Donna Gregory, CTRS, MBA

Donna Gregory is the Recreation Therapy Chief at the NIH Clinical Center. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in recreation therapy from the University of Maryland. and a master's degree in business administration from Penn State University. She has experience as an adjunct professor at Temple University teaching Health Care Administration. Donna has 20 years experience working in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. She has managed interdisciplinary treatment teams and has clinical experience working with adults and adolescents who have sustained traumatic brain injuries. Her interests include program development, process improvement, and providing quality RT services to a variety of patient populations.

Frances E. Byrd BFA, BS, CTRS
Francis Byrd is responsible for the general recreation playroom for patients and hospital visitors in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. She uses arts and crafts and normalized play to help the children adjust to their hospital stay.  Francis has a B.F.A. and a B.S. in Recreation Therapy from Shenandoah Music & Conservatory.  Francis has been a recreation therapist at the national institutes of health since 1987.

Mary E. Carson, CTRS
Mary Carson is the primary recreation therapist for the NIMH adult schizophrenia inpatient research unit in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  Interventions provided include leisure education groups, fitness groups, relaxation sessions, reiki, community reintegration/resources, hospital-wide recreation programs, social skills/anger management training, individual coping skills management, horticulture, and animal-assisted therapy.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in recreational therapy from East Carolina University in 2002 and has worked as a recreation therapist on the admissions ward of an inpatient psychiatric hospital for 3 years before coming to NIH.  She is professionally active in the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA), Chesapeake Area Recreation Therapy Association (CHARTA), and Mideastern Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation.

Michael Duquette, MRPA, CTRS, BCIAC
Michael Duquette is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation therapy from Florida State University and a master of recreation and park administration with an emphasis in therapeutic recreation degree from Clemson University. He has more than 25 years of experience in the field of recreation therapy, primarily in mental health. His current responsibilities include the alcohol inpatient unit and serving as lead therapist for the Integrative Therapy Group, (music therapy, art therapy, massage therapy, Chinese Medicine). Mr. Duquette is also a certified biofeedback therapist and provides treatment to referred patients related to psychogenic movement disorders, anxiety, and respiratory disorders. His current biofeedback focus is heart rate variability training.

Sheila Egan, MT-BC
Sheila Egan is a board certified music therapist Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Boston Conservatory of Music and her Music Therapy Certification from Shenandoah Conservatory.  Her performance credits include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center and the National Cathedral.  She was named "International Artist of the Year" in China.  At NIH she facilitates music therapy for a wide variety of populations.

Jane Marie Ganz, C.A.G.S., M.Ed CTRS
Jane Marie Ganz has been a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center since the fall of 1983. She earned her undergraduate degree in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation from the Univ. of Maryland, her graduate degrees and teaching certificates were earned from George Washington Univ. in Adaptive Physical Education, Therapeutic Recreation, and Early Childhood Education as well as an Advanced Graduate Degree in Clinical Therapeutic Recreation from Boston University.  Currently Jane is completing her Advanced Graduate Degree in Pastoral Counseling from the Washington Theological Union consortium of Catholic University of America.  Jane is credentialed in a variety of non-pharmacological relaxation therapy interventions. Her expertise in the areas of leisure, play, and recreation have been incorporated into 25 years of quality patient care within the NIH  as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and 5 years of service in the United States Air Force's PACAF command.

Robin M. Greenfield, MA, CTRS
Robin M. Greenfield is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  She received a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation therapy and a Masters of Arts degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Maryland. She has 23 years of experience in the field of recreation therapy with the following diagnostic populations; mental health, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and neuralgic disorders. Robin’s current responsibilities include providing clinical services to the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke inpatient unit. Her interests include adapting and utilizing Adventure Based programming in the provision of treatment interventions along with program development. Robin currently serves as the Mental Health Network Co-Team Leader for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association September 2007-September 2009.
 
Joani Hartman, NCBTMB, CMT
Joani Hartman is a massage therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. She is certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. She is a graduate of the Potomac Massage Training Institute in Washington, DC. She has 20 years of experience and practices various massage modalities including Swedish, deep tissue, Shiatsu, and Reiki Therapy. She is currently on the teaching staff at the Potomac Massage Institute.

Natalie A. Haynes, M.Ed., CTRS
Natalie Haynes is currently the recreation therapist for the adult oncology unit in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. Interventions provided to patients include relaxation, Reiki, animal assisted therapy, healthy lifestyle sessions, and coping with treatment symptoms. Natalie has also been involved in the hospital-wide collaborative patient artwork project, titled "The Art of Healing." Natalie graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health, Fitness and Recreation Resources, concentrating in Therapeutic Recreation, from George Mason University in 2006. She then continued on, receiving a Master's of Education with a focus on the severe disability population, from George Mason University in 2008. Before coming to NIH, Natalie worked in a community therapeutic recreation setting, both full and part-time, for 7 years.

Julie M Hoehl, CTRS, H/FI, BCIAC
Julie Hoehl is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  Since joining the staff in January 1997, Julie is a Lead Therapist responsible for the case load team and has the additional responsibilities for the Allergy and Infectious diseases patient care unit populations and the medical /surgical populations within the National Cancer Institute.  Julie's current clinical interest includes obesity research collaboration and pain management.

