Early Detection and Intervention of Cerebral Palsy

Featured Faculty

Jilda N. Vargus, MD, MSc

Jilda Vargus-Adams, MD, MSc is a pediatric rehabilitation physician specializing in cerebral palsy. She is the Co-Director of the Cerebral Palsy Center and an attending physician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, as well as a Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. At Cincinnati Children's, Dr. Vargus-Adams leads a team providing holistic, interdisciplinary care for children with cerebral palsy. Her team collaborates to address the diverse needs of these children, ensuring comprehensive, family-centered, and evidence-informed care. Her research focuses on early identification, outcome assessment, and optimal treatment of cerebral palsy, aiming to provide the best possible outcomes for children with CP and their families. Dr. Vargus-Adams has held several prestigious positions, including President of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine in 2019. She is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee for the Council on Children with Disabilities and served on the Board of Directors for Stepping Stones, a Cincinnati-based organization supporting people with disabilities. Her advocacy work is driven by her belief that every child should have the opportunity to live their biggest life. She is committed to partnering with children and their families, understanding their needs, and helping them achieve their goals.

Hillary Prather, LISW-S

Hillary Prather is a social worker and Program Director of the Perlman Center. Prior to her role as Director, she worked 24 years at the Perlman Center where her work was focused on guiding and supporting families of children with cerebral palsy throughout the lifespan. Hillary is passionate about advocacy for the “whole” family as a response, brought the national program, “Sibshops”, to CCHMC in 2004. She values sharing knowledge around topics of CP and has presented on multiple occasions at the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine Conference. She has presented at the University of Cincinnati School of Social Work through the years to educate students on caring for families of children with chronic disabilities. She has served in varying roles in the development of the Cerebral Palsy Center at CCHMC such as being the initial and lead care coordinator in the CP clinic, leader of the CP family advisory committee, facilitator to bridge knowledge gaps between key stakeholders at CCHMC, co-chair of the CP leadership Council and has been a key advocate for early identification and intervention supports for children with cerebral palsy and their families.

Gretchen Mueller, PT, DPT

Gretchen Mueller received her Master in Physical Therapy from Ohio State University in 2005, followed by her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2011. She served on the Cincinnati Children’s OTPT High Risk Infant Clinical Specialty Committee since 2009 and has served as Leader of High Risk Infant Track team since 2017. Clinically, she has practiced in the NICU Follow-Up Clinic since 2017, and the Infant Motor Evaluation Clinic since its inception in 2018. Her team has collaborated with multiple divisions across the medical center to develop pathways for utilization of the General Movements Assessment and Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination for early detection of cerebral palsy. Gretchen has presented multiple educational sessions on the high risk infant locally and nationally.