Sharla has more than 30 years of healthcare experience and has served as CEO of CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital since 1998. She promotes an environment of clinical excellence and her inspiration comes from working with a dynamic team that centers their attention on getting every patient back to their greatest level of independence. Sharla has improved performance in patient outcomes, employee engagement and patient experience. Sharla holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from The University of Oklahoma. She also earned a master’s degree in public health administration with an emphasis in healthcare administration from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Merritt received his medical degree in 1993 from the University of California at Irvine. He completed an internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California and his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Merritt is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and is a member of the American Academy of Physician Medicine and Rehabilitation, as well as the Association of Academic Physiatrists, Texas Medical Association and Smith County Medical Association.

* The hospital provides access to independent physicians.

Connie currently serves as the director of care management and holds an advanced certification in case management. She joined the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2005 and has served in a variety of hospital positions including home health leadership, rehab liaison and care management. She has worked for over 20 years in various parts of East Texas including acute care hospitals, home health, and outpatient clinic settings. Connie and her care management team are responsible for coordination of care for all our rehab patients and believes that it is our professional duty to ensure our patients receive the necessary services to assist with their recovery.  Connie holds a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from University of Texas in Tyler.

Vicki joined CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital in 2006. She has held leadership positions in our home health and care management departments and has been the CNO since 2013. A graduate of Ball State University, Vicki has more than 25 years of nursing experience in areas of acute care, critical care, home health care and case management. She earned a master’s degree in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing and holds certifications in rehabilitation nursing and case management. Vicki and her team strive to deliver exceptional patient care to promote optimal outcomes and an overall, excellent patient experience.

Bonnie has been the director of therapy operations at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital since its opening in 1993 and has helped lead her team to national recognition as a leader in positive patient outcomes through the use of state-of-the-art technology and a highly educated group of therapists. After serving as a physical therapist in the United States Navy, Bonnie worked in home health and acute care until 1986 when she started working in inpatient rehabilitation. Bonnie graduated with a bachelor’s degree from California State University at Long Beach and earned a master’s degree in human resources management from Pepperdine University.

Marianna joined the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital team in December of 2013 as the business development director. She has over sixteen years of experience in sales, operations and leadership specific to healthcare. In her current role, she is responsible for the rehab liaison marketing team, as well as admissions and transportation. Her team is devoted to educating the community about the benefits of inpatient rehabilitation and is passionate about helping patients reach their full potential. Marianna holds a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in healthcare administration from the University of Texas at Tyler.

April joined Encompass Health in May 2017 as director of quality and risk management. She has 26 years of healthcare experience with leadership roles in emergency management, trauma and quality/risk. April promotes a culture that is positive, values individual strengths, and is committed to optimal patient care through the compliance of quality standards.

Nelda joined Encompass Health in June 2019 as the director of facilities management and is a certified life safety specialist for healthcare. She has 20 years of experience in healthcare facilities management, safety, emergency management and environment of care compliance. Nelda’s team consists of maintenance, environmental services, nutrition services and biomedical. Nelda and her team are committed to ensuring a clean, comfortable environment for all patients, visitors and staff.

Mike has served as CFO at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital since 2001 and has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare administration. Mike and his team are responsible for budgeting, accounts payable, capital acquisitions, reimbursement and payroll, as well as equipment and supply management to assure the hospital meets the needs for treating our patients. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in business administration from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Julie serves as the director of human resources and is responsible for the implementation of human resources services, policies and programs to enhance overall employee engagement. Julie has more than 13 years of progressive human resources experience solely in the healthcare industry. She specializes in recruitment and retention, and process development and improvement. Prior to joining CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital, she worked in an acute care environment supporting employees and leadership that provided all levels of care. She received her bachelor’s degree in business management with an emphasis in human resources from University of Phoenix. Julie is committed to excellent customer service, both internally and externally and is passionate to serve as an advocate for those who advocate for our patients.