Jessica has been a part of the Kramm Healthcare family for nearly 2 years. Employed under Genesis Rehabilitation for 3 ½ years, Jessica loves where she works. She feels that of all the environments she has ever worked at, that the residents are fully cared for and happy to be where they are. “It makes it fun to work at a place where the people enjoy their job and truly care about what they do and who they affect.”
Jessica graduated from Penn State University, Hazelton Campus in 2001, and began employment at an out-patient clinic in Mansfield, PA. There she took on several continuing education courses such as: craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, positional release techniques and massage. While doing mostly hands-on treatments she felt as though there was more for her to gain in other settings. She began working as a PRN PTA at the Williamsport Hospital in 2004 in various settings such as: orthopedic rehabilitation, neurologic rehabilitation and acute care. There she gained a good understanding of the acute stages of illnesses and the affect of physical therapy at a critical stage.
In 2004, Jessica began employment in a nursing home setting and from there realized her preferred setting was just that. She has been with nursing home care since then and feels, “The resident’s have as much to offer me as I have to offer them, if not more!” She states, “There is nothing more rewarding than to see an elderly person overcome all obstacles and return home. I learn so much from their vast years of wisdom, and love coming to work everyday.” She loves to create fun and new ways to make rehabilitation more exciting for the resident’s and takes an active role in implementation of these ideas.
Jessica vows to always grow clinically with taking continuing education courses that apply to her field of work. In January 2009, she completed a course on Dementia staging and treatment interventions. Also in March 2009, she completed a course which credentialed her to be an APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor. She hopes to be able to use her new knowledge along with her other years of experience to help a new PTA graduate get a good start into their career.
Jessica is the youngest of 2 children, with an older brother. She married Todd in 2006, and they had a son, Brenden in 2007. Jessica spends most of her time when not at work, interacting with her son. She says, “I can’t imagine loving someone or something anymore than I love him. He is just so much fun to watch grow and become his own person.” She enjoys being outdoors and hunts with her husband when able. She enjoys fishing and camping, bike riding, and softball. She is also coach of her church softball team this year, GO Rock Run Church! She also has a passion for music and hopes to develop a new music program at her church.
Overall, Jessica is satisfied with her life and career and loves the challenges that life brings to her. “If you can overcome one obstacle, you can overcome them all.” Her life’s motto is: “You can directly affect the change around you.” She states, “A ‘great’ person could not become ‘great’ if they didn’t step out of comfortable and into uncharted possibilities. I hope that someday I accomplish the task of becoming what others consider ‘great.’”