Mentors
Our pediatric physical therapy residency mentors are committed to supporting residents throughout their time in the program. Click the tabs below to meet our program leaders and mentors.
Dana McCarty, PT, PhD, Program Director
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy
Assistant Professor, Division of Physical Therapy
Undergraduate School: Columbia College
Graduate School: University of South Carolina and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kristel Maes, PT, DPT, Dip MDT, Program Coordinator
Undergraduate School and Degree: KULeuven Belgium
Graduate School: KULeuven Belgium and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional Interest: My clinical interest is spine. In my current position as Administrator of our post-graduate programs I have a passion for education and preparing the future generation of therapists.
Why I Serve as a Mentor: Research has shown that having a professional mentor is beneficial to advancing your career. From personal experience, I value the benefit of surrounding myself with others who can give me a different perspective on a patient case, problem or project. By serving as a mentor I hope to pass on my knowledge and support a resident’s professional growth.
Catherine Bitzer, PT, DPT 
Undergraduate School: East Carolina University
Graduate School: Clarkson University
Certifications: Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy
Professional Interest: Promoting and optimizing functional mobility and skill in pediatric patients with neurological diagnosis that includes: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Muscular Dystrophy.
0-2 years of age with history of prematurity, gross developmental delay and torticollis.
Durable Medical Equipment
To move forward in non-clinical opportunities in UNC Health Care’s pediatric therapy department by continuing ongoing efforts of developing an all-encompassing pediatric rehabilitation program with the pediatric therapy teams throughout UNC Health Care to provide quality skilled therapy interventions in all phases of therapy, throughout the triangle area and state of North Carolina.
Why I Serve as a Mentor: To provide clinical based knowledge, firsthand experience, and hands on guidance to promote skilled development, as well as, ongoing education in the importance of the ever evolving interventions and learning opportunities in the pediatric therapy based setting. I also serve as a mentor to promote continued learning for myself by embracing the knowledge set of the resident to teach me something, and in turn this also gives the resident an opportunity to boost their own confidence in the knowledge base.
Jennie Burrowes, PT, DPT
Undergraduate School: UNC Asheville
Graduate School: Western Carolina University
Professional Interest: Outpatient pediatric PT, aquatics, CP, pediatric development, and chronic pain
Why I Serve as a Mentor: I am passionate to help kids from all backgrounds and promoting the importance of pediatric physical therapy. Providing mentorship to the pediatric residency directly helps to growing the pediatric PT field. In addition, I find that I grow and learn more as a therapist the more I work with residents to learn from our whole team.
Jennifer Newman, MSPT
Undergraduate School: Ithaca College
Graduate School: Ithaca College
Professional Interest: Bleeding Disorders, Point of Care Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, Pediatrics and Aquatics
Why I Serve as a Mentor: Being a mentor allows me to share my experience and knowledge with the incoming generation of professionals while also ensuring I remain on top of the current research as our care for pediatric patients evolves over time. I see it as an exchange of knowledge between professionals to improve the services we provide. Ultimately, the collaboration between mentor and resident will lead to a higher quality of care and improved outcomes for our patients.
Mae Thomas, PT, DPT
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy
Undergraduate School: Elon University
Graduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional Interest: Pediatric physical therapy in the outpatient setting, pediatric development, Spina Bifida, orthotics, special infant care follow-up.
Why I Serve as a Mentor: As a graduate of the residency program, I know first-hand how rich this experience is. Our residency teaches perspective across the lifespan and across practice settings and I love watching the residents grow in their understanding of pediatric physical therapy. I enjoy collaborating with residents and the other mentors to challenge my own knowledge base and to collectively grow the field of pediatric physical therapy.
Kerry Blazek, PT, DPT
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy
Undergraduate School: Binghamton University
Graduate School: Duke University
Professional Interest: Spine, shoulders and knees
Why I Serve as a Mentor: I want to assist the next generation of PTs to become better clinicians. Being a mentor forces me to keep my knowledge current.
Kristen Montgomery, MS, PT
Undergraduate School: Boston University
Graduate School: Boston University
Professional Interest: Pediatric acute care; critical care of the pediatric patient throughout the ages from neonates to teenagers.
Why I Serve as a Mentor: Being a mentor allows me to share my experience and knowledge with the incoming generation of professionals while also ensuring I remain on top of the current research as our care for pediatric patients evolves over time. I see it as an exchange of knowledge between professionals to improve the services we provide. Ultimately, the collaboration between mentor and resident will lead to a higher quality of care and improved outcomes for our patients.
Laurie Ray, PT, PhD
Associate Professor, Division of Physical Therapy
Undergraduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Heidi Jo Hetland, PT, DPT
Undergraduate School: Quinnipiac University
Graduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Elon University
Professional Interest: All things pediatric! I especially love the variety of ages, diagnoses, and needs experienced in the school-based setting. I enjoy the team approach in the school setting, and problem solving access issues.
Why I Serve as a Mentor: School-based PT is such a unique setting and such a shift in mindset for physical therapy students and residents. I enjoy steering them to focus on function and access in the educational environment. It is great to watch the lightbulb moments and pride when the mentees see the impact they have students’ and teachers’ daily routines.
Jennifer Tompkins, PT, DPT
Undergraduate School: University of California, Santa Cruz
Graduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional Interest: My professional interests include creating a unique, efficient, and welcoming pediatric clinical practice that serves the local community. I adore babies and spend much of my time working with children from birth to 3 years of age. I am not limited to serving only the babies of our community. I also work alongside local school districts, teachers, social workers, doctors, and special education educators to ensure the highest quality of care for children of all ages. I am particularly interested in delivery care that focuses on the whole family and provides a level of quality that creates a deep connection between the child and caregiver/family with the clinician as a support. I enjoy working with students and offering insight to young therapists as they begin their journey as physical therapists. I am invested in finding a way to help boost our profession and ensure we are reimbursed and paid appropriately for our services and would consider myself an advocate for our profession.
Why I Serve as a Mentor: I enjoy offering my little slice of expertise to residents interested in providing care in the natural setting. I enjoy giving context for how a pediatric physical therapist fits into the public health network and how we can boost the health and quality of life for children and their families.
Deborah Thorpe, PT, PhD
Professor Emerita, Division of Physical Therapy
Undergraduate School: West Virginia University and University of New England
Graduate School: West Virginia University and Medical College of Pennsylvania & Hahnemann University
Professional Interest: My research has focused on improving health care services, function, and participation for adults with cerebral palsy.