Cortney Baker, M.S., CCC/SLP; Owner

Cortney grew up in the Dallas area and graduated from Cedar Hill High School.  While attending Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, she discovered speech therapy was a natural fit and went on to earn her master’s degree in Communications Disorders & Sciences. After graduating from SIUC, Cortney worked in the school system for a year to complete her CFY, but longed for something different. In 2002 she discovered home health from a friend and fellow speech pathologist and decided to make a career change.

Cortney quickly realized she’d found her true calling in pediatric home health. She loved all aspects of what the setting had to offer- parent involvement in the child’s familiar environment, individualized attention and carryover from the initial visit. For the first time, she felt like she was actually making a difference with each of her patients. Cortney was able to provide personalized, quality care and focus on individual patients’ specific needs because all sessions were one-on-one.

Cortney wanted to allow other therapists the same opportunity to provide quality therapy services to the pediatric population in Dallas and surrounding areas. KidsCare Therapy was soon formed with the sole intent of being a supportive, positive work environment where therapists felt they could excel in their careers while being valued and heard. Cortney envisioned a great place to work, while supporting therapists in what she believes is the best avenue of providing therapy—home health.

Cortney has been thoroughly amazed at what KidsCare Therapy has been able to accomplish since opening on October 27, 2003. The company started out in a house in Garland with 10 patients, and has since grown into an successful agency with branches in Dallas and Fort Worth. Six years ago, when KidsCare Therapy opened, Cortney envisioned buying gifts for each of the patients during the holiday season, but had no idea the company would ever grow so much that this tradition would become impossible. The Family Holiday Party, held for the first time in 2009, was an incredible chance to meet the patients and families that KidsCare therapists are fortunate enough to treat. She was able to hear parents explain how much their therapist meant to them and how therapy had changed their child’s life, which only reiterated the importance of KidsCare Therapy’s role in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

She is thankful to those who have supported the vision of KidsCare Therapy and have put so much time, effort and energy into what it is today—an indication that people really care about what the company is doing in the community.

Cortney enjoys learning more about pediatric feeding and swallowing. She was thrilled to get VitalStim certified, along with dozens of other KidsCare therapists. She was excited to see the interest it generated among our therapists and is proud to have done it as a company, feeling that it expanded KidsCare Therapy’s ability to provide a more comprehensive service to all of its patients.
Cortney currently works to oversee the daily operations of KidsCare Therapy, supervises assistants and interns, and assists with recruiting and the Quality Assurance department.

Cortney and Jason are married with three children. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys reading and learning new things.

Melissa K. Scott, M.S., CCC/SLP; Administrator

Originally from El Paso, Melissa received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from Texas Tech before attending graduate school at University of Texas at Dallas, where she earned a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

Melissa first developed an interest in speech therapy while volunteering at a long-term facility, working alongside a speech therapist treating patients in comas or with severe brain injuries. She found the rehabilitation process extremely fascinating – it actually led to her switching her career path from physical therapy to speech therapy! During grad school, her passion for the pediatric population led her to work as an assistant at KidsCare Therapy, and she has since helped the company transition from a tiny, one-room agency into a successful team of over 150 employees, all the while retaining company support, great patient care and upholding the highest ethical standards.

She enjoys working in home health because it allows patients to reach key milestones in less time than other settings—patients are seen in a natural environment, and carryover found in home health allows patients, their families and therapists to develop a treatment plan that works for everyone. Melissa truly believes in the proven success of home health, and that many patients would not have the means to receive therapy without this option. Melissa has a specific interest in autism, feeding, cochlear implants and is VitalStim certified.

Melissa currently oversees all operations of KidsCare Therapy. This includes coordination of care across all areas, maintaining a check and balance system for billing, ensuring all clinical and/or supervision requirements are being carried out, maintaining adequate policies consistent with state regulations, and ensuring agency compliance with all regulations. In addition, she is very involved in marketing and recruiting efforts, oversees quality assurance, billing and social work services, and continually develops new policy and procedures.

Outside of the office, Melissa loves being a mom and enjoys reading, outdoor activities and traveling.

Jason Baker; Human Resources Director

Jason has been involved with KidsCare Therapy from the very beginning, when Cortney decided to create a home health agency.  He eventually moved into an administrative role to aid in the daily business operations.  In his current role, Jason’s responsibilities include directing all aspects of Human Resources; the design of benefit and compensation packages, employee relations and maintaining a workplace were employees are the most important asset. As CFO, Jason is responsible for all financial aspects of the company including payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable and all other financial reporting.

