Staff

Dana Mandel: Owner, Physical Therapist, PCS

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Dana Mandel

Professional Designation: Owner, Physical Therapist, PCS
Education: Board Certified Specialist Pediatric Physical Therapy BA in English and General Literature, Binghamton University BS in Physical Therapy
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics
Years With Lifespan Therapy: I started my practice, the Lifespan Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Pathology Services, PLLC, in 1987 as a solo practitioner. As the volume of patients expanded, I began hiring physical therapists to practice in the local school districts. Over the years, we have expanded our services to include occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and pediatric psychological testing services. Our practice settings have also grown to include adult homecare; pediatric homecare in the early intervention and preschool setting; skilled nursing facilities; and our two outpatient offices.
Special Achievements and Interests: I initially entered my board certification as a specialist in pediatric physical therapy in 1998. I was recertified in 2008. There are only a handful of board certified pediatric therapists in New York State. I still continue to treat patients in addition to my responsibilities as the owner of Lifespan Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Pathology Services, PLLC. I have also earned recognition as an Advanced Credentialed Clinical Instructor with the American Physical Therapy Association to further my commitment to the students that choose to perform a clinical experience with my practice.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I had been working for a number of years in New York State Developmental Centers and Intermediate Care Facilities with adults with developmental disabilities. I was most impressed with the services provided by the physical therapists at these facilities, and felt I could make a greater contribution to this patient population as a physical therapist.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I continue to practice in a variety of settings with a varied caseload. I can treat patients from birth to 100+ years in any given day. Most people greatly value my contribution.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: Our staff has presently grown to 33 employees. Their commitment, professionalism, and caring is exceptional. I am extremely lucky to have such a dedicated, skillful, and motivated staff.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: I was working with a young child with Cerebral Palsy that was unable to roll, creep, crawl, walk or experience any form of independent mobility. I was able to modify a small electric toy car that enabled this child to drive independently by moving their head slightly. The ability to move independently in the world opened many doors for this individual.

Hilliary Ottaviano: MS, CCC-SLP

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Hilliary Ottaviano

Professional Designation: MS, CCC-SLP
Education: MS in Speech-Language Pathology, Nazareth College
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatric Speech and Language Pathology (Birth-5)
Special Achievements and Interests: I am trained in a variety of Autism Spectrum Disorder treatment strategies, including TEACCH (Training & Education of Autistic and other Communication Disordered Children), ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) and DIR/Floor Time
What made you decide to become a therapist?: While growing up, my family placed special emphasis on the value of education and I developed a deep admiration for my teacher. From a very young age, I knew I wanted to be involved in the education process. After observing a speech therapist early in my college career, I was struck by the power of communication and its necessity for learning, thinking and reasoning throughout a person's life. I have been committed to the profession ever since.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I like the opportunities where I am able to work with families and caregivers of my clients. Teaching them to effectively support and enhance their loved one's communication skills is one of the most important aspects of my job. Alone, I can only provide intervention for a small amount of time each week. Given the right "tools", parents and caregivers can provide therapy virtually 24/7.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: I grew up in the area, graduating from Moravia Central School in 1998. After living in the Rochester are for the past 15 years, I am looking forward to the ability to do what I love in and around my hometown, and the opportunity afforded to me by Lifespan!
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: While treating a child over the course of 2.5 years, I watched him evolve from a non-verbal, 3 year old with severe speech-sound sequencing delay on a picture exchange communication system to a 5 year old kindergartener with a mild phonological delay requiring only building support services, verbalizing his thoughts, needs and ideas easily. His success was due mostly to his parent's diligence in being present for therapy, working with him daily, and following through with the treatment recommendation. It is not about the "ah-ha" moment for me, but about the end result of perseverance and teamwork. Those are the stories I love.

