Carla is a proud verteran of the United States Navy. She was commissioned as a Navy Nurse Corps Officer in 1985, retiring in 2005 with the rank of Commander. Among her experiences was serving in support of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and assignments as Ship's Nurse onboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), and at naval hospitals and clinics in both the U.S. and Okinawa, Japan. Carla is a Registered Nurse licensed in both Illinois and Missouri, holds a Master's Degree in Trauma/Critical Care, and has had extensive experience in critical care, emergency department, and ambulatory care nursing.

In addition to her clinical practice, Carla has extensive experience as a nurse educator and with patient safety and process improvement initiatives.

Carla is a May 2010 graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law and was admitted to the Missouri Bar in September 2010 and Illinois Bar in May 2011. During law school, she earned a Certificate in Health Law, was a member of the Health Law Association, served as president of the Veteran's Law Student Organization and participated in a number of pro bono projects providing legal and social services to homeless veterans.

Carla concentrates her practice in representing victims of medical negligence and nursing home abuse.