“When I joined the pediatric team in 2020, I had just come from over five years of adult orthopedic experience, and to be honest, I was a bit terrified. But my Area Director took a leap of faith by allowing me the opportunity to transition to the pediatric world…and I’m so incredibly glad she did!” – Beth Brooks, PT, DPT, ASTYM Cert., 3DMAPS, AFS, Pediatric Residency (C)
We can all relate – trying new things can be challenging, but when you have a team of people who believe in you and truly want to see you succeed, you quickly fall into place and have the faith to know deep down that you’re exactly where you need to be. That’s how Beth Brooks felt when she started with our Adrian, MI, pediatric clinic.
“I’ve had the good fortune to be impacted by many amazing people throughout my time with Ivy, but two individuals come to the forefront – Samantha Beard, Area Director for East Michigan Pediatrics, and Kaelan Henman, a pediatric Speech Therapist,” explains Beth. “Those two always made me feel like I could ask for help or support as I learned to navigate the outpatient pediatric world. Together, the three of us built an incredible program that provides excellent care and service to the most deserving of individuals in our area – the children.”
In no time at all, Beth was an integral part of the team, rising to Clinic Director and taking advantage of all the programs and opportunities presented to her – including the pediatric residency program and various accelerated specialty courses. But the opportunity that stands out the most is our GROW Program, which creates transformational leaders that are inspired to live to their full potential and take responsibility for their impact on future generations.
“GROW has really challenged me and helped me to evolve into a better leader for my team. Leadership is a very humbling experience. It’s about being vulnerable, sincere, kind, inquisitive, selfless….and GROW really helped me learn strategies and techniques that allow me to use those characteristics to empower my teammates to grow and learn as well.”
By utilizing the tactics she learned both from her mentors and from the leadership programs she’s been involved with, Beth is quick to encourage others to challenge themselves to be high performers with the following advice:
- Go above and beyond for your patients and team.
- Volunteer for all Ivy projects and tasks that spark your passion and bring you joy
- Be prepared to work hard.
- Reach out to teammates that you admire and tell them how much you look up to them and would love to learn from them. Every Ivy leadership member that I’ve encountered encourages those to reach out and ask questions. It goes back to the culture that Ivy has created, where everyone loves to see others grow and succeed.
By being an incredibly valuable asset and following her own advice, Beth has been able to advance her career rather quickly, and she has no plans of slowing down. Armed with a goal of helping as many children and families as she can, Beth aspires to open a new Ivy Rehab for Kids clinic in a neighboring county that’s very underserved, then continue to grow and move wherever there proves a need.
“The culture at Ivy is like nothing I’ve experienced before in the sense that everyone (from teammates to executive leadership) wants to learn, grow, and see others succeed. In fact, our vision at the Adrian clinic is “Learning and Growing Together!” I’ve learned to integrate all of the Ivy values in both my professional and personal life with great benefit. I use the values to guide me in my tasks as a leader for my team, and I look forward to continuing to grow with Ivy!” – Beth Brooks