Molly Osterhoudt: Occupational Therapist OTR/L

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Molly Osterhoudt

Professional Designation: Occupational Therapist OTR/L
Education: Masters of Occupational Therapy, Ithaca College 2012
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2012
Special Achievements and Interests: I have a special interest in early intervention, preschool and school aged children. I enjoy working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders,
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I knew I wanted to enter the healthcare field and have always had a love for working with children, but was unsure what specific area of practice I wanted to pursue. During my initial semester at Ithaca College, I took a class that explored the various professions in the healthcare field. Occupational Therapy stood out as the most exciting, diverse, and intriguing field I could pursue. From there, I began taking classes related specifically to Occupational Therapy and 5 years later, here I am!
What do you like best about being a therapist?: There are many aspects of being a therapist that I enjoy. Knowing that on a day to day basis you are impacting and bettering the life of someone else is a very rewarding feeling. I also enjoy the laughter, smiles, and entertainment that a child can provide to others around them, it really makes working easy!
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: I am partial to Cayuga County, as it is where I grew up, so working close to home is a very nice aspect of working for Lifespan. I also really enjoy the flexibility and the varying settings that I work in each day.

Sarah Murphy: MS, CCC-SLP

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Lisa Lichak: Occupational Therapist OTR/L

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Lisa Lichak

Professional Designation: Occupational Therapist OTR/L
Education: B.S. Degree from University at Buffalo
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics/School Aged 21
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since November 2011
Special Achievements and Interests: Certified in Therapeutic Listening Program, AOTA Certification in Classroom Applications for School Based Practice, Sensory Processing, Aquatic Therap. I have also presented at several conferences on the topics of fine motor skills, handwriting, sensory processing and aquatic therapy.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I started off in college in Education, but after a semester I realized that I also felt a stong pull toward the health fields and found that occupational therapy was a perfect combination of both.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I like that OT is hands-on, allows you to use your creativity, challenges your problem solving skills, and is never the same day-to-day. Plus it is fun! I enjoyed working with preschoolers and now I am enjoying the challenge of working with middle school and high school students. They keep me on my toes and make me laugh every day.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: As an experienced therapist, Lifespan offers the perfect blend of independence, flexibility and support, and has a reputation for providing high quality services. I also like that Dana is not only the owner and business leader, but a practicing therapist as well.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: I had worked with a 4 year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome who was very bright, but had significant sensory issues. He was unable to go out in the community and had significant meltdowns. After 2 years of OT, and a lot of collaboration, he left for kindergarten a succesful boy who learned strategies to function happily and comfortably in a variety of situations.

Laura Staley: Speech-Language Pathologist, CF

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Laura Staley

Professional Designation: Speech-Language Pathologist, CF
Education: Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Lenoir-Rhyne University, Master’s of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Appalachian State University
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2012
Special Achievements and Interests: I am particularly interested in working with early intervention and preschool clients with language delays. I am also interested in Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as speech sound disorders.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I have always loved language, and I originally pursued a degree in English intending to teach at a high school or college level. As I was finishing my Bachelor’s degree in English, I realized that I wanted to work with people—to feel like I made a difference every day. During this time, I met someone with a background in English who had been accepted into a Master’s degree program in Speech-Language Pathology. After our conversation, I went home and researched the field and decided that I wanted to become a therapist. I began applying for Master’s degree programs the next day. I have found that Speech-Language Pathology is a good fit for me because it allows me to work with language and help children at the same time.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I really like that I can go into homes and see children in their natural environments. I enjoy getting to know whole families and getting them involved in carrying over strategies from therapy sessions. I find it particularly rewarding to hear that a child has made a breakthrough, such as saying their first word or combining words for the first time, with a parent or relative.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: I really like the flexibility and versatile nature of the job. I love that every day of my week is different and that I get to see children in different settings and work in many different areas. It makes the job challenging but very rewarding because I am constantly learning and growing as a therapist.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: One of the most memorable moments was a conversation I had with a child’s mother. Her son had begun talking and using a variety of words after just a few sessions, and his mother reported that he was using words to communicate his wants and needs and that he had stopped having tantrums. She told me that their whole family dynamic had changed, that his older siblings had become involved in encouraging him to talk instead of talking for him, and that she was very happy with his progress. It’s important to me that a child becomes better able to engage and communicate with his or her family, so this was a really special moment for me.

