Staff Stories - CenterLight

35 Years of Sharing Special Moments with CenterLight

Arianna Corretjer, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, is celebrating her 35th year at CenterLight in 2025. Arianna considers participants part of her family. In her own words:

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Last Updated June 5, 2025

Being a Physical Therapist is more than just a job—it’s a calling.

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Tatyana Brisman, PT, is celebrating her 20th year of working at CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in 2025. We spoke with Tatyana to learn more about her journey as a physical therapy and rehabilitation professional.

How did you get started at CenterLight?

I began my journey with CenterLight Healthcare PACE in July 2005 as a Senior Physical Therapist. Just one year into my role, I was honored to be promoted to Rehabilitation Manager—a position that allowed me to grow both professionally and personally.

How do you view your role at CenterLight?

Over the years, my responsibilities have evolved, but my mission has remained the same: to ensure our participants are safe in their communities by providing high quality care and being a supportive, collaborative member of the care team.

What is the best thing about being in the healthcare/ rehabilitation field?

Working in healthcare and rehabilitation is incredibly rewarding. The greatest joy comes from helping participants reach their maximum level of function and seeing their quality of life improve. Whether it’s helping someone walk again after orthopedic surgery, supporting stroke recovery, or reducing pain and restoring mobility—every success story is a powerful reminder of why I chose this career.

Some of the most meaningful moments come from simple yet impactful interventions, like conducting a Home Safety Evaluation that helps someone remain safely in their home. Seeing a participant regain independence, walk more confidently, or even cry tears of joy after recovery—those are the moments that make this work truly worthwhile.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a long career?

My advice to anyone in this field: always put participants first. Be compassionate, be a team player, and strive to create a family-like environment. Embrace change, be willing to learn, and grow with the fast-paced nature of healthcare.

Being a Physical Therapist is more than just a job—it’s a calling. And I’m grateful every day to be part of a field that makes such a difference in people's lives.

Tatyana Brisman, Physical Therapist and Regional Rehabilitation Manager at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

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Updated 05162025

Social Work at CenterLight Healthcare PACE

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Social Workers are important members of the CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Interdisciplinary Team (IDT). Every day, our social work professionals collaborate with the rest of the care team to help our participants continue to live safely and independently in their own homes and communities. In this blog post, Kim Sodano, LCSW, LNHA, Director of Social Work at CenterLight Healthcare PACE, discusses the role of social workers in the IDT.

What is the role of a social worker?

Social workers provide counseling, emotional support, referrals, entitlement assistance, and more. CenterLight PACE participants know that social workers are part of their care team, and that they can come to us if they have a question, need assistance, or if they received a bill that they don't understand. We're here to guide them and be there for them as they keep up with the pace of aging.

How does the social worker collaborate with the rest of the care team?

As part of the IDT, social workers are involved in the discussion of effective treatment and any other issues that may affect our participants' care. We make sure that all aspects of the their situation is taken into consideration in their plan of care and addressed accordingly.

Each participant is assigned a social worker.

CenterLight Healthcare PACE participants are assigned a social worker who gets to know them--not only their medical diagnoses, but also their social, behavioral, emotional, and basic needs. Since we are based at the PACE centers, we are always available if they need assistance. Our participants can also call us, and we meet with them at the PACE centers or in their own homes.

Why did you become a social worker?

I became a social worker to make a positive impact toward social change. Being an advocate for individuals and communities while witnessing resilience and transformation is extremely rewarding.

Kim Sodano, LCSW, LNHA, is the Director of Social Work at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

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Last updated January 15, 2025

Sharing the Gift of Photography

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What do you see first when you enter a building? What makes you feel at home? What makes a place feel warm and inviting, aside from the people in it?

Walk into one of CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly’s (PACE) eleven centers, and you will be welcomed by colorful, beautiful photography at the lobby, courtesy of Angie Lavigat, Assistant Vice President of Network and Vendor Contracting.

We spoke with Angie about what it’s like sharing the gift of photography with CenterLight PACE participants and staff. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation.

How long have you been taking photos?

I have always taken photos, even when I was young. I started taking photos professionally about 10 years ago. It’s a privilege being involved in special events in people’s lives. And now that my photographs are mostly of nature, I love capturing the beauty around us.

What do you like most about photography?

Photography is a way of freezing time. I love remembering moments captured in a single frame, those special memories and feelings evoked by pictures.

How did your photos end up at the CenterLight PACE Center lobbies?

I was working with colleagues on a special beautification project. The centers are full of life and warmth from the people in them. Our participants and staff make the sites a beautiful place to be just with who they are as people. But when you look around, the space was missing something. That is when the idea of putting up photos that our participants, staff, and visitors would enjoy and love to look at came about.

I feel honored that the pictures I took were chosen to be displayed at the sites. CenterLight is very special to me, as I have been working here for 30 years. I started taking more photos of gardens and flowers especially for this project on my own time, including ones that I took at a trip to the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona and some from the Orange County Arboretum. It was a labor of love. I wanted to make sure that the photos are perfect, because our participants and staff deserve nothing less.

What is the best part of having your photos displayed at the CenterLight PACE centers?

At CenterLight PACE, our mission is to help enrich the lives of those we serve. I am thankful that I can be even a small part of fulfilling it every day, and that when our participants come into our PACE centers, they will see the photos I’ve taken. It’s the best feeling when I hear that the displays brought smiles to people’s faces. I even heard that someone cried after seeing the pictures. I feel emotional and very humbled knowing that I am able to share beauty through my photography, and that it has made a difference in someone’s day.

I am very rooted at CenterLight. It is like a second home to me, just like it’s a second home to our participants who attend the centers and to my coworkers. I could not think of a better place for my photography to be in, than in a place that holds such deep meaning for so many.

What would you like people to take away from looking at your photos?

When participants, staff, and visitors look at my photos, I want them to look at the beauty of nature and remember that no matter what, life is beautiful.

Enjoy a few of Angie's photos below!
(Please click on the photo to view high resolution versions.)