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Leadership and Staff

Amy Adams
Amy Adams

Chief Executive Officer

Amy first joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2003.

Amy first joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2003 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from The Pennsylvania State University. Amy earned 10 years of care management experience before being promoted to case management director in 2015. In that role, she led the interdisciplinary team, ensuring exceptional services were being delivered and the needs of patients and families were met. In April 2020, Amy rose to the position of CEO and oversees all of the hospital’s day-to-day operations as well as patient care and quality initiatives.

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Peter Thomas
PETER THOMAS, DO

Medical Director

Dr. Thomas joined the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley team in 2022.

Dr. Thomas joined the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley team in 2022 and began his medical directorship in 2024. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Juniata College and earned his medical degree at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at the Community General Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His clinical interests include geriatric medicine.

Dr. Thomas is an independent private practice physician.

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Chad Barto
CHAD BARTO

Facilities Management Director

Chad joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in July 2024.

Chad joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in July 2024. Chad has over 25 years of commercial and medical facility construction experience and four years of facilities management experience. Chad’s background gives him experience with local, state and federal mandates as well as Joint Commission compliances. Chad is thrilled to help Encompass Health Nittany Valley maintain a safe and secure facility for patients, employees and visitors.

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Michelle Katz
Michelle Katz

Human Resources Director

Michelle has served as the director of human resources at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 2013.

Michelle has served as the director of human resources at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 2013. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA). Her experience in human resources spans various industries in the private sector. In addition, Michelle has an extensive background in employment and labor law, and is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center.

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Lance Kephart
Lance Kephart

Director of Pharmacy

Lance started his career with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley as a staff pharmacist in 2008.

Lance started his career with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley as a staff pharmacist in 2008 and became director of pharmacy in 2010, overseeing the inpatient pharmacy services. He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 1994 after completing two years of pre-pharmacy at Gannon University in Erie. Lance takes pride in pharmacy's extensive involvement with patient education, medication admission and discharge reconciliation and medication safety. He is also committed to improving medication management, increasing awareness of appropriate use of antimicrobials and pain medications as well as promoting safe use of medications.

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Jose Lopez
JOSE LOPEZ

Area Controller

Jose joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in October 2022.

Jose joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in October 2022. His healthcare background includes working in outpatient, inpatient, skilled nursing facilities and long-term acute care settings. Additionally, he has experience in both for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare entities. Jose holds a CPA license for the state of Pennsylvania, as well as other accounting and financial certificates including Certified Management Accountant and Certified Healthcare Financial Professional. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master's degree in healthcare administration from Seton Hill University.

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Brandy McCardle
Brandy McCardle

Business Development Director

Brandy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2011 as a nurse liaison.

Brandy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2011 as a nurse liaison. She was promoted to business development director in June 2021. Brandy brings more than 18 years of experience across the healthcare continuum in both the clinical and marketing setting and possesses comprehensive healthcare market knowledge. She provides leadership to the admission and marketing teams that assists community members in accessing the acute rehabilitative level of care.

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David Pellerano
David Pellerano

Director of Quality & Risk Management

Dave has served as the director of quality and risk management since 1999.

Dave has been with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 1996 and has served as the director of quality and risk management since 1999. He champions patient and family concerns, working with all appropriate staff to ensure the hospital is continuously improving its patient experience. He serves on the employee activities committee and patient experience group at the hospital. Dave received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State University.

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Valerie Prave
Valerie Prave, BSN, RN

Director of Case Management

Valerie joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2019 as nurse manager.

Valerie joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2019 as nurse manager. Before joining Encompass Health, she worked as the area director of skilled services for a home health organization in Pennsylvania. Val brings clinical expertise across multiple levels of care as well as transition planning through the healthcare continuum. As director of case management, she leads our interdisciplinary team in collaborating care and discharge planning. She plays an integral role in patient advocacy and ensuring patient safety. Val has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from The Pennsylvania State University.

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Patty Smith
Patty Smith

Supervisor Administrative Support

Patty has worked at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 1990.

Patty has worked at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 1990 in a variety of positions, making her a valuable voice on the senior management team. Patty oversees the switchboard operations and coordinates support for the senior leadership team.

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Tracy Stoltz
Tracy Stoltz

Director of Therapy Operations

Tracy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2007 as manager of the Pleasant Gap outpatient clinic.

Tracy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2007 as manager of the Pleasant Gap outpatient clinic. In 2010, her role expanded to manager of all outpatient services, including Encompass Health of Nittany Valley’s clinic at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. She was promoted to director of therapy operations in 2015 and oversees all therapy operations. Tracy holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Mount Aloysius College and has more than 23 years of clinical experience in numerous settings.

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