Sara Hahl: Occupational Therapist

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Sara Hahl

Professional Designation: Occupational Therapist
Education: Bachelors of Science 2003 Masters of Occupational Therapy 2004
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2011
Special Achievements and Interests: Trained in the TEACCH Autism Program. Training in DIR/Floortime. Currently completing training in The Listening Program.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I saw a movie when I was young where the main character experiences an injury and required rehabilitative services.This prompted me to research different rehabilitative professions when I got older. Through this process I found occupational therapy and the rest is history!!
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I enjoy working with students and seeing them succeed at tasks they never thought they would succeed at.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: I enjoy the flexibility of the job as well as the different work place opportunities Lifespan provides. The people at Lifespan are great too!!
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: It was difficult to find anything that motivated one of my students to participate in or even attempt activities. One ADL we worked on during his sessions was self-feeding. After making very slow progress, a universal cuff was introduced to his feeding routine. With that little adaptation, he began feeding himself with minimal assistance.

Elizabeth Foster: PTA

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Angela Grant Cerasaro: MS, CCC-SLP

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Angela Grant Cerasaro

Professional Designation: MS, CCC-SLP
Education: Master’s of Science in Speech Language Pathology
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2008
Special Achievements and Interests: I have additional training in DIR/Floortime. I love working with early intervention and preschool clients, and have interests in speech sound disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I always knew that I wanted to work with children. I started out taking classes in Early Childhood Education in college, but I soon realized that I preferred one-on-one or small group interaction versus trying to engage with an entire room full of kids. That, plus my interest in language and a desire to help others, made be become a Speech Pathologist.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I love seeing progress, especially when a family has been discouraged by their child’s lack of communication and the child begins to communicate. It may be as simple as pointing for the first time, or using a sign, or speaking their first word, but that can reduce a lot of frustration on the part of both the parents and the child. It is rewarding to see how you’ve helped a family become closer through language
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: I like the flexibility. I recently had a baby, and the flexibility allows me to spend time with my son while also continuing to work doing what I enjoy. While at Lifespan in the past few years, I have worked in many settings, which has exposed me to different therapy models, age groups, and language disorders. I feel that this variety has made me a more versatile therapist.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: While working with a child with autism, I introduced a PECS system, which is using small pictures to create sentences to communicate. The pictures are organized by Velcro in a binder. One day I took a few pictures out of activities that I had brought, and laid them out on the table to let the child to choose one. He looked at the choices, then grabbed his PECS binder, turned the pages, pulled out a picture of “Play Doh” and proceeded to create the sentence “I want Play Doh please.” I loved that he was able to let me know that he didn’t like what I had brought, and had other plans in mind for our session!

Kirsta Malone: Occupational Therapist

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Tamra Dawkins: Physical Therapist

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Keri Jo Rockwood: Doctor of Physical Therapy

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Keri Jo Rockwood

Professional Designation: Doctor of Physical Therapy
Education: Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, Daemen College 2000. Trained in Manual Lymph Drainage & Complete Decongestive Therapy by Klose-Norton Training & Consulting 2001. Received certification as Certified Lymphedema Therapist by the Lymphology Association of North America in 2002. Doctor of Physical Therapy, Utica College 2010 .
Specialty Area of Practice: Currently practice across the lifespan in Early Intervention, Preschook, School-based therapy, and out-patient orthopedics.
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2004
Special Achievements and Interests: I love to spend time with my family. My hobbies include baking and decorating cakes. We have a salt water fish tank that I love to watch. I love to travel to warm tropical beaches and either snorkel or just sit in the sand and watch the waves.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: As a child, I wanted to become a pediatrician. As I got older, I realized I did not want to work with needles or have the long hours of treating sick children. I still wanted to be a part of the medical profession and help people. I decided that becoming a physical therapist was the best way that I could make a difference in other people's lives.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: I enjoy the variety of settings I work in. I work a few days a week with pediatrics and a few days a week with out-patient orthopedics. On occasion some adult home care is thrown in the mix. I also enjoy the flexibility and the family values of the practice.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: Is this supposed to be a good event or bad event? I have had a walker and a breakfast tray thrown at me! These are rare events, but hard to forget. Exceptional events include helping a patient achieve goals that they never thought they would be able to do. An exceptional event that occurred weeks after I was done working with a patient was when she showed up at the office, gave me the biggest hug ever, and said thank you for changing her life forever. Recently, I helped a patient achieve her goal of being able to climb the stairs up to her bedroom to sleep in her own bed. It was her goal, but she never thought she would do it nor did her family. Two months later, guess who is sleeping in her own bed every night!

