In 1975, Sandye was the director of occupational therapy at Mercy Hospital. The birth of her first child presented a dilemma; she loved her work, but desired more time for her new baby. An opportunity to consult for a pediatric skilled facility owned by one of Mercy’s physicians launched Lerner’s new business, subsequently christened Occupational Therapists, Ltd., Ms. Lerner still provides her first client with consulting
services.

As the consulting opportunities grew and her second child was born, Sandye began to subcontract additional therapists. “I knew many therapists who had children and needed flexible work schedules,” Ms. Lerner says. “Comprehensive was a pioneer at providing flexible days for working mothers, matching their professional skills with client needs in their own geographical areas.” Despite her firm’s tremendous growth, the same principles apply today. “Finding the right ‘fit’ is still the most important thing,” Lerner says. “It’s a real partnership between Comprehensive, our staff, and our clients. As a result, most of our original clients are still with us, and we have staff who have been working with the same clients for 10 to 15 years.”