Team Members | mcrorypediatrics

September Employee of the Month

Laura is a dedicated member of our administrative team who works in both our Tarzana and Valencia clinics. Laura always has a positive attitude and a big smile to greet our clients. She is there to step in and support the team. She goes above and beyond when asked for help. She has also stepped in to help with some of our company perks such as massages and car washes. If any issues come about, Laura is quick to find a solution to make everyone happy. She brings joy to our team with her fun-loving and friendly approach.

Fun facts about Laura:

Her nickname growing up was Fish (her maiden name is Armentrout. . .get it!)
She is a huge, lifelong USC Trojan fan. Fight On!
She has seen Sheryl Crow in concert over 50 times and has met her once!
She loves going to the beach (Carpinteria) every chance she gets.
She loves going on long drives with her favorite tunes blaring from the radio.
She enjoys going to various festivals around So Cal and the Avocado Festival is next on her list!

What she enjoys about working at McRory is seeing the kiddos each day with their wonderful smiles and laughter. To see them progress and grow reminds her of what a special place she works at on a daily basis. The commitment of everyone to provide the most comprehensive, collaborative and caring services is evident each and every day. As for her team ofco-workers, Katie, Jessica, Sadaf, Anna, Randy, Taylor & Mihali, Laura says they are simply the best and she couldn’t do what she does without them!

August Employee of the Month

Natasha is a valuable and dedicated member of both theJump Start and ITS teams. She works well collaborating with other disciplines and maintains a great attitude with changes to her schedule. Natasha has also shown continued interest in growing and learning by taking CEU courses and researching/seeking out support to do AAC evaluations. She always walks around with a smile on her face and is always so excited to see all of her clients. Natasha is an amazing asset to theMcRory team!

Fun facts about Natasha:

She loves traveling and exploring different cultures and hopes to one day visit every continent.
She is obsessed with dogs! Any breed but definitely golden retrievers are her favoriteand she is dying to get a dog ofher own!
She likes being outdoors, especially during thesummer - going on hikes, hanging out at thebeach, and having picnics.
She is a natural red head and wants everyone to know they are a dying breed!

Natasha loves working at McRory! Getting thechance to collaborate with all thedifferent disciplines and working hands on with parents are her favorite things. She also loves that everyone is so sweet and such a joy to work with.

July Employee of the Month

Celeste has been a great addition to theValencia speech team and has consistently supported theBuilding Bridges team. She is always willing to help, is very knowledgeable, and works well with others! Celeste always excels as a team player. She identifies areas on how we can improve as a team and takes steps forward to accomplish these goals. Celeste is always available to discuss theprogress ofclients and plan for future treatment as well asoffer advice from her own experience as well as from research and studies that she has done. Not only does she listen and offer advice, she is also humble and will ask others for their input in any given case.

Celeste is a great leader and great at delegating tasks. She never doubts her role in each client's life and smoothly integrates parents/caregivers into her sessions.

Celeste is always happy and positive at work and always there to lend a listening ear.

Fun facts about Celeste:

She likes to practice yoga and spend time outdoors with her dog.
She loves to read, go to concerts, and musical theater shows.
She also loves to try new coffee shops and restaurants, and travelas much as she can.

Celeste enjoys theteamwork that goes into serving each and every one ofher clients. From collaborating and brainstorming with her fellow speech therapists about goals, activities, and treatment strategies to learning from theoccupational, physical, and behavioral therapy teams about ways to support theoverall growth ofher clients, she loves that she gets to learn something new each and every day at McRory.

June Employee of the Month

Ashley is always willing to step in to help anyone on the speech team. She excels at being a team player by stepping up and covering individual and Building Bridges speech sessions when asked. Even when she is busy and has reports to write, she is willing to see additional kiddos to ensure that the clients are getting the best treatment possible.

Ashley also demonstrates leadership skills in the BB program and supports the team by training other therapists to implement speech goals for their clients.

Not only is Ashley willing to help anyone on the McRory Team, she is always positive and smiling. Her positive attitude is contagious to anyone around her!

Fun facts about Ashley:

She likes to paint and draw, read, run, and travel.
Some of her favorite travel spots are Patagonia, Banff, and Bali.
She loves exploring new cities and new cultures, especially when activities like hiking, boating, and skiing are involved.