Julie N. Signor: OTR/L

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Patti Webb: Physical Therapist

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Patti Webb

Professional Designation: Physical Therapist
Education: Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy Upstate Medical Center, 1974
Specialty Area of Practice: Pediatrics
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 1990
Special Achievements and Interests: I have worked in a variety of settings over the years, but my favorite and where I have been the longest is in pediatrics in the school setting. I love working with children with special needs and helping them to achieve their goals. Each day is a new experience with its own set of rewards and challenges.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I was a biology major in college thinking of doing something in medicine or teaching, when a new program in physical therapy opened at Upstate Medical Center. I observed different therapy departments, visited the program, and applied. I saw that this profession provided an opportunity to help others improve their lives, which was something I wanted to be able to do. It has been very rewarding.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: In therapy, there is an opportunity to build a rapport and work closely with the patient as well as with the family. I really enjoy this interaction.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: The best part of practicing at Lifespan is the people--those that we work for and those that we work with. The support of Dana and the Lifespan staff is great and always available when needed. Additionally, the opportunity to work in the schools and with their personnel is very satisfying as well. However, at the center of it all, and the very best part, is the kids who we all collaboratively try to help succeed.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: Exceptional events have occurred over the years in the form of first steps taken, catching a ball, sitting upright, self propelling a wheelchair, holding an object, walking up and down stairs, becoming more independent, making eye contact, laughing (and crying) with joy, to name a few. Each tiny step is a milestone and a cause for celebration.

Mallory Donigan: Speech-Language Pathologist, CF

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Sherry Cioffa: Receptionist

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Sherry Cioffa

Professional Designation: Receptionist
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2011
Special Achievements and Interests: My husband Richard and I love to travel every chance we get. Some of our favorite places to go are Stowe, Vermont and Lake Placid, New York. We just love the mountains and the lakes. We love taking occasional trips to Mexico as well. I love spending time with my two boys, Devin and Matthew. Every Sunday we have Wii golf competition and then we sit down to homemade sauce and pasta. My husband and I bought an old farm house in Scipio 6 years ago, so much of our time has been spent tearing down old walls and building new ones. Seeing the house transform over the last 6 years makes all of the hard work really rewarding.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I've always been a people person. I love meeting new people and getting to know them. About 10 years ago I had a friend that was working in the medical field and her office was looking for help. I applied for the position and got the job. I got to know the patients from sitting with them and talking with them before and after they saw the doctor. It was just a wonderful experience. From that moment on I knew I wanted to stay in the medical field, and I have.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I have never worked for a physical therapy practice before so it is a new and exciting experience. What I can tell you is what I have heard and seen first hand. When a patient comes in for therapy, they are really sore and uncomfortable. Keri, our Physical Therapist, is so professional and she makes the patients feel very relaxed and at ease. By the time the patient's session is over, you hear them tell Keri how much better they feel already. I have heard this statement time and time again.

