People. Helping. People.

Grant has over 20 years of management experience in orthopedic physical therapy. He received a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing at Marian University and an MBA in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Grant provides overall business management and leadership for the practice and is always looking for ways to spread the unique mission of MCJR.

Grant grew up in Hanover, Indiana, where he first met Dr. Berend, who was then attending undergraduate school. They shared similar philosophies on life, business, and had a desire to serve people, so they are eager to work together in this capacity. Grant loves the family-like culture of the office and is excited to be a part of MCJR’s future growth.

When he is not working, he loves spending time with his wife and their three children. Together, they enjoy being active outside, participating in youth sports, and supporting their local church.

Kurt is the Physician Assistant for Dr. Berend. He completed his bachelor’s degree in athletic training at Indiana State University and master’s in Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Kentucky. He grew up in Washington, Indiana.

Kurt has been a Physician Assistant for 17 years, 13 of which have been with Dr. Berend and his team. He’s been fortunate enough to ride his bike across the country with Dr. Berend twice, raising funds for the Team Hope in Motion/Faith in Practice medical missions team. Before working with Dr. Berend, Kurt worked in cardiovascular surgery and sports medicine. 

Kurt is married to his wife Jenny and together they have two children, a girl and a boy. They enjoy spending their time watching their kids’ activities, biking, hiking, and pulling for The Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 

Adam is the Physician Assistant for Dr. Carter. He completed his training from the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Program. Adam grew up in Colorado Springs, CO, then moved to Indiana to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Indiana University. Before pursuing a career as a PA, he worked as an EMT-Paramedic in Kentucky for four years.

Adam primarily assists Dr. Carter in preoperative care, surgery, and post-operative follow-up appointments. He loves being able to dramatically improve patients’ quality of life with joint replacement surgery. Adam lives in the Indianapolis area with his wife, Sarah, and their four boys.

Tess is Dr. Lackey’s Physician Assistant. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Taylor University and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Butler University. Tess grew up in Evansville, Indiana – just two miles down the street from Dr. Lackey!

Working in orthopedics has given her great joy, as she loves staying active and so enjoys helping others regain their strength and mobility.

Before coming to MCJR, Tess worked in colorectal surgery at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is married to her husband Gabe and they have three daughters. Together, they love cheering on Butler basketball, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops in the city, and spending time at her family’s lake house in southern Indiana.

Josh is Dr. Penrose‘s Physician Assistant. He completed his master’s in Physician Assistant Studies at Indiana University. Before that, Josh earned a degree in Biological Sciences at Chicago State University, where he also fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing Division I baseball.

Josh always wanted to go into healthcare, but it wasn’t until he received care for a torn ACL that he discovered an interest in orthopedics. His attending PA’s knowledge, compassion, and attentiveness intrigued Josh enough to pursue physician assistant training. He has been able to meld his passion for sports and desire to help people into a career in orthopedics.

When he’s not working, Josh loves golfing, running, and watching the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs.

Bethany’s earned her nursing degree from Indiana University. When she graduated, she dabbled in different types of surgery. She liked orthopedics the best and decided to focus on joint replacement.

In 2011, Bethany left her position as the charge nurse of the operating rooms to work exclusively with Dr. Berend. After years working alongside Dr. Berend in surgery and the clinic, Bethany now manages Dr. DeSalle’s pre-op clinic, preparing patients for surgery. She cares deeply about each patient and strives to make sure everyone is fully educated on their options.

Bethany enjoys homeschooling her three awesome kids. As a family, they enjoy serving their church, playing music, reading, and hiking. In her additional spare time, she loves landscaping, doing home improvements, sewing, and planning fabulous themed birthday parties.

Lauren is an RN who primarily works with Dr. Lackey‘s team. Though she had considered nursing from a younger age, it wasn’t until her mom was hospitalized that Lauren saw how vital nurses were to her care and recovery. Lauren decided then to devote her life to serving people through nursing.

Lauren received her BSN at IUPUI. At MCJR, she most enjoys being able to care for people when they are vulnerable and ease their burdens as much as possible.

She lives in the Broad Ripple area with her husband, Heston, daughter, and their Golden Retriever, Belle. She most enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and traveling.

Danielle loves being able to serve people in such a hands-on role as nursing. She primarily works for Dr. Carter’s team, helping patients in clinic, triaging medical questions over the phone, and assisting Dr. Carter in surgery. Danielle grew up in Greenwood, then attended Anderson University, where she received her RN-BSN. Following graduation, Danielle worked in progressive cardiac care at St. Vincent Hospital, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Here at MCJR, Danielle enjoys working in orthopedics and having a more regular schedule.

Danielle lives in Indy with her husband, Brock, son, and two dogs, their Corgi Annie and Doberman Ben. She enjoys exercising, spending time outdoors, cooking, and traveling.

Haley enjoys spreading kindness and being available for her patients when they need help the most. You’ll rarely catch her without a smile on her face. Haley has been an RN since 2014. She spent her first five years of nursing working alongside our surgeons at Midwest Specialty Surgery Center, the outpatient surgery center on our first floor.

