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Richard Brown
President/CEO
Occupational Therapist
Prior to moving to Asheville in 2005, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lehigh University. Upon graduating, I began working with adults with traumatic brain injuries, where I became fascinated with occupational therapy. I graduated with my Master’s degree in OT from Thomas Jefferson University in 2000 and have been specializing exclusively in pediatrics ever since. We opened Higher Ground Pediatric Therapy out of our home in November of 2010. Since then we have been blessed with continued growth, offering a greater range of services and, more importantly, having a greater impact on children’s lives in our community. After 3 years at home, “HGPT” outgrew the space and eventually settled into our South Asheville location, where we look forward to providing the highest quality care for years to come. When not at work, you might find my wife and I, along with our 4 kids, enjoying the outdoors and playing every sport under the sun!
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Angie Bell
Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
I was born and raised in North Carolina and graduated from NCSU’s School of Design with a degree in Product Design. After living in New England and the Florida Keys, my husband and I moved to Western North Carolina to be near the rich arts and crafts scene and the beautiful mountains. We started a business designing and building furniture and showed in galleries across the country. After the birth of two daughters, I stayed home with my children for several years before returning to work in Buncombe County Schools as first a volunteer and then a teaching assistant. I particularly enjoyed working with exceptional children which lead to designing and building a school garden for Fairview Elementary that could be used to enhance the curriculum for the children of the school. Seeing how children learn and develop through experiences and play motivated me to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. I love working with children and problem solving with their families to address their needs. Play is the work of children and I feel very lucky to be helping my clients develop through meaningful activities. In my free time, I love to: travel, read, cycle, watch all the critters that visit my mountain home, and spend time with my family. Higher Ground is a great place to work among people who are passionate about helping children live happy, healthy lives!
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Karli Toothman
Speech-Language Pathologist / Team Lead
Hello! My name is Karli Toothman and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist. I am originally from the small town of Ripley, West Virginia. I received both my Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from West Virginia University (Let’s gooo, Mountaineers!). My husband and I moved to Asheville, NC in 2018. While I have worked with patients across the lifespan, my heart lies with pediatrics. I love the energy children bring to the therapy room and incorporating play into treatment sessions. I have served patients in various settings, including inpatient rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, schools, and in outpatient clinics. My journey as a speech therapist has allowed me the opportunity to serve patients presenting with various disabilities, including articulation delays/disorders, language delays/disorders, hearing impairment, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, cleft lip and palate, Rett’s Syndrome, Aphasia, fluency disorders, and voice disorders. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, baking, and helping my husband with woodworking projects.
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Tammy Griffin
Communications Coordinator
My name is Tammy Griffin and I was born and raised in Weaverville, NC. I graduated high school with my CNA and I have been blessed to work in the medical field for the past 28 + years doing all sorts of jobs. I especially love helping others and being around children. When I'm not in the office, I'm spending time on our farm with my husband, 2 dogs and our grandbabies, we love to be outdoors and travel . We love to "work hard and play hard" as they say!
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Cathy Priester
Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
I was born and raised "right down the road," but have lived in Raleigh, NC; Denver, CO; and Eugene, OR. I served in AmeriCorps NCCC in 2005, where I found I wanted to serve others. I graduated from NCSU in 2010 with a degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. After graduation, I researched becoming a Recreation Therapist and discovered Occupational Therapy, completely falling in love with the profession. I have experience working with The Arc of Buncombe and Orange Counties and graduated with a degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from AB Technical Community College in 2020. I worked in Skilled Nursing for over a year before landing a fantastic job in pediatric therapy. I'm so excited to begin this journey at HGPT! My interests include spending time with my husband and daughter, playing with our pets, Pumpernickel and Pistachio, reading and collecting books, and everything outdoors.
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Chloe Hudock
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hi! My name is Chloe, and I am a speech-language pathologist. I graduated from Appalachian State University in May 2022 where I earned my Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, and I moved from Raleigh to Asheville two weeks later to begin an amazing adventure with Higher Ground Pediatric Therapy! I have a special interest in speech sound disorders and school-age language, and I have experience working with various pediatric populations including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and those with traumatic brain injury or hearing loss. My goal as a speech-language pathologist is to help children find their voice, whether it be through verbal communication, sign language, or even AAC.
In my free time, I love listening to music, reading books, and enjoying the outdoors with my cat Piper. I am loving every little bit of Asheville and I am thankful for the Higher Ground community helping welcome me to my new home.
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Erin Botto
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant / Team Lead
Hello everyone! I grew up right here in the mountains of Asheville. I graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from the University of Tennessee in 2018 (Go Vols!). After graduating from UT, I immediately came back to Asheville to receive my Occupational Therapy Assistant degree from AB-Tech. Following graduation, I moved to Texas where I spent time working in a Skilled Nursing Facility and an outpatient pediatric clinic. Eventually the mountains called me home and the HGPT family welcomed me. In my free time I like to hike, go to the dog park with my dog Josh, row, cook, and bake.
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Leah Piepszowski
Occupational Therapist
Hello, my name is Leah Piepszowski and I am an occupational therapist. I first learned about pediatric occupational therapy from my mom and sister who are OTs working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the school system. I guess you can say OT is in our blood! I was born and raised in Detroit, MI, and attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. I graduated with my Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2018. I have experience working in early intervention, outpatient clinics, and schools. I am passionate about working in pediatrics because of the joy and energy children bring to therapy, and I enjoy working together with families to improve their child’s quality of life. I have moved around a bit and spent some time in Guatemala working in a special education school and working in California before moving to Asheville. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, bike touring, painting, playing music, and exploring Asheville. I look forward to working with HGPT’s amazing team and serving the Western North Carolina community!
