Mardy Ross, OTR and Founding Executive Director, Lumigrate

Mardy Ross, Executive Director

Mardy Ross, OTR received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University in 1996, completed internships at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Denver, Colorado. She had enjoyed a first career in research program administration on the highly visible National Park Service Visibility Monitoring project which contracted through Colorado State University. This experience proved invaluable in shaping her unique approach to a career in occupational therapy. As an OT in insurance-based medicine, Mardy has worked in many different arenas as an OT, including geriatrics, inpatient/outpatient hospital, home health, and outpatient in the community and unaffiliated with any hospital. In private-pay environments, she has specialized in driving rehabilitation, and consulting with legal teams, management teams, and family systems related to achieving the best outcomes.

The only medical worker or self-employed person in generations, Mardy was inspired in her formative years, surrounded by family in education: in the military, public schools and higher education. As a result, Mardy took a unique approach to her work as a therapist or consultant and focused on education, allowing patients to better understand and therefore treat their conditions. This was the key to their achieving their best level of function and well-being.  Often confused with the familiar 'big brother' discipline of physical therapy, occupational therapy is the specialty created in health care after World War I which addresses the functional activities that "occupy" a person's time, and is founded on the saying "Engage the mind and the body will follow." We hope Lumigrate does that for you as well.

While enjoying relative good health but with an underlying, unknown condition lurking throughout childhood and adolescence, Mardy's adulthood has been impacted by the increasingly common disorders labeled today as "chronic fatigue syndrome" and "fibromyalgia".  Uniquely capable with clinical reasoning and with her history with research and education, she has had relative success with finding solutions.  Initially collaborating with other professionals for live educational forums in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she moved in 2004, she's come 'full circle' and is now bringing innovative concepts through the Internet with Lumigrate in order to reach the growing numbers of people who seek progressive, functional health information.  Lumigrate utilizes 'integrative medicine' as a framework; body, mind, and spirit of a person is treated as a whole/holistically. Lumigrate is the result.

Thank you for your interest in Lumigrate's and Mardy's story.  We hope it helps you understand our company and its intentions.          

Photos: Upper photo taken on Thanksgiving 2008 by 'anonymous' photographer and friend at the pipe springs on the mountain Mardy hiked or snowshoed virtually daily during childhood.  Lower photo taken summer of 2011 when 'making do' when scheduled photo shoot was weather delayed.  Thanks to all who have collaborated in one way or another to make Lumigrate be the successful platform it is, or who have posted links, emailed pieces of interest, printed or simply said "You need to check out this place called "Lumigrate" that is Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being on the Internet!  

"Live and Learn -- Learn and Live Better!! ~~ Mardy Ross"