Ashley has a passion for early intervention, caregiver education, and ongoing professional development through seminars and trainings.

One of Ashley’s favorite things about McRory is, working on a multi-disciplinary team (including behaviorists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists) as they are constantly learning from one another.

May Employee of the Month

Crystal consistently goes above and beyond to make sure she supports all those around her. She is always willing to jump in and help those clients that need extra attention, while also making sure to explain to staff how they can better themselves clinically.

Crystal will arrive early to BB in order to prepare materials and go over goals for the clients that she is going to work with. She actively seeks to speak with the Speech and OT members of her team in order to better understand what challenges those clients are facing, and how she can better serve them. She also effectively communicates with the other members of her team about new challenging behaviors that may be occurring.

There are days that are challenging for Crystal but you would never know it, because she does everything with a smile on her face, and love in her heart for the children that she works with.

In Crystal’s free time she loves watching movies and going to Disneyland. What she likes most about working at McRory is seeing the progress that kiddos make and knowing that as a team we have accomplished many things with them.

April Employee of the Month

Clay has proven to be an integral part of the Jump Start Program & team. He continually brings positive energy which enhances the overall feel of the Jump Start Program. He is great with the kids and they all love him! He is knowledgeable in his scope of practice and committed to and excited about the clients' progress. He communicates professionally and comfortably with parents and is respected as an experienced speech therapist. He continually initiates bringing new ideas, songs, activities to circle time and the program, which only enhances the clients overall development. It also keeps things fresh for therapists.
Clay works hard to communicate what each client is working on regarding their language development and ways that other disciplines can reinforce growth and development in that area. He brings creative and individualized ideas to his client and their treatment plans and is happy to share those ideas.
Clay spends most of his time outside of work with his wife and 2 crazy boys. Said boys' current obsessions include motorcycles, dogs, and fighting over who gets to pretend-drive Clay's car. When grandparents babysit, Clay and Amy are suckers for beer breweries, low-key diner food (i.e. grilled cheese and tuna melts); they also daydream about getting back into rock climbing. Clay loves working with all of his McRory kiddos, especially the Jump Start tots! His main passions within the field of speech-language pathology include early intervention, parent training, and social-pragmatics with our older clients.

March Employee of the Month

Mike comes to work each day with a smile on his face and excited to spend the day with each kiddo! He brings an energy to the day that makes everyone around him smile and laugh! The children love his contagious joy and he is so wonderful at opening up even the most introverted of children. I would say this is his special talent. He is without a doubt a child favorite!
Mike is always willing to take on the most difficult task in the room. In fact he prefers it! He reaches out a helping hand whenever he sees someone struggling without having to be asked. He has also donated countless toys to the BB Valencia program and often brings his own props for an extra special circle time (he's a hard act to follow:) )!
Mike is a joy to work with! He is friendly, kind and one of the funniest people I know! He makes sure to say hello to everyone each day and sometimes even brings in treats for the team! He brings his team up every day!
He won most spirited in the Valencia office in October 2018! Mike is always in the spirit by staying in touch with his inner child! He is often found playing just as hard as each of our kiddos during program! Age is just a number with Mr. Mike.
Mike shared that he loves McRory because of his great co-workers and the families he works with. Working with the kids makes him feel young every day!

February Employee of the Month

Jackie willingly helps out both the BB and ITS programs. She clearly demonstrates an understanding of being a team member for the entire MENTORSHIP program. Although ITS is her main assignment or "home," she volunteers to help out BB, when needed. Not knowing the background of the BB clients/families, she still effectively works with children in the classroom and provides parent training. She volunteers to run parent ed classes in Spanish, do makeup sessions for BB clients, and prepares art materials for both BB and ITS programs. She gets out of her comfort zone in order to challenge herself to grow.

In her free time she LOVES spending time with her daughters and husband. They are her biggest fans and they give her strength to get up and be amazing at whatever she does every morning.

Jackie loves so many things about working here at McRory... but mostly the amazing people she gets to work with in the ITS and BB programs. To see the hard work, dedication, knowledge, and passion they have for the clients and families even on those difficult days. This has inspired her in so many ways and has helped me grow not only in the field but also personally.