The most rewarding part of Jason’s job is meeting people from other companies who tell him they have heard, from current employees, that KidsCare Therapy is such a great place to work. He also enjoys stories of how the incredible KidsCare therapists have made a difference in children’s lives.

Jason and Cortney are married with three children. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing hockey and traveling.

Stephanie Hill, MOT, OTR; Clinical Manager

Stephanie is an Occupational Therapist and current Clinical Manager for the OTs and PTs at KidsCare Therapy.  She received her Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.  Stephanie has worked exclusively in pediatric settings including private practice, out-patient clinics, in-patient hospital and home health.  She has a passion for working with children of all ages and diagnoses and their families. She has a special interest in working with patients with sensory processing disorders and behavioral challenges.

Stephanie is certified in Therapeutic Listening® and is currently pursuing certification in Sensory Integration.  In addition to providing treatment, she also enjoys serving as a mentor and advocate for the therapists she supervises.  She loves to learn, and frequently attends continuing education courses, participates in community education events, and provides educational in-services to parents and other professionals.

Stephanie worked with Kidscare Therapy as a therapist in the field before assuming her current role as a clinical manager.  She appreciates the client-centered approach and coordination of care advocated by the agency, which facilitates the highest quality of care to the patients and families served.

Shannon Smith, M.S., CCC/SLP; Clinical Manager

Shannon is originally from Stillwater, OK.  She received her bachelor’s degree in speech, language and hearing sciences and her master’s degree in speech –language pathology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. 

Shannon has worked as a speech-language pathologist for KidsCare Therapy since June 2006, and she became a clinical manager in May 2010s6.  She is excited to oversee fellow therapists and help them grow in their field.  She also enjoys supervising speech therapy assistants and CFs.

Her interest in the field developed from taking speech therapy as a child and helping her brother, who is diagnosed with an Auditory Processing Disorder.  Shannon volunteered for a speech-language pathologist at a hospital while in college and realized that speech therapy was her true calling.  She enjoys working with the pediatric population and helping them with the variety of challenges that they face.  Shannon is VitalStim certified and has a special interest in feeding and swallowing disorders, autism, cochlear implants and the preschool population.

Shannon enjoys working for KidsCare Therapy because of the support they have given her to grow as a therapist, and now a manager.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, attending musicals, and catching up on her DVR.

Jennifer Morgan, M.S., CCC/ SLP; Clinical Manager

Jennifer is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Jennifer started with KidsCare Therapy in February of 2005. She currently works as a clinical manager for KidsCare Therapy.  While she enjoys the business side of KidsCare Therapy and her role in management, she continues develop her therapy skills by treating patient’s both privately and through KidsCare Therapy as opportunities arise.

Her background includes a variety of settings ranging from outpatient facilities, schools, private practices and pediatric home healthcare. Jennifer’s areas of interest are feeding, autism, and genetic syndromes.  She is certified for Vital Stim, a form of NMES, and is trained in PECS, Picture Exchange Communication System.  She has attended private courses with Dr. Vincent Carbone to develop individualized treatment plans for patients using a behavioral approach to therapy.

Her interest in the therapeutic field was sparked initially when she worked closely with an occupational therapist.  That interest grew when a family member was diagnosed with autism.  During her studies at Texas Woman’s University, she developed a parent/teacher training manual for recognizing signs and symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome. The project was then expanded to include therapeutic techniques for parents and teachers to incorporate in their daily activities/interactions with individuals with Asperger’s syndrome.  Jennifer’s primary passion is to see a treatment plan implemented with success where all disciplines and caregivers communicate about areas of concerns and areas of progress.  She loves working for KidsCare Therapy because as an agency they have given her the tools to meet this expectation for patient care.

Amanda Shaffstall, M.S., CCC/SLP; Clinical Manager

Amanda is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University School of Communication Sciences & Disorders. She began working with KidsCare Therapy in 2007, but in 2008 was given the opportunity to spend a year living and working in Hawaii, treating children in the school system and the elderly in a nursing home facility. After returning to Texas, she began her current role as a clinical manager for KidsCare Therapy. She also assisted in the successful opening of the company’s new Fort Worth branch.

Amanda first developed an interest in therapy when her younger sister received speech therapy for a language delay, which gave her a desire to work closely with families and caregivers to help patients with special needs make progress and gain independence. She enjoys working at KidsCare Therapy because she is able to help therapists provide the best quality of care to ensure quality results are seen in all patients. Her background includes providing speech therapy in a variety of settings ranging from skilled nursing facilities, schools, Long Term Acute Care, pediatric home health and pediatric outpatient care in Texas and Hawaii. Amanda’s specific areas of interest are feeding, autism and early language, and she is certified in VitalStim (a form of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation), narrative intervention and Picture Exchange Communications Systems (PECS).

