Noreen Zulaica began TOTS like many companies – with an idea. What made it special was that the idea was to create the pediatric therapy practice where she would want to bring her child if she was a special needs parent.
In 2003 Noreen, the owner of the newly formed TOTS and its sole clinician, was working out of her car and treating patients in their homes. TOTS was new but Noreen had 15 years of experience as a PT. Noreen stood out due to the care she had for her patients and her excellent PT skills. In other ways though, TOTS in the early days was similar to many single provider therapy companies.
The turning point was the interest of her patients’ families in a novel intervention- the intensive therapy model and Noreen’s drive to meet their needs. Noreen recognized the value of this new intervention for her patients and took a leap. She became certified in the Therasuit model; bought a universal exercise unit, the Therasuit, and other needed equipment; and began offering intensive therapy sessions- in her basement– the first provider in Georgia to do so.
Soon Noreen hired occupational therapists such as Rosie Donahue and Marion Viar, who are still with TOTS, and moved into their first office space which was 1400 sq feet. She then grew and hired her first patient care coordinator, Melanie Sudge, who is also still with TOTS. The reputation of Noreen and TOTS grew, and patients came from across the state, across the country, and even internationally for the intensive therapy model as well as traditional therapy models. TOTS needed more space and moved to the Teron Trace Hamilton Mill location in 2007 expanding to 5000 sq ft. Growth continued and TOTS expanded with speech therapy, camps, aquatic therapy, paddleboarding camp and therapy sessions, and additional specialized programs such as OT intensive therapy programs, CIMT, and feeding therapy.
Noreen realized the need to expand to meet the patient’s needs in new communities and TOTS opened locations in Gainesville in 2018 and Brookhaven in 2023. TOTS outgrew our Hamilton Mill location, where we had been making do with multiple suites totaling over 9000 sq ft to meet the growing needs. It was then that the next dream of building a custom brick and mortar came to life and TOTS opened the second Dacula location in September 2024 which we now call Veranda. With 10,000 square feet of treatment space as well as outdoor space, the new Dacula location is a culmination of 20 years of growth- as well as an addition to the original dream. Noreen continues to want to create the company she would want for her own child but also wants it to be a home away from home for her staff.
While TOTS looks different from the original “Tiny TOTS” team and office in terms of staff size and locations, the growth has allowed Noreen to bring her original dream and core values-excellence, innovation, teamwork, community, and care- to a wider group of patients. It will be interesting to see where the next 20 years take us.