Calli Carlson is our dynamic rehab director at North Mountain Medical & Rehabilitation Center in Phoenix. She started out as a staff Occupational Therapist here and feels privileged to now lead this team. She says she has always been amazed by this group – they are compassionate, hard-working, ethical, intelligent and fully committed to helping patients reach their maximum independence. The North Mountain team gets to work with a diverse and interesting group of patients since the facility accepts trach, vent or dialysis patients who are very medically complex and have spent a lot of time in a hospital setting. When the team first evaluates a patient, it is not uncommon for the patient to require full, two-person assist just to sit up at he edge of the bed for a few minutes. It is incredible and rewarding to see those same patients eventually stand, walk, dress themselves, and return home to their families and lives that they love. “Our therapists see the potential in our patients and help motivate and inspire them even when they cannot see the potential in themselves. It is really a special thing,” says Calli.
North Mountain has become well known for their potluck celebrations and takes advantage of any opportunity to celebrate. In addition to a dynamic and dedicated therapy team, the facility has a wonderful interdisciplinary team where there is mutual respect and accountability between departments and a high level of communication between all members of the team. They hold themselves and their colleagues to a very high standard.
Calli and the therapy team have had uncountable meaningful experiences with their patients over the years. A recent one involved a patient who had suffered a stroke six months prior to coming to North Mountain and had been residing at a different skilled nursing facility. He had been in bed for the past six months, had very little strength, and was very depressed. Within the first two weeks, the North Mountain team had him up in a wheelchair and standing with two therapists, a bilateral knee block and grab bars when he face timed his wife. His wife was crying tears of joy and he was smiling – the first smile the therapy team had seen from him. You could just feel that he finally had hope. This patient continue to work with therapy and progress – and his wife is so pleased that our therapists were able to see his potential when others did not.
Calli is excited for the future of the therapy department at North Mountain and expects the team to continue to grow. Because of recent additions to the team, they are able to incorporate sensory stimulation, communication boards, fine motor/gross motor activities to improve engagement, edema management and bed/wheelchair positioning to maximize patient’s well being and healing. “I am eager to work with even more patients as we grow our therapy family!”
Intrigued? North Mountain Medical & Rehabilitation Center is currently offering an amazing career opportunity for a full time Physical Therapist. Find out more about these amazing opportunities and browse our complete list of therapy job opportunities.
