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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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Christina Hyatt
Practice Manager
Having been raised in the Asheville area, I am so excited to be working closely with families in our community!
I began my professional journey with WNC Group Homes for Autistic Persons in 2000, where I was privileged to empower residents to their fullest potential. As I grew professionally, I moved into a management position where I could impact even more lives. My career path led to a position as an Office Assistant/Accounts Receivable Clerk with a company in Waynesville, NC with an amazing administrative training program. After taking a break to guide my youngest son through his toddler years, I joined Higher Ground in September of 2016 as Communications Coordinator. In January of 2020 I began my position as Practice Manager, overseeing all administrative duties and the day-to-day operations at Higher Ground.
I love working at HGPT because I get to serve our awesome families, while working alongside a wonderful team of professionals! In my free time you can find me: camping with my family, volunteering, and enjoying the outdoors with my husband and two boys.
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Lauren Flynn
Physical Therapist
I was first introduced to the field of Occupational Therapy in 2007 after my son began receiving occupational therapy services. Since that time, I have fallen in love with the profession, and in 2012 I decided to enroll in school to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. I received my degree from Southwestern Community College in May of 2016. My passion is working together with special needs children and their families so they can realize and reach their maximum potential. My family and I have been a part of the Asheville Community for 13 years now and couldn’t ask for a better place to live and work! In my spare time you can usually find my family and I outside exploring all that the mountains of WNC have to offer. I love being outside, and try to incorporate the outdoors and nature as much as possible into treatment. Music is also a passion of mine, and I love getting out to enjoy live music whenever my schedule allows. I am thrilled to be working with such an amazing team here at HGPT, and look forward to serving the families here in Western North Carolina.
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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
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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Samantha Campbell
Speech-Language Pathologist/Team Lead
Hi! My name is Samantha Campbell and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist. I was born and raised in New York. I graduated from Syracuse University with my Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2017. While completing my Master’s degree, I realized my passion for pediatrics and have been working with this population ever since. Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with various disorders including receptive, expressive and pragmatic language disorders, fluency disorders, voice disorders and speech sound disorders including articulation, phonological and childhood apraxia of speech. I have had the opportunity to serve children with hearing impairments, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Cerebral Palsy and other genetic disorders. I joined the HGPT team in July of 2021 and truly love getting to work with our wonderful team and serving our community! Typically in my free time I enjoy reading, hiking and spending time with my family and my dog Winnie.
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Tessa Gacovsky
Occupational Therapist / Team Lead
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Let's Go Pens) and attended Saint Francis University. I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in 2016 and my Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2017. I have recently relocated to Asheville, NC to start a new adventure and have new opportunities. I have worked as an occupational therapist in a school district for several years, and I am excited to use my knowledge and experience to help children reach their full potential and goals. When I am not at work, you can find me trying out new recipes in the kitchen, reading one of my favorite books, going for a run, exploring the outdoors and hiking, or traveling to see my family and friends. I look forward to working with children in North Carolina and continuing to learn and grow as a therapist.
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Tammy Griffin
Communications Coordinator
Bio Coming Soon...
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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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Gail LePage
Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
I discovered my passion for Occupational Therapy many years ago as a caregiver for a child with special needs whose OT was Rich Brown, now the owner of Higher Ground. I’ve always supported children in reaching their fullest potential. While at Kent State University obtaining a degree in English, I was a caregiver for students with cerebral palsy and spinal cord injuries. I worked summers at a camp for children with significant medical needs. After graduating, I was a nanny in Germany before moving to the beautiful mountains of NC. I began working with children and adults with autism, eventually broadening the scope to support individuals with a range of developmental disabilities across many settings. After adopting our oldest child, I was a teachers’ and behavioral assistant at a public charter school for grades K - 8. My journey finally brought me to getting my COTA license at AB Tech. Since then, I’ve loved working at Higher Ground with a team of therapists who are passionate about supporting children and their families. I believe that compassion, connection, play, and humor solidify roots for growth. I live in Leicester, NC with my husband, son, 2 cats, and 4 chickens. If I am not working with children, I enjoy hiking, camping, playing outside with my family, listening to live music, and volunteering with horses.
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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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Kathryn Kellar
Speech-Language Pathologist
I have been a Speech Language Pathologist for 7 years now and have had so many wonderful learning experiences over the years! My journey started in Pennsylvania where I complete my undergraduate and graduate experiences. I worked in a large school for my first year then transitioned to a specialized setting my following year where I was the lead SLP in a Verbal Behavioral classroom. I also helped pilot a telehealth program to provide speech services to underserved populations in Philadelphia. I worked with such a supportive multidisciplinary team. With bittersweet emotions, my husband’s job brought us out to sunny Santa Barbara, CA. I worked as an Early Intervention therapist for children 3 years and younger. It was such a treasured period of my life! We had speech sessions all over including the beach and the zoo. I truly learned the meaning of work/ life balance during this time.
After much debate, we decided to find our way back to the East Coast to be closer to family and friends. We love living in Asheville! When I am not at work, you can find me hiking with my two dogs or running through the gorgeous mountains from our backyard!
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Erin Botto
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
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.