She has an associates degree from MedTech and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from WGU online. She worked as a pharmacy technician for CVS as she put herself through nursing school.

Haley lives in Brown County (where she grew up) with her husband Brock and two children. They love spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, riding horses, and boating.

Michelle is a Certified Surgical Technologist and Certified First Surgical Assistant. Her love for orthopedics grew while scrubbing for sports medicine surgeons, where she saw firsthand how surgical care can dramatically improve patients’ quality of life.

Michelle has extensive experience across a wide range of specialties. She was a CST at Methodist Hospital in general, gynecology, and trauma surgery, also managing the general surgery charge desk. She then worked for three years at CorVasc as a CSFA, assisting with peripheral vascular surgeries. Most recently, she spent nine years at Meridian South Surgery Center as both a CST and CSFA, scrubbing and assisting in a variety of procedures and serving as the sports medicine and plastic surgery coordinator.

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Michelle lives in Greenwood with her husband, Aaron, daughter, four dogs, and a cat. In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing golf and pickleball, watching her daughter play travel softball, and taking beach vacations.

Amy is a Certified Surgical Technologist who has worked as a private assistant for Dr. Berend for many years. Before that, she worked at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis for three years on the orthopedic and neuro team. Amy attended Vincennes University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Associate of Science degree. Her responsibilities at MCJR include patient care, clinical assistance, and surgery assistance.

Amy grew up in southern Indiana where she raises her two daughters with her wonderful husband, Nathan. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, landscaping, photography, running, horses, and spending time with family and friends.

Denise is an experienced Radiologic Technologist who is certified by and registered with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. She has been an RT (R) since 1988. She earned her A.A. and Certification of Radiologic Technology at Ball State University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Imaging Technology from the IU School of Medicine.

Denise also holds a post-primary certification in Computed Tomography (CT). She happily resides in Plainfield with her husband. Her interests include family time, exercise, new adventures, and getaways.

Jeanine is a nationally certified Radiologic Technologist with more than 15 years of experience, having completed her associates degree in medical imaging at Ball State University. After doing her clinical training at Methodist Hospital, she continued to work there for another 10 years. Jeanine was passionate about her work at Methodist, receiving the Technologist of the Year award twice. In 2010, she decided to leave the level one trauma center and transfer to IU West Medical Center in Avon, where she has undergone further training in Computed Tomography.

Jeanine grew up in Plainfield, Indiana, where she still resides today with her husband Tory and her three beautiful children, Alyssa, Ayden, and Avery. She enjoys the small-town feel that Plainfield has about it and loves having her children attend the same schools and play at some of the same parks she did as a child. During her free time, there’s nothing she enjoys more than spending time with her children.

Mikia is a certified Radiologic Technologist with experience in orthopedics, CT, and mammography. She holds an Associate’s degree in Radiology from Spencerian College in Louisville, KY. Mikia discovered a love for orthopedics a few years ago and has enjoyed seeing her patients through the different stages of their recovery process.

Mikia grew up in French Lick and lives there now with her husband, two boys, and four dogs. Together, they run a cattle farm. When she’s not working on the farm or in the office, Mikia is out on Patoka Lake, hiking, riding ATVs, or watching football with her family.

Denise is a Radiologic Technologist with decades of experience. Before coming to MCJR, Denise worked at St. Vincent Dunn Hospital for 20 years. She is grateful to be at the MCJR-Bloomington office and enjoys interacting with all of the patients.

Denise grew up in Vincennes, where she met her husband in high school. They moved to Bedford in the mid-80s and have been there ever since. Denise worked as a Vet Tech at an animal hospital for 15 years. After working and raising three children, she went back to school at Vincennes University and the Good Samaritan Hospital Radiology Program to complete a degree in Radiologic Technology. When she’s not working, Denise loves spending time with her family and seven grandchildren.

Sherry is a Radiologic Technologist who serves patients in our Bloomington office. Before coming to MCJR, she worked with Forté Sports Medicine and Bloomington Bone and Joint.

Sherry grew up in Michigan City, IN until she was a freshman in high school, when her family moved to Bloomington. A few years later, she graduated from Ivy Tech Indianapolis with a degree in radiology technology and moved back to the Bloomington area. 

She has always preferred working in orthopedics, whether in clinic, the ER, or in a surgical setting. She most enjoys working in clinic because she can interact with the patients and witness their quality of life improve with each appointment. Outside of work, Sherry enjoys reading, attending concerts and stand-up comedy, traveling, and spending time with her family and grandchildren.

Victoria is an RN who primarily works with Dr. Penrose. She holds a BA in Mathematics from Indiana University and a BS in Nursing from Marian University. Victoria began her nursing career on the progressive care unit at IU Bloomington, then joined the Center for Hip and Knee Surgery in 2015.

It was at the CHKS that Victoria developed a great love for orthopedics. She transitioned to the MCJR team in 2024 to continue her work in orthopedics. Victoria most enjoys developing relationships with her patients and getting to be a firsthand witness to their progress in recovery. 

When not in scrubs, Victoria enjoys loves to travel, hike, and be in, near, or on the water.