UM-BWMC - HAC's. EM now a UM-BWMC operational goal. SME for UMMS Therapy Common Jobs Project. Fostered creation of OT, PT Palliative Care Consult to reduce readmissions.FY23 - As EM subgroup leader of Patient Flow Council, facilitated initial 19% inc. in IP EM by Nursing. •Integral to BWMC’s 2022 Stroke Center & ACS accreditations.•Engaged with Corporate Supply Chain & UMMS/BWMC Practice Teams to secure preferred vendors, pricing & products for patient mobilization & rehabilitation. •Highest level of UMMS Therapy internship offerings per staff member.•Implemented COVID-19 staff redeployment in support of ICU, IMC & Respiratory Services. Became UMMS best-practices.•Led Interdisciplinary Lean effort directed at EM of joint arthroplasty patients. Strongly impacted an “excellent” rating 2020 U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” ranking. •Via service on multiple UMMS & BWMC Clinical Practice Teams, achieved inclusion of EM & referral to OP Cardiopulmonary Rehab into care paths/pathways.•Brokered partnership Y of Central MD to offer health enhancement programs for post-therapy patients.•20%+ improvement in therapist productivity using personally developed Excel-Based reporting system, staff PI training, Lean tactics & operational best practices. •Exceptional staff & patient engagement using a relationship-based care culture & patient empowerment. Show less