The building block, 01-03/2012

              Volume VI, Issue 1
January - March
2012
An e-newsletter of the J. D. McCarty Center for children with developmental disabilities
A pass ion for their profession
McCarty Center employees say working
with patients is fun, fulfilling
The backgrounds are
diverse, the job titles are different and the years of experience
range from four to 25.
But a common interest
unites these employees. They
love working with children with
developmental disabilities and
watching them play, progress
and prosper.
Phyllis Brawner, Doneisha
Sterling, Maria Greenfield and
Dean Bischoff are employees at
the J. D. MCarty Center. They
are among the approximately
235 staff members who work at
the hospital, which celebrated its
65th anniversary in 2011.
Brawner and Sterling work
as direct care specialists. Greenfield is the director of occupational therapy, and Bischoff serves
as a rehab technician.
Each say their job is gratifying and enriching. They talk
about the excitement of watching
patients improve their abilities
and learn new skills and the fun
they've had just hanging out with
the kids on field trips.
"It's more than a job. It's more
than a paycheck," Brawner said.
"You have to have a heart for these
kids."
Here's a little about how
these employees developed that
"heart."
Phyllis Brawner, left, and her daughter Doneisha Sterling are direct care specialist at the McCarty Center.
The two say they love working with each other and
working with children with special needs.
A family affair
Brawner and Sterling love
hanging out together. The mom and
daughter take the same Zumba
class, watch movies together and
attend the same church.
The Norman residents
also love working together at the
McCarty Center and having the
opportunity to make a positive
impact in a patient's life.
"The best part, to me, is
making a difference," Brawner
said about the job.
Both are direct care specialists who assist inpatients;
implement patient care plans that
outline a child's medical and behavioral needs; and take children
to their scheduled therapy se-
sions and supervise them on field
trips.
Both women say that
working with the kids is what
makes the job so satisfying, such
as getting to know their personalities and seeing them accomplish goals. Sterling said she is
constantly learning from the kids
in her care. When she sees them
improve their skills and overcome
obstacles, it motivates her to do
the same.
Continued on page 2