Making a career swap can seem intimidating, but Amy Gentile, an occupational therapist, shares her story with us of her swap from geriatric occupational therapy to pediatric occupational therapy. Amy explains her journey, as well as how Coral Care was an instrumental element of her big switch. 

Who is Amy Gentile?

Amy Gentile is one of Coral Care’s premier pediatric occupational therapists, having joined the company in September 2023. Amy was initially attracted to occupational therapy as a young adult because she has a goal to help people and make a positive impact on her community. Moreover, Amy was drawn to the diverse settings, clientele, and focus on occupations that occupational therapy could offer, in comparison to other careers in the medical field. 

At Coral Care, Amy has made a consistent schedule of helping children on a weekly basis. This is a big change from what she initially did as a geriatric occupational therapist - who are professionals that help older adults perform daily tasks and activities more independently. So, how did Amy get here, and how did she make it look effortless?

The calling

Geriatrics and pediatrics are completely opposite ends of the occupational therapy spectrum. One helps older adults live more independently, and the other works with children to improve their functional abilities and independence. While there are a variety of reasons to make this switch, Amy’s reason to switch is deeply rooted in personal experience and a genuine desire to make a difference. Her journey from geriatric care to pediatric therapy illustrates how professional flexibility and personal motivation can intersect to create powerful, impactful work.

Amy's professional transformation began with a profoundly personal moment: the birth of her daughter with special needs. This experience shifted her perspective, inspiring her to transition from geriatrics to pediatrics. "I want to make a difference in these kids' lives the same way all of these other practitioners have made a difference for my daughter," she reflects.

Once Amy was sure she was ready to make the switch, she sought out a flexible part-time opportunity that allowed her to balance her professional responsibilities with her family and social life. The challenge was finding a platform that provided the necessary support and flexibility, while also allowing her to maintain her full-time job for extra stability.

How Coral Care fit in to her schedule

When Amy sought a flexible part-time opportunity to complement her full-time work, Coral Care emerged as the ideal solution. Coral Care offered her something traditional part-time jobs couldn't: complete control over her schedule and workload.

As Amy puts it, “I love that Coral Care enables me to control my workload and maintain the quality of care. The flexibility to choose my schedule is invaluable.”

Amy started by just working with a few kids on the weekend, she wanted to make sure she could provide high quality care while balancing her commitments. Once Amy realized she had the bandwidth to help more kids, she was able to expand and provide care for kids on weekday evenings. Amy mentioned that “the flexibility [at Coral Care] allows me to balance my full-time job, family, and social life.” This flexibility was an essential part of being able to expand the amount of care she could provide.

Another key factor in being able to see more patients for Amy was Coral Care’s simplicity and short paperwork process. Amy remarked how the platform made it a “great alternative to starting a private practice” and enabled her to focus more on patient care rather than business administration.

Amy has found a professional sweet spot by spending approximately 80% of her time in direct client interaction and only 20% on minimal paperwork. Note completion time for each client was reduced to 10-15 minutes per 1-hour session, a significant decrease from what she was used to at her full-time job. Her work transcends mere employment; it's a mission. "I feel like I make such an impact every day," she shares, her passion evident.

Why not manage it on your own?

Some may wonder - with all the talents Amy has, why didn’t she just start her own private practice? To put it simply, Amy said, “I just want to help kids and get paid.”

A private practice has a shocking amount of administrative hurdles—managing insurance, handling paperwork, navigating legal requirements— which seem overwhelming to many professionals, including Amy. Coral Care removes these barriers, allowing therapists like Amy to focus entirely on patient care, not on fighting with insurance companies or crying over legal paperwork.

Moreover, when Amy decided to join Coral Care, she could focus all of her efforts into continued education to be the best pediatric occupational therapist she could be. If she had started her own practice, she would need to spend that effort on learning new business skills such as accounting, marketing, and human resources. Coral Care allows all the benefits of your own private practice, without any of the negative aspects.

Amy’s impact

Not only has Coral Care been a great addition to Amy’s life, but Amy has been an invaluable addition to the Coral Care team. One of Amy's most passionate insights involves the transformative nature of in-home occupational therapy. Home environments offer contextual, practical learning opportunities, unlike clinical settings with standardized equipment. "I can show children how they can make practical applications with what they already have," she notes, emphasizing how this approach leads to faster progress and deeper family engagement.

Over the course of a year, Amy saw significant benefits in providing in-home care, including improved parent involvement and better outcomes for children. 'Seeing kids in their home environment is so much more beneficial,' Amy shared. Transitioning from geriatrics to pediatrics also proved to be fulfilling for Amy, 'I feel like I make such an impact every day, thanks to Coral Care,' she added.

Amy's story with Coral Care represents a new paradigm of professional work: meaningful, flexible, and aligned with personal values. She demonstrates how innovative platforms can empower skilled professionals to deliver high-quality care while maintaining a work-life balance.

For Amy Gentile, Coral Care isn't just a work opportunity — it's a pathway to making a genuine difference in children's lives, one home visit at a time.

How you can make an impact too

If you find yourself either relating to or inspired by Amy’s story - we have great news: you can join Coral Care too! Once again, whether you're seeking a side hustle or ready to build a full-time private practice, Coral Care is here to support you every step of the way.

We’ve built a business-in-a-box for therapists like you, designed by clinicians who have been through the struggle of marketing, managing admin, and dealing with the complexities of insurance. 

To get started, you just fill out this application, if you are a good fit for Coral Care we will reach out to you! Next, you begin some onboarding paperwork and courses - but don’t worry - we'll handle all the paperwork to get you credentialed with insurances. Finally, you get started and grow your case load to whatever your schedule desires. You set your hours and travel distance, and we match you with local families, helping you build your caseload in as little as four months.

Conclusion

Amy Gentile’s journey from geriatric to pediatric occupational therapy showcases how personal experience and professional flexibility can lead to impactful career changes. After the birth of her daughter with special needs inspired her to pivot, Amy found Coral Care to be the perfect fit, offering the flexibility and support she needed to balance her career, family, and personal life. Coral Care's streamlined processes, minimal paperwork, and focus on client care allowed Amy to focus on helping children in their home environments—a strategy that fosters faster progress and deeper family engagement. Amy’s story illustrates how platforms like Coral Care provide meaningful opportunities for therapists to create positive change without the burdens of private practice, offering both professional fulfillment and work-life balance.You, too, can start your journey with Coral Care today!