At Rose Lane Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, mentorship is more than part of the job. It is part of the culture. Over the past three years, under the leadership and guidance of Occupational Therapist and Director of Rehabilitation Erin Dixon, the therapy department has mentored 25 therapy students, helping future healthcare professionals gain real-world clinical experience while building confidence in their skills.
For students pursuing careers in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, hands-on learning opportunities are essential. Rose Lane’s therapy team provides a supportive environment where students can strengthen clinical reasoning, develop communication skills, and learn how to adapt to the changing needs of patients in a skilled nursing and rehabilitation setting.
Why Clinical Mentorship Matters in Rehabilitation Therapy
Clinical mentorship plays a major role in preparing therapy students and new graduates for long-term success in healthcare. At Rose Lane, experienced therapists work closely with students to guide them through patient care, treatment planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Olivia Howell, PTA, says mentoring students helps therapists continue learning as well. Student questions often encourage deeper conversations and spark creative treatment ideas that benefit both therapists and patients.
Stephanie Crescenze, COTA, shared that mentoring keeps clinicians engaged and reflective in their practice. She explained that students bring fresh perspectives and updated academic knowledge that help therapists stay connected to evolving best practices in rehabilitation care.
A Strong Learning Environment for Therapy Students
Rose Lane provides students with exposure to a wide variety of diagnoses, patient populations, and clinical challenges. This diverse clinical experience helps prepare future therapists for careers in skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, and long-term care.
Because the Skilled Nursing Facility therapy environment is constantly changing, students learn how to become flexible and adaptable clinicians while understanding the importance of individualized patient care.
The therapy department also emphasizes open communication and teamwork. Students are encouraged to ask questions, collaborate with staff, and actively participate in the learning process without fear of judgment.
According to the therapy team, creating a welcoming learning environment helps students grow more confident and comfortable in their clinical decision-making.
How Therapy Students Benefit the Clinical Team
Mentorship is not only valuable for students. It also strengthens the therapy department itself.
Teaching students encourages therapists to explain their clinical reasoning more intentionally and break down complex treatment approaches into practical, understandable steps. This process helps therapists sharpen their own skills while fostering creativity and innovation in patient care.
Students also introduce current classroom education, evidence-based practices, and new treatment techniques that contribute to the department’s continued professional growth.
This collaborative exchange of knowledge helps Rose Lane maintain a culture of continuous learning within its rehabilitation program.
Supporting New Therapy Graduates as They Enter the Workforce
Transitioning from the classroom to full-time clinical practice can feel overwhelming for many new therapy graduates. At Rose Lane, mentorship continues beyond student placements to help new clinicians gain confidence as healthcare professionals.
Olivia shared that her experience at Rose Lane helped her grow as a therapist and become more confident in her abilities. She credits the supportive team environment for encouraging professional development and lifelong learning.
The rehabilitation department also emphasizes cross-disciplinary teamwork, helping new therapists understand how physical therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation services work together to improve patient outcomes.
Building a Culture of Mentorship in Healthcare
After more than a decade at Rose Lane, Stephanie believes mentorship is one of the biggest reasons the therapy department continues to succeed. She described the team as one built on mutual respect, collaboration, and professional support.
Her advice for new graduates entering healthcare is to find mentors who encourage growth and create a positive work environment. Strong professional relationships, she says, can make a significant difference early in a therapist’s career.
With assistance, leadership, and guidance from Erin Diaczun, Director of Rehabilitation at Anchor Lodge Retirement Village and Student Placement Coordinator for therapy students across Sprenger Health Care, our organization continues creating meaningful opportunities for therapy students and new graduates.
By prioritizing mentorship, collaboration, and professional development, Rose Lane is helping shape the future of rehabilitation therapy while investing in the next generation of healthcare professionals.