January Employee of the Month

Melissa is a valuable part of the Building Bridges program. She always steps in to help with different classroom tasks throughout the day. She takes on extra responsibilities without hesitation and plays a major part in helping transitions in our program go smoothly. She works well with all team members, is helpful in providing support to new members or if we have a substitute in our class, and truly helps to ensure that all team members can be successful in working with the children in our program. She is caring and compassionate and tries to see the best in others.

Melissa leads by example and is part of what makes our Building Bridges team successful and effective. How much she cares about the children we work with is very apparent through how thoughtfully she works with each and every one of them. She always has something positive to say about each child she works with and expresses her excitement when they make progress towards their therapy goals. Working so closely with her each day helps to keep other team members positive and focused on the small successes and victories, even on our toughest days. Melissa's drive and excitement for the work helps others to stay positive and focused on all of the good they are doing.

December Employee of the Month
Danielle is an amazing supervisor. She is always looking to better those around her; putting her therapists needs before her own. She consistently stops what she is doing to help someone else, and answers any questions and concerns in a timely manner. Danielle is very professional and brings out the McRory team spirit in everyone around her by creating a team environment.

Danielle’s favorite TV shows are The Big Bang Theory and FRIENDS. She stays busy chasing around her two and half year-old daughter. When she has time, she enjoys cooking and doing anything artsy or crafty.

Danielle loves the McRory family-like atmosphere. She enjoys building relationships with coworkers and is always looking forward to hearing about everyone’s personal milestones and accomplishments (graduations, weddings, new houses, and having babies, etc.).

November Employee of the Month

Brandi handles every situation with tact. She is diligent and hard-working, and does not seem to get flustered or upset, even when things are stressful and chaotic. She is always smiling and has a positive attitude. Brandi’s positivity and compassion for our clients and their families is evident in her everyday interactions. She has made a smooth transition from a field therapist to an administrative position and I think her experience working directly with clients has served her well in her ability to bridge the gap among staff, parents, and supervisors. Brandi exemplifies teamwork, and is always trying to collaborate with others to solve a problem. Brandi responds to e-mails and text messages with urgency and seems to understand how to prioritize her actions based on the situation. She makes both supervisors and therapists feel heard when it comes to scheduling, and will often go the extra mile by finding a therapist’s phone number, or reaching out to a parent, etc., when supervisors are out in the field.

Some fun fact about Brandi are...
She loves the show Survivor and want to be on it some day.
She loves to cook, bake and try new foods.
She loves to read books and thinks it would be fun to run a second hand book store.
She enjoys arts and crafts or anything DIY.

October Employee of the Month

Monika is one of our amazing Registered Behavior Technicians who shows genuine commitment with her clients. She goes the extra mile to make sure her clients achieve their goals as well as providing an exceptional work environment for all the people who work around her. Monika is always reliable, responsible and willing to help and share her knowledge with others around her. She is open to receiving advice and is flexible to any changes that may come about.

Some fun facts about Monika include:

She would love to go to grad school one day to become an Occupational Therapist.
When she is not at the school setting she is desperately trying to play the ukulele.
She loves experimenting with Makeup.
She is always searching for the next escape room to experience.

September Employee of the Month

Hannah always goes above & beyond expectations, She truly enjoys what she does and it shows. Hannah is always searching for ways to better serve her clients as needed to improve their quality of life through collaboration with team members, reviewing research articles or attending courses to learn, grow and build her repertoire of various interventions.
Further, she is always willing to collaborate and work with other therapists to offer and share ideas, wisdom, and advice. These efforts are so appreciated by the other occupational therapists in the department as well as other members of our therapy team. Her ability to listen to what others have to say, and work with her colleagues to form a well-rounded treatment plan is exceptional.
Hannah arrives to work each day with a smile and demeanor that is so motivational and inspiring to those around her. She approaches each day with a positive attitude, which has a great impact on the other team members and clients. The team also love and appreciate the yummy vegan snacks she likes to bake.

Some fun facts about Hannah include:
~ She loves plant-based cooking and baking, and never has trouble finding taste-testers at McRory.
~ She is really passionate about sustainability and leaving the world a cleaner, greener place!
~She loves to travel and once traveled through 8 countries in 30 days!
~She is so grateful to work in such a collaborative, welcoming environment where she is surrounded by model therapists. She is constantly challenged to push herself and to be a better OT and is excited to learn more about feeding, swallowing, and infant/pediatric massage in the coming year.