Eddie L. Jackson, Jr., BS, CTRS
Eddie Jackson is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  As a member of the general recreation team, Eddie supervises many adult general recreation programs including craft room activities and community outings. He received his degree in leisure education from the University of the District of Columbia. Eddie has worked at NIH as a recreation therapist since 1975 and his professional interests include arts and crafts.

Kristin Johnsen, CTRS
Kristin is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center and unit therapist for the National Cancer Institute, Pediatric Branch. She received her BS in recreation with an emphasis in therapeutic recreation from the University of Florida. Her professional interests include medical play and animal assisted therapy.

Marie Riordan Kaplan, J.D., MLS
Marie Riordan Kaplan is a patient librarian in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Research Center, graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor's of science degree in Foreign Service.  She earned a juris doctor degree from The American University and practiced communications law prior to joining the staff of the NIH Patient Library in 1998.  With a master's degree in library science from the University of Maryland, she has been head librarian at the patient library since 2003.  She has earned the NIH Clinical Center Directors Award in 2006 for creativity and dedication in improving the patient library, and in 2003 earned the Washington DC Archdiocesan Order of Merit Award for community service, including improvements to a parish library. Her professional interests include providing quality patient service through collection development to support recreation therapy programming and NIH patient protocols.

Deborah C. Marcus, CTRS
Deborah Marcus is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center.  With 28 years of experience in the field, Deborah is the lead recreation therapist for the milieu team. Deborah has worked with pediatric patients with ADHD and is currently involved with the Childhood Onset of Schizophrenia and Mood Dysregulation protocols.  Deborah Graduated Suma Cum Laude from the University of Maryland in 1981 with a B.S. in "Recreation with an emphasis in Therapeutics." She has presented on local and national levels.  Deborah's interests are behavioral and social development.

Laura Maring, CTRS
Laura is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. She is a graduate of Ithaca College in upstate New York where she received her B.S. in recreation therapy and competed in NCAA swimming.  Laura continues to be involved in leisure activities and currently is the captain/coach of three soccer teams.  At the NIH Laura is responsible for services in the NCI day hospital and the pediatric clinic.

Holly C. Parker, CTRS
Holly Cobb Parker is as recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center, graduated with a degree in recreation therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has spent the last 20 years working with pediatric patients in the inpatient setting. She also coordinates the animal-assisted therapy program for the Clinical Center and has a special interest in using animals to work with patients of many different diagnoses.

Karen Perkins, M. Ed, CTRS
Karen Perkins is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center, She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She received her Master of Education degree in recreation and leisure studies from the University of Georgia with an option in Therapeutic Recreation and a minor concentration in environmental education. Among her interests are biofeedback, complementary and alternative medicine, patient assessment, and the marketing of recreation therapy as a profession to secondary-school students.

Megan Robb, MA, ATR-BC, LPC
Megan Robb is a board-certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Research Center.  She graduated from Truman State University and holds a Masters in Arts- Art Therapy from The George Washington University. She has worked in a variety of settings including psychiatric hospitals, schools for special education, medical hospitals. She is responsible for providing art therapy services to both the behavioral health and medical units.

Elvera C. Sales
Elvera C. Sales is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. She works with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as a patient care unit therapist developing, implementing and evaluating activity programs for children and their families to help them adjust to their hospital stays. She studied recreation therapy at George Washington University and has been at NIH since 1973. Her professional interests include the incorporation of medical play into treatment regiments and the development of arts and crafts. She is also interested in looking at geographic, cultural, socioeconomic, and educational differences in addition to the physical limitations when planning recreation therapy interventions for children.

Linda Scimeca, MA, CTRS
Linda Scimeca is a recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. She has been a recreation therapist at NIH since 1982.   Linda graduated from Virginia Tech and University of Maryland with undergraduate and graduate degrees.  Linda has had the opportunity to gain 22 years of experience in adult oncology, years of service pediatrics and allergy and infectious disease. She is also involved with relaxation, AIDS & TR and adventure challenge and camping for children with cancer. Linda has been a regular speaker at over 25 State, regional and national conferences on topics involving TR & oncology, humor therapy, death &dying, and coping. Linda is co-author of a NIH publication "Creative Approaches to Waiting."

Marcia Smith, MA, CTRS, HFI
Marcia Smith is a recreation therapist and the clinical coordinator and student internship coordinator in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center, received her bachelor of science degrees in physical education and psychology from Towson State University and her master's degree in recreation therapy from the University of Maryland. She is accredited by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health fitness instructor. Her clinical area of expertise focuses on individuals with mental illness. Her interests also include the utilization of physical activity to improve overall functional abilities in patients. She has served on several professional boards and has presented locally and nationally on a recreation therapy interventions topics. Marcia will serve as the President of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association September 2007-September 2008.

Renee Stubbs, PhD, CTRS
Renee is a recreation therapist recreation therapist in Recreation Therapy at the NIH Clinical Center. She is a lead Therapist responsible the general recreation program, staff in-service training and special programs. Currently she serves as the acting research and outcome project coordinator for the Recreation Therapy Section.  Renee is the unit therapist for the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation units as well as the National Cancer Institutes transplant unit. She has presented locally, nationally and internationally on various topics related to therapeutic recreation.  As an active member of several TR associations, Renee has served on committees and held board positions in various therapeutic recreation organizations. Renee earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from Tyler School of Art, her masters of education degree from Temple University and her PhD from University of Maryland.   Her current interest involves practice standards in pain management and complimentary therapies.