Meet Our Occupational Therapists

Our team of certified occupational therapists has decades of experience providing care to patients of all ages. 

Learn more about each member of our team, including their areas of clinical interest.

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Theresa Breen

Theresa is a pediatric occupational therapist at South Shore Health.

Occupational therapist Crystal Cote of South Shore Health

Crystal Cote

Crystal always wanted to help people. Beginning her journey into the OT field at Springfield College, a foundation of working with children was laid as she worked at the campus daycare and as an aide for children with Autism. Her love for working with children has continued at South Shore Health for more than 10 years. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family/friends and going to the beach.

Clinical Interests: Pediatrics, Autism care

MaryKate Gawron

Marykate Galluzzo 

Mary “Marykate” Galluzzo, OTD, ORT/L graduated from Tufts University with her master’s and post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy with a focus in adaptive swimming. Marykate is passionate about providing evidence-based and patient-centered care for children of all ages and abilities.  Marykate is a certified children’s yoga instructor and an adaptive swim instructor. She specializes in working with children with sensory processing and emotional regulation challenges as well as Autism Spectrum Disorder.  In her free time, she enjoys hiking, paddle boarding and traveling with her husband, and their dog Timmy.

 

Clinical Interests: Clinical research, Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory challenges, developmental delays and adaptive sports.

Julie Garber of South Shore Health

Julie Garber

Julie Garber, OTR/L has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist at South Shore Hospital since 2016. An alumnus of St. Ambrose University (1995), her passion to help children reach their potential along with her work experiences in early intervention, school-based therapy, and private practice guide her practice daily. She is passionate about working with patients who have a variety of developmental delays, sensory processing/modulation challenges, Autism, or physical challenges from a stroke or traumatic brain injury. She has special training in Autism, sensory processing, Therapeutic Listening®, and is a Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM). A mother of eight, in her free time she enjoys baking, gardening, and time with her family.

Clinical Interests: Developmental delays, Autism, sensory challenges

Occupational therapist Kathy Kowalski of South Shore Health

Kathy Kowalski

Kathy Kowalski, OTR/L, CHT has practiced Occupational Therapy for more than 20 years. She earned the designation of Certified Hand Therapist in 2001 and has focused her clinical practice to specialize in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. Her specific areas of interest include complex tendon injuries, fracture care, and the fabricating of custom splints. Her priority is to return patients to the highest level of function using the best therapy techniques available.

Clinical Interests: Hand therapy, custom splinting

Occupational therapist Peggy Leung of South Shore Health

Peggy Leung

Peggy graduated from Boston University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy. She has worked in a variety of settings, including acute care and home care, but her passion is in outpatient orthopedic rehab. She completed her master’s degree in occupational therapy with concentration in upper extremity rehab in 2010 at Tufts University. Peggy became a Certified Hand Therapist in 2014 and she specializes in injuries/conditions involving the elbow, wrist and hand. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and traveling with her family.

Clinical Interests: Hand therapy, upper extremity therapy

Occupational therapist Alicia Quach of South Shore Health

Alicia Quach

Alicia Quach graduated from Boston University in 2019 with her doctorate in Occupational Therapy and has been working at South Shore Health since 2020. She is passionate about working together with her patients to help them reach their goals. She enjoys treating both the orthopedic and neurological populations and is interested in pursuing certification in hand therapy. Originally from California, Alicia can be found spending her free time outdoors, appreciating all four seasons, or in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes.

Clinical Interests: Stroke rehabilitation, upper extremity rehabilitation, splint making.