MEET THE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATORS
adaride.com team ADARIDE believes it is important for people applying for paratransit services receive an evaluation by a professional that will understand their unique abilities and challenges. By completing the Healthcare Verification Form, applicants are allowed to choose a treating professional that can best support their application for paratransit service. At ADARIDE, we match our evaluators with the type of professional who is best educated in the disability identified by the Healthcare Professional. Our goal is to provide accurate evaluations and insure that those people who are eligible for paratransit receive it in a timely and professional manner. The following list of evaluators shows the professionals working in the ADARIDE network:

Dr. Cindy Bailey:

Dr. Bailey has been working in paratransit since 1994 designing functional assessments and training paratransit evaluators on how to conduct in-person assessments. She received her doctorate in Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy from University of Southern California and is the director of Physical therapy at Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles. She has a thriving private practice in Southern California and is the athletic trainer for USC's hockey team. Her experience in evaluating individuals' mobility as well as prescribing rehabilitation plans is extremely helpful in documenting people's abilities.

Dr. Patricio Aguilar:

Dr. Aguilar received his medical degree (MD) in 2000 and was a Medical Director for Nueva Trinidad Health Center in El Salvador. Dr. Aguilar worked in a rehabilitation facility for two years prior to joining ADARIDE. Dr. Aguilar is currently a program manager for a paratransit eligibility program and has personally conducted thousands of in-person functional assessments. His knowledge base and experience provides a solid foundation for paratransit evaluations.

Erika Bocanegra MSW:

Erika has been a paratransit evaluator since 2000 conducting thousands of in-person functional assessments. She received her Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW) from University of Southern California. As an MSW, Erika worked with adults and children with disabilities in a medical setting. She evaluated and treated individuals with various mental illnesses giving her the experience needed to work with people with mental and cognitive challenges. Her experience also includes working with people with hemophilia, oncology, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and developmental delays.

Shannon Fryer Holmes MA, OTR/L:

Ms. Holmes is a practicing licensed Occupational Therapist, currently working with individuals with psychiatric disabilities at both inpatient and community based settings through Dominican Hospital. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from The George Washington University, and her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California. Ms. Holmes was a program manager for a paratransit eligibility program from 2002 to 2005, conducting thousands of in-person functional assessments. Before entering the paratransit field, Ms. Holmes was a therapist for an Independent Living Center working primarily with individuals with traumatic brain injuries. She also completed occupational therapy internships at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital as well as the Veterans Administration Hospital of Los Angeles. Her extensive experience in rehabilitation, mental health, and paratransit gives her an acute understanding of the skills required to use a bus.

Lori Noyes R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.:

Ms. Noyes is a registered nurse with a wealth of experience. Currently she is an organ transplant coordinator for a major southern California hospital. Prior to her current position, Ms. Noyes worked in adult and pediatric oncology, arthritis, scoliosis, spina bifida and cerebral palsy clinics. She has been a paratransit eligibility instructor since 2000 and has trained over 100 evaluators in oncology, organ transplantation, pharmacology and infection control.

Carolyn Prentice C.O.M.S.

Ms. Prentice is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist graduating with her master's degree from San Francisco State University. She has trained children with visual impairments in many different school settings as well as adults through the California Department of Rehabilitation. Beyond just visual impairments, she has also trained individuals with multiple disabilities giving her direct experience in evaluating people and their ability to use a public bus. She also has many personal experiences with people who are visually challenged giving her the compassion and understanding needed to work with people with disabilities.

Cindy Gold:

Ms. Gold is one of the most experience paratransit evaluators in the country beginning her career in 1997. She has been a program manager for ADARIDE since 2001 and has been responsible for managing five different paratransit eligibility programs. Her background in nursing helped Cindy provide the compassion needed in conducting over 30,000 in-person eligibility assessments. Applicants can rest assured that Ms. Gold has conducted a paratransit assessment in their field of disability.
Disclaimer: there is no guarantee that you will be matched with any specific evaluator as they may be working on another applicant at the time of your evaluation or simply not working that particular day.