August Employee of the Month

Mary Ellen can always be counted on for support. When her lead is out or on vacation, she steps up and helps fulfill the role by coming in early, setting the schedule, calling out times, and setting up the classroom for the day. If she sees that a team member is struggling, She will not hesitate to give a helping hand. Mary Ellen is always flexible and seeks to do what is best for the client and the team. For example as we are in the process of training new staff, she has volunteered to take on two clients this month for home visits.

She constantly communicates with all staff, including speech and OT to educate herself on their goals, she also shares what the behaviorists are working on and provides feedback to the other therapists. Furthermore, throughout the day she will share what she has targeted, what is working, and what is not.

Mary Ellen's passion for her clients to succeed is evident. She will consistently ask questions to ensure that she is implementing the correct treatment plan. She provides great feedback and encouragement to parents. Mary Ellen shows compassion to the families we work with, especially during the tough times in their life when they are just learning about their child's delays and possible diagnosis. It is obvious that she chose this field for the benefit of the kids. Everyday she comes in with a smile on her face and a great attitude.

August Employee of the Month

July Employee of the Month

Graciela provides child development services for the JumpStart program and in the field. She is always taking initiative to make JumpStart run smoothly from bringing fresh ideas to the program, taking care of behind-the-scenes needs like cleaning or translating for the growing population of Spanish speaking clients in JumpStart.

Graciela has begun taking on a greater role to assist the program supervisor regarding program needs. In an effort to maximize communication with parents, Graciela attends family meetings and translates reports for our Spanish speaking families. She is flexible and always positive! She truly enjoys her work and it shows. She is well liked by parents, kiddos and staff. She demonstrates the McRory spirit of excellence in all she does, Graciela is a much appreciated member of the JS program!

June Employee of the Month

Stacy is a hard worker serving the McRory Team with a commitment to excellence. Her enthusiasm for her work and her willingness to help personify the McRory Spirit. We are so happy to have you on the McRory Team, Stacy!!

May Employee of the Month

Marien is very skilled and passionate about the work that she does and often goes above & beyond for her clients. She ensures that her clients are progressing quickly and seeks out support and guidance as needed. Marian communicates well with her supervisors and accepts and applies feedback quickly. Further, she exhibits a strong work ethic by always being on time for her sessions.

April Employee of the Month

Mariano consistently goes above and beyond for his kiddos and coworkers. He is always willing to sub on other cases and constantly receives excellent feedback from teachers and staff who have worked with him.

He is eager to help whenever help is needed, stays on top of his administrative duties, and is very involved with each of his clients progress and needs. Mariano is a valuable employee whose commitment to excellence exemplifies the McRory Spirit! We are very happy to have Mariano on our team!

March Employee of the Month

Elena is an amazing physical therapist who puts 110% into everything she does. Her dedication for her team and her families is exemplary. Elena carefully plans her sessions ahead of time, and consistently creates fun and imaginative activities tailored to each of her clients.

In true McRory fashion, Elena is always the first to pitch in, even on her busiest days. Whether she stays late to help out where needed, participates in fundraisers such as the Buddy Walk, or helps with office recycling collections, Elena always lends a hand as a true team player and a rock for her team!

February Employee of the Month

Both Justin Bautista and Alexzandria Washington are sharing February's Employee of the Month spotlight! Justin and Alexzandria truly exemplify our company's spirit of excellence and service by consistently going above and beyond for their team members, families and clients. They both have volunteered their time on numerous occasions and over the weekend as needed to assist in running our community based ABA clinics, which provide families the opportunity to make-up missed treatment hours as well as to practice their skills within the context of the natural environment.

Further, both of them are exceptionally knowledgeable in their field and provide excellent service and support to all the families they serve and to the therapy team they supervise. They exhibit a can-do attitude and bring a positive attitude to work with them each and every day. All in all, we are extremely fortunate to have them on our team and greatly appreciate all that they do each and every day!

January Employee of the Month

Dolores Islas has been with McRory Pediatric Services for 4 years and always has a smile on her face. She leads by example and demonstrates a strong passion for her field, working in the school district, with ABA home cases, and subbing in our Integrated Therapy Services and Building Bridges programs.

Dolores always goes above and beyond to make sure parents feel comfortable and happy. Her hard work and enthusiasm earned her a promotion as a Building Bridges program lead. Dolores is a great example of our McRory spirit and a true leader.