In her role as an occupational therapist, Cheryl Petrus works with a variety of patients in multiple settings, from in the hospital to outpatient care.
Cheryl's interest in occupational therapy was sparked when she was a young adult and spent time caring for her grandparents. This experience coupled with a career day and shadowing opportunity allowed her to feel confident in pursing the profession.
Over her career, Cheryl has centered her care approach on the patient and building bonds with everyone she connects with.
“I really try to listen to my patients and create a bond with them," Cheryl shared. “Listening helps me to get to the heart of what is truly important to my patients and work with them to set realistic goals for their care."
The bonds Cheryl forms with her patients also allows her to tailor care plans to her patients' interests, sometimes even incorporating hobbies or passions the patient may have.
Cheryl sees patients for a variety of upper extremity dysfunctions including post-operative care, status post fractures, joint pain, contractions and much more.
Cheryl is also a certified lymphedema therapist. This specialized training allows her to work with post-cancer conditions as well as patients suffering from swelling, loss of mobility, scar tissue and weakness limiting function and independence.
Cheryl is a Wisconsin native. She was born in Racine. When she was eight years old, her family moved to Rice Lake. Cheryl and her husband moved back to the area about 20 years ago to raise their own family here. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys gardening, canning, reading and baking.