200 Years of Service: How Sprenger Health Care’s Therapy Team Exceeds Two CenturiesIn November, Tyler Sponaugle, a Physical Therapist from Sprenger Health Care Rose Lane hosted two company-wide, free CEU programs specializing in vestibular rehabilitation, in which dozens of Sprenger’s therapists attended. Tyler began his therapy career with Sprenger Health Care over 10 years ago, and has recently obtained a specialization in vestibular rehabilitation, in which he aims to continue assisting the community and other therapists gain knowledge on the topic through outreach and CEUs. These CEUs were held at Towne Center in Avon Lake, Ohio, and Heather Knoll Nursing and Rehabilitation in Tallmadge, Ohio, to provide accessibility to the therapists commuting from the other surrounding Sprenger facilities.
Many of the therapists in attendance had worked within Sprenger Health Care Systems for a decade or more, which had the group thinking – how many years of combined experience have they all had while employed with Sprenger?
The answer spans more than 200 years of therapy experience within the South Sprenger Health Care facilities alone, in total resulting in 363 years from all Sprenger Health Care Systems, and even more in overall clinical experience!
Many of the therapists in the photo above began their careers with Sprenger and overtime have grown throughout the company, building on learned, hands-on experience and one-on-one mentoring.
This is the case with Angie Maurer, OTR/L. In 2009 she was in her final year of graduate school at Cleveland State University, when she attended an Occupational Therapy conference and had the opportunity to chat with leadership from Sprenger Health Care Towne Center. Here, she learned that the only years-old, newly constructed nursing facility was in Avon Lake, Ohio, Angie’s hometown. She, along with a handful of her classmates, were given the opportunity to begin their career with Sprenger Health Care, all of which remain employed with the company!
Angie has been an Occupational Therapist with Sprenger Health Care since the very beginning of her career, working at Towne Center for nearly 15 years. Angie stated, “I love working here, at Towne Center. The people are amazing; We all work together, bouncing ideas off one another. Physical, occupational, and speech therapists work as one unit, making sure that our residents get the best care that we can provide. Everyone here is just amazing – the nurses, the environmental staff, everyone!”
For Mistie Hall, PTA, she has had a similar experience to Angie. Mistie went to Lorain County Community College and received a degree in Applied Science, continuing on to become a certified Physical Therapy Assistant, which is a career that she has worked in for nearly 20 years. She began her career in a neighboring hospital, and then transitioned into a travel position, which is how she happened across Sprenger Health Care. She began working for Sprenger Health Care Systems almost 17 years ago, at Autumn Aegis in Lorain, Ohio. For her first few years with Sprenger, she traveled around to other local Sprenger facilities, such as Anchor Lodge, Amherst Manor, and Elms Retirement Village, but 12 years ago, she decided to make a permanent home at Towne Center, where she has been ever since.
In December 2023, Mistie took over an exercise class held twice a week in Towne Center’s Independent Living, assisting residents with physical activities to continually improve their health and independence. The class has exponentially grown since Mistie has taken over, and it is just one small piece of her time at Sprenger that she values dearly. Mistie’s end-career goal is to eventually retire with Sprenger.
Kristen Matus, PT, DPT, has been with Sprenger Health Care for exactly half of her career, nearing a decade. She graduated from Toledo University in the Fall of 2006 and began working as a Physical Therapist in January of 2007. In 2016, some of Kristen’s friends persuaded her to try out a new avenue with Sprenger, and so she did. Out of her 18-year long Physical Therapy career, Kristen has spent 9 of those years with Sprenger Health Care, and she doesn’t plan to leave anytime soon. In fact, Kristen hopes to continue her growth at Towne Center by promoting continued positive development with the outpatient therapy caseload. She stated that her goal is to “help the community by providing care.”
Flourishing Careers
Angie, Mistie, and Kristen are just a few of the many therapists who have chosen Sprenger Health Care as a place to flourish their career. Not only has their career grown over time, but the relationships they have garnered have given them family-like friendships in both co-workers and residents. Angie stated that the one part of her job that she enjoys the most is being able to go to work and enjoy her time spent with all of the residents, but especially the residents who reside in long-term care, who she has known and worked with for years.
Sprenger Health Care Systems is an ever growing 12-nursing home, 10-assisted living, and 8-independent living enterprise, employing more than 2,000 professionals, located in Ohio and South Carolina. If you are interested in joining Angie, Mistie, Kristen, and the dozens of other devoted therapy professionals, search our open positions here.