Amanda is also passionate about teaching the Dallas/Fort Worth area about therapy and its many benefits—she has worked closely with marketing to educate physicians and the community about pediatric developmental milestones and speech therapy services.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends traveling, hiking, camping and diving.

Nima Moore, M.S., CCC/SLP; Clinical Manager

Nima is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas.  She has worked as a speech pathologist with children and adults in a variety of settings, including public schools, university clinics and hospitals.  She joined the therapy team at KidCare Therapy in 2009, and became a clinical manager at the Fort Worth branch in 2010.  Nima’s special interests include cochlear implants, autism, Down syndrome, childhood apraxia of speech, and swallowing disorders.  She is certified in Vital Stim (a form of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation).
 
At KidsCare Therapy, Nima enjoys her work as part of a growing team of dedicated professionals who share the same goal of providing outstanding intervention for children who have communication or swallowing disorders.  As a Clinical Manager, Nima is involved in business and clinical aspects of the company, and continues to pursue her mission of utilizing and promoting best practices in the field of speech pathology.  Nima’s primary career focus is working with other therapists and parents to find the most effective approach for each child.

Karen Wade, M.S., CCC/SLP; Clinical Education Manager

Karen received her master’s degree in communication disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas.  She became interested in speech therapy in 1996 when her niece began receiving speech therapy services through Garland ISD for a severe phonological disorder. 

Karen spent four years working in the schools right after graduate school.  She then spent a year working for the Ministry of Education in Palmerston North, New Zealand, working with a wide variety of disorders in the schools.  Upon return to the United States in 2005, she began working with KidsCare Therapy.  As a result of working with Spanish-speaking families of KidsCare patients, Karen was inspired to learn to speak Spanish.  While her Spanish is far from perfect, she is now able to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients and families.

Karen is certified in the use of VitalStim Therapy and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).  She loves working for KidsCare Therapy because of their dedication to making sure children of all ages, backgrounds, and disabilities receive the services they need.   She is excited to have the opportunity to impact children’s lives through the training and education of therapists.

Marcy Cisneros, BSN, RN; Supervisory Nurse

Marcy is from Sherman, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University in nursing. She served six years in the army, two years enlisted and then four years as an officer in the Medical Center. Marcy also served on active duty during Desert Storm.

Marcy has always wanted to work with sick babies and premature infants. She spent 15 years as a NICU nurse before she began looking into other pediatric healthcare options—this led her to KidsCare Therapy in 2009.

Marcy enjoys working at Kidscare Therapy because it has allowed her to learn how different therapies work together to treat the special children we service.  She’s also grateful because it’s allowed her and her husband of 21 years to spend more time together and grow closer as a couple. In their spare time, they enjoy being with friends and family, traveling, and shopping for their granddaughter.

Andrea Sheppard, BSN, RN; Supervisory Nurse

Andrea was born and raised in Port Sulphur, Louisiana, and later resided in the New Orleans area. She graduated with an RN diploma in 1986 from Charity Hospital School of Nursing, and later received her bachelor’s in nursing from Loyola University New Orleans in 1999. She arrived in Texas in August, 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and decided to make Fort Worth her home. 

Initially, Andrea wanted to be a Pediatrician. She first developed an interest in nursing while residing with her grandparents. Her grandfather had a genetic cardiac condition which required multiple and frequent hospitalizations, and she enjoyed helping care for him until his death during her junior year of nursing school. Over the years Andrea has worked in several different areas of nursing from pediatrics to geriatrics, community and public Health, education and surveyor; however, home health has been her passion. She has worked in many capacities in the home health arena over the last 15 years, ranging from field staff all of the way to state surveyor.

Andrea has been with KidCare Therapy since November of 2009. She appreciates how she was welcomed and made to really feel like a part of the “KidsCare Therapy family.” Her current position allows her to have continued contact with patients and their families. She is able to utilize her clinical and teachings skills with patients, staff and families, and assist with our agency’s compliance with state and federal regulations.  She enjoys the challenges of the new branch that opened in February 2010 and all of the activity and creativity that comes along with the opening of a new branch.

Andrea is married with two sons. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching and training future health care workers, working with the youth, health and hospitality ministries at her church, traveling to attend her son’s track and field events, and visiting her hometown.