Chief Executive Officer
As CEO, Kristin is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital. Kristin served in the role of chief nursing officer for 14 years and is a certified rehabilitation registered nurse. She began her career as a registered nurse in 2001 after graduating from Arizona Western College School of Nursing. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Jacksonville University and a master’s degree of business administration, healthcare management, from Western Governors University. Kristin brings unique clinical knowledge of inpatient rehabilitation hospital operations and is passionate about providing our patients and their families with an exceptional experience.
Medical Director
Dr. Aluri became the medical director of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Yuma in August 2016. He has been a neurology and psychiatry consultant at Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital since its inception in 2003. He is also a designated Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician. He received his medical degree from Guntur Medical College in India, completed his psychiatry residency at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. After completing his psychiatry residency, he finished a neurology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and then a year of training in the epilepsy fellowship program. He has been in private practice in Yuma since 2000 and previously worked as a consultant neurologist and psychiatrist at Yuma Regional Medical Center from 2000-2006. He also has a master’s degree in business administration from Carl H. Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati.
Dr. Aluri is an independent private practice physician.
Chief Nursing Officer
Carissa first joined Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital in 2013 and has served as the nurse manager, director of quality before becoming the chief nursing officer. She has a master’s degree in nursing from Northwest Nazarene University. Carissa is passionate about providing patients exceptional care and helping staff grow and succeed in their roles.
Facilities Management Director
Raul Galaviz joined Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital in June 2019. He brings over 20 years of combined experience in facilities management, construction and flood restoration to the hospital. His previous leadership roles and hands-on experience have prepared him for his new role with extensive knowledge in building maintenance, employee management and mandated city, state and federal regulations. Raul has acquired several certifications that include disaster preparedness, HIPAA privacy & security, project management and employee management to name a few. Raul is a Yuma native who enjoys spending his free time with his family, especially with his grandchildren, and is an active member of his church.
Business Development Director
Karen started her career as a certified nurses aide then became a licensed practical nurse. She earned her RN-ADN, then a bachelor's degree in nursing and finally a master’s degree in business and organizational management while moving about the country with her active-duty military spouse. Karen’s experience spans trauma 1 hospitals, Medicare advantage insurance, new clinic group startups and being a Wounded Warrior registered nurse with Navy medicine. Karen has always called Yuma home. In fact, Karen assisted in opening Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital and worked here as a case manager. She most recently worked at Humana Inc. for 10 years as regional community engagement executive prior to joining our team.
Human Resources Director
Claire Holton-Zenner joined Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital in February 2017. She comes to Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital with a wide range of human resources experience in healthcare and other industries. With over twenty years of leadership and hand-on HR experience, Claire brings a plethora of ideas and knowledge to our hospital. She has a BA degree in Communications from Regis University located in Denver Colorado and her Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification (SPHR). Claire, her husband Terry and their dog Daisy relocated from the Midwest to Yuma to enjoy living in the sunniest place in the world.
Director of Therapy Operations
Naomi joined the Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital family in 2011 as a staff physical therapist. She was later promoted to a lead therapist in 2014 and then to the director of therapy operations in 2016. Naomi holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of California San Francisco and is certified in Neurodevelopmental Techniques (NDT). She was born in England and grew up in San Diego, California, before calling Yuma, Arizona her home in 2011. She loves being able to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives and playing an integral role in getting them back to doing the things they love.
Director of Quality & Risk Management
Maricela is the director of quality and risk management. She joined Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital in 2023. She is a Yuma native and brings over 20 years of experience in the field of healthcare. Although Maricela has worn many different hats in nursing, her passion remains in delivering care using a patient-centered approach while emphasizing the importance of teamwork. She embodies working together and you will often find her helping the frontline staff. Maricela’s goal is to help minimize risks and improve current processes to deliver safe and quality patient care.
Controller
Marcial joined Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital in July 2022. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from Arizona State University. Prior to joining Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital, Marcial worked in the crop protection industry for seven years. Marcial is a Yuma native and enjoys hikes.
Director of Case Management
Marites joined Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital in June 2014 as a pool case manager and transitioned to full time in January 2020. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing in Manila, Philippines and holds a certification in case management.
Director of Pharmacy
Jacqueline graduated from the University of New Mexico and is a board certified nuclear pharmacist. She has owned and operated her own nuclear pharmacies for 10 years. After working at YRH as a part-time pharmacist for six years, she became the director of pharmacy in 2014. Jacqueline is a marathon runner and practices yoga.