Together, we can
.
Together, we can
.
During the past 25-years, I have had the opportunity to build a rehab tool box with a lot of tools. However, I think the strongest tools at my disposal are manual therapy, movement analysis, and exercises. In practice, I utilize a hands-on approach to facilitate the body’s healing process, analyze movement asymmetries, and issue exercises to support the patient’s needs as they relate to function and regional interdependence. Although I enjoy working with all patients who present with any orthopedic injury, my areas of specialization include those which have traditionally been under served. From an anatomical perspective, this includes the thoracic spine, SI joint or pelvis, and hips. Looking at areas of interest, in general, I have worked with sports and dance rehab for most of my career. More specifically, I have worked with a great number of gymnasts (level 4 – 10), cheerleaders, dancers, climbers, and divers.
Before coming to PUSH in 2017, I worked for St. Vincent Hospital and Health for 21 years. I have specialized in orthopedic and sports rehab and worked in the St. Vincent Sport Performance Center for the last 16 of those years. During this time, I worked in the clinic with Physical Therapists, Sports Medicine Physicians, Athletic Trainers, Strength Coaches, Sports Psychologists, and a Sports Nutritionist.
I began working for PUSH October 30, 2017. The physical therapy department orientation began with, “We are here for the students.” I think about this from time to time, as it helps with decision making and understanding the drive behind the health care that PUSH provides for the students. It is a statement that reflects how PUSH supports the University. We are here for the students. My second memory is of how welcomed I felt by everyone on campus. Whether I was meeting someone at the Monday new Purdue University employee orientation or going through orientation at PUSH and the CoRec, where our physical therapy department is located, it was always the same - I felt welcome. However, it was more than that. People didn’t simply make me feel welcome at Purdue, they made me feel accepted as a part of Purdue, as part of “We.” This is why I enjoy working for PUSH. We are here for the students.
When I had the opportunity to further my education by transitioning to a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I had to write a professional mission statement. I stand by it: “I am committed to providing the best care I am capable of giving to those who entrust me with their care. I will provide them with treatment and education in order to foster trust, compliance, and progress toward their fullest potential. I will remain open minded to seek resources, education, and assistance.”
My husband and I have been married since 1990. We have 2 sons. We also have a dog (Max), a cat (Magic), and a leopard gecko (Peeta). When I am not here on campus (I live an hour away) I enjoy bike rides, especially with my husband, gardening, cooking, and reading. With my long drive, I pass time listening to a lot of audiobooks, and always welcome a recommendation from my patients. My last 3 books were The Time Traveler's Wife, 1984, and The Night Manger.
Fandoms: I have a few. I would absolutely love to go to platform 9 ¾ to catch the train to Hogwarts, or ride with Star-Lord, Rocket, and Grut to meet up with Tony Stark and Thor but my absolute favorite would be to travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor.
Since coming to Purdue, I decided it would be fun to learn to count 0-10 in ten languages. So far, I can count in Spanish, French, Korean, and Hindi. I am currently working on Mandarin and hope I will be able to master the tones.
Fun Fact
I played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament at Pinehurst, course 2, a very long time ago.