I’m the designer and founder of the Pelvic Health Therapy Program at Cincinnati Children's and the leading expert in pediatric pelvic health (PPH) in the greater Cincinnati region. Since 2016, I have grown the program from one provider to a team of 10 and counting. We have four outpatient locations, one inpatient location, an inpatient psychiatric unit and two orthopedic sports locations. In addition to leading our team, I work to deepen the strong relationships I’ve built with the Colorectal, Gastroenterology, Urology and Gynecology Centers at Cincinnati Children’s.
I simultaneously earned my clinical doctorate from Tennessee State University and my Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) training from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN (2013). My clinical expertise has inspired interests, including pelvic health’s role in diagnoses across the board.
I first learned about pediatric pelvic health in 2013 at the national American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) conference. I was amazed that as a physical therapist, I could help children with constipation, bladder incontinence, nighttime bed wetting and many other conditions. Thus, I began my pursuit of creating the pelvic health program here.
The needs of this population are sensitive. If families come to Cincinnati Children’s for care, it means they have probably been going through darkness for a while. Our team listens to their story to put the puzzle pieces together to best understand each case. Caregivers know their children best, and our team takes the information they provide seriously. We partner with the Colorectal, Gastroenterology, Urology and Gynecology Centers and collaborate with them regularly.
The majority of the time, our program helps improve pediatric pelvic health with an external approach. There is no internal intervention, such as a rectal exam component to our care. However, we support patients referred to us by gynecology, and interventions may involve internal treatment if appropriate. Still, the patient drives this, and nothing occurs without their consent (and their caregiver’s consent if under 18 years).
We see children from all over the world — from simple cases to the most complex. There is nothing we haven't seen or are afraid to treat. We are the leaders in pediatric pelvic health at one of the world's top children's hospitals, and our mission is to continue educating the world about PPH so all children can benefit. My passion is to educate everyone about PPH. I love public speaking across different platforms to educate therapists, departments and community groups about PPH.
When I’m not working, I love spending time at the beach with my family, eating chocolate mint chip ice cream and being outside!
Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
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