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Karen Tlanepantla
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hello! Hola! My name is Karen and I am so excited to be a new member of the Higher Ground team! I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2023 where I obtained my Master's in Speech-Language Pathology. My passion is supporting children of all ages and serving the Spanish-speaking population. During graduate school, I had the opportunity to support children in the areas of language, AAC, and swallowing to name a few. I grew up in the Asheville area and am glad to be back home! In my free time, you can find me reading, painting, hiking, and spending time with my family.
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Emily Hyers
Occupational Therapist
My name is Emily and I earned my Masters in Occupational Therapy from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2023. I have always known I wanted to work in a pediatric setting and am so happy to be at HGPT! The energy and humor kids bring to the table gives me so much joy and I love being a part of helping kids and their families thrive! I grew up in Asheville and have only spent time away while attending Appalachian State University for my undergraduate degree. It was an easy decision to move back to the area in 2019. When I’m not at work you can find me going on hikes with my dog, baking, and exploring old and new places around Asheville. I am so excited to be a part of the Higher Ground team and work with all the amazing families in our community!
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Lauren Bollen
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hi! My name is Lauren Bollen and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist. I am from Augusta, Georgia and graduated with my masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Valdosta State University in 2014. I have loved calling WNC my home since 2018. My career has allowed me to work in the public school system working with preschool and school-age children in various areas including receptive/expressive language, articulation, ASD, and stuttering. I’ve also worked with patients in the rehabilitation setting treating swallowing disorders and cognitive communication skills. I am happy to be joining the Higher Ground team working with pediatrics again! My favorite things to do are being outside, dreaming up my next DIY project and spending time with my husband and our 3 children.
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Brennah Fulton
Occupational Therapist
Hello! My name is Brennah Fulton and I am an Occupational Therapist. I am originally from Wausau, Wisconsin (Go Pack Go!) and received both my Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Following graduation, I’ve worked in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric settings in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have experience working with a wide variety of diagnoses and have helped kids with sensory processing needs, developmental delays, neurodevelopmental disorders, and other genetic disorders. Working with kids has always been my passion; I love the imagination, creativity, and energy they bring to every session. My goal is to collaborate with my kids and their families, so we can work together as a team to help them reach their goals. I strive to incorporate kid’s interests and passions into our sessions, to increase their motivation and participation. I believe therapy should be fun! I have recently relocated to Asheville, and I’m excited for all of the exploring to come. I’ve finally escaped the Midwest winters, and will be spending all of my time outdoors hiking, biking, hammocking, and camping. I also enjoy playing pickleball, reading, and listening to live music. I’m excited to start my journey with the Higher Ground Team!
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Cheri Bailey
Physical Therapist Assistant
Hi there! My name is Cheri and I’m a Physical Therapist Assistant. Prior to moving to Asheville in 2018 I earned my PTA degree while living in Southern Utah. Upon graduating I have worked in multiple settings including neurological, orthopedic, pediatric and memory care, but I’m so thrilled to be back working with the kiddos! When not at work you’ll find me hiking in the mountains, swimming in the rivers and enjoying live music.
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Michelle Roberts
Physical Therapist
Hi, I’m Michele Roberts. I earned my Doctorate in Physical Therapy from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. I’ve worked exclusively in pediatrics for 15 years in outpatient and school based positions. I enjoy giving kids and families ideas and encouragement for success. Outside the clinic I homeschool our two girls, dig around in our garden, teach kiddos at our church, thrift shop, read books and drink excessive amounts of black coffee.
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Brittany Cutshall
Front Desk/Reception
Hey y’all, My name is Brittany Cutshall. I was born and raised in Marshall, NC. I have worked in nursing as a CNA for most of my career and have been blessed to join this amazing team in the fall of 2024. I love meeting all of our kiddos and seeing that all of your scheduling needs are met! I enjoy spending my free time with my husband, daughter and our 3 dogs on our cozy little farm. We are an outdoorsy family! When I’m not in the office you can find me in the pasture hanging out with our goats and chickens, in a bass boat on a Georgia lake, or in a hunting blind on our property here in the beautiful WNC mountains!
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Michelle Wintering
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hi, My name is Michelle I have spent my speech pathology career in a wide variety of settings working with infants through adults. My passion lies in pediatrics - working alongside children and their families to help them achieve their speech, language, and feeding goals. I studied psychology and public relations at the University of Dayton, and then attended graduate school at Ohio University to become a Speech Language Pathologist. I started my career at a school for the deaf and the blind and continue to work with that population whenever I have the opportunity. Due to moves as a military family, I have served families in: Ohio, Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, & Kansas. My family moved here in fall 2023 and is happy to call Asheville home! I love incorporating hands-on, real-life elements, and literacy into therapy sessions and especially enjoy working with early language and feeding patients. You'll often find me on a hiking trail with my family, playing volleyball, reading, or trying a new recipe! My husband and I have 2 small children.
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Jennifer Loizzo
Billing/Finance Director
I am from the great state of Minnesota. My family moved to Asheville in 2002. I have been part of the Higher Ground Team since 2018 and love serving our families in my current role as Director of Billing/Finance. In my free time I love to travel, read books and spend time with family and friends.
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Lauren Bernier
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Bio coming soon...