Helen Littlejohn: Child Services Coordinator

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Helen Littlejohn

Professional Designation: Child Services Coordinator
Education: BS in Human Services, with emphasis on Family and Children
Years With Lifespan Therapy: January 2012
Special Achievements and Interests: Happily married to the love of my life, Michael for 30 years and we have 12 children. Four (4) of our children are biological and eight (8) are adopted children with special needs. While raising the 12 children I took courses to complete my degree (in my spare time!). We have lived in King Ferry for over 25 years. We have two cats, Bagera and Pumpkin and two dogs – a border collie named Jack, and a toy poodle named Peanut. We have 10 grandchildren and more coming! We like to go camping in the summer, kayaking with my husband's handcrafted cedar strip kayaks and get together with family – which all live in Central New York.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I met Dana when our daughter Kathy started receiving services back in 1993. He was knowledgeable and kind to our growing family. Many of our children needed therapy services while at school. Dana and the other therapists have a reputation for integrity and excellent service. When I discovered that Dana was hiring for this position, I applied, hopeful that my expertise would enhance his services.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I am one of those people who enjoy organizing paperwork and helping an organization that is in the helping business. I also love that I get to see clients that come into the King Ferry office to receive services – some of them are children! I am a people person and enjoy the interaction.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: Getting to work for Dana and the other therapists because I know they share my love of children and people. Lifespan always provides quality services to all that they serve. Here at Lifespan, everyone works to make sure the clients are satisfied – even the little ones that have no voice! We all work hard to make sure that excellent services are provided. The therapists are top notch and the office staff is making sure all the paperwork is done so that services are provided smoothly.
Describe an exceptional event that occurred while treating a patient: It is difficult to come up with only one! The therapists that work here have wrought such wonderful results. I will relay one experience with another one of my children that has received services through Lifespan. His name is Ryan and he came into our family when he was 5 years old. He had fairly severe speech impairment. Working with the therapist, Ryan is now able to go into the community and communicate with people he meets. This is a huge accomplishment and in large part due to the fine work of the therapists here. Children are so sensitive about their disabilities and he needed a therapist that not only worked on his technique but also worked on his ability to speak with his peers. He is now 18 and I know that when he is on his own, I will not have to be there to "interpret" his unique language.

Teresa A Chandler: Medical Billing Specialist

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Teresa A Chandler

Professional Designation: Medical Billing Specialist
Education: Certified Medical Professional Coding Certification
Years With Lifespan Therapy: Since 2011
Special Achievements and Interests: I love spending time with my family. I have five amazing men in my life, Jeff, Daniel, Joseph, Christopher and Patrick as well as my two Shitzu Poodles, Miss Molly and Sir Tucker. We love to vacation in Florida and cruise to the Caribbean Islands. I also like to volunteer my time to help others. I enjoy helping and volunteering my time where ever it is needed. I am currently the Chair and Founder of the Union Springs Education Foundation, Inc.; Treasurer of the Union Springs Booster Club; and assist in the musical productions at our school on a yearly basis. My hobbies include skiing, camping, and watching my son race.
What made you decide to become a therapist?: I have worked in the medical field since I was 18. I started out as a receptionist and transcriptionist, and moved up to office management; however, my joy was helping people, especially the elderly, with their insurance issues. With the insurance world changing on a daily basis, I wanted to help physicians get the best reimbursement that they could get. I have spent the last 20 years working in the Medical Billing field. There is no day that is the same. There are always challenges to be met and people to help. Medical billing and insurance companies are like a revolving door and a challenge to keep up with.
What do you like best about being a therapist?: I love the flexibility of my job. Love the closeness of my home to my job. Dana is wonderful to work for and very considerate. He is always very thankful to his employees at the end of the day. When I started my job at Lifespan, it was a new challenge for me as I had little experience in the therapy field. Billing physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology services was different for me. In the short time I have been here, I have learned so much. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I feel a great sense of accomplishment at the end of every day.
Describe something you enjoy about practicing at Lifespan.: While working an Internal Medicine Office, I became very attached to the patients. I made some very special friendships while helping patients with their insurance and billing issues. One patient in particular asked for my help. She had been trying for almost 2 years to get her husband an electric wheelchair through Medicare Insurance and it was continuously denied as not medically necessary. I could not image why this was not medically necessary as this patient had no hands and amputations of both legs. This upset me so! With the approval of the physician that I had worked for at the time, he allowed me to do what I needed to. I was now on a mission. I finally decided to take a picture of this patient's arms and legs and send along a very detailed medical report to Medicare. The fight was on! After 6 months of fighting with Medicare and trying to prove medical necessity, the wheelchair was delivered and covered in full by Medicare.