ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY RESIDENTS

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Harris Health System ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY RESIDENTS

Destiny Thompson, PT, DPT

About: Destiny grew up in Bellville, which is just about an hour west of Houston. Being from a small town, Destiny was able to play a wide variety of sports including basketball, track, and cheerleading. During that time, she experienced her own bout of injuries that exposed her to the profession of physical therapy.

After high school, Destiny pursued a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Texas Tech University. She knew that the end goal was to go to a physical therapy school, preferably closer to home. She was fortunate enough to be accepted to Texas Woman’s University in Houston where she served in many positions including student government and was a graduate research assistant to one of her professors. As she drew closer to graduation, she felt there was still a lot to learn. To ensure that she was able to offer the best care to patients, she chose to pursue residency. After doing a rotation with Harris Health as a student, she fell in love with the patient population and felt Harris Health was where she would be able to make the biggest impact. She was also inspired by each physical therapist’s desire to continue to learn and grow within the profession.

In her free time, Destiny enjoys trying new restaurants and sharing it on her food blog. She also has a two-year-old golden doodle who keeps her busy. She’s so excited to be part of all the amazing things that Harris Health has to offer!

Fermin Garcia, PT, DPT

About: As a child and later as an adult, Fermin grew up working in construction with his father. Due to the continuous manual labor, Fermin received a shoulder injury and was introduced to Physical Therapy. After months of therapy, he continued to learn more about the profession by volunteering, which ultimately fueled his desire to pursue physical therapy as a career.

After completing 3 years of community college, he attended Texas A&M University where he majored in Kinesiology-Motor Behavior with a minor in Psychology. After graduating from Texas A&M, he attended the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) to earn his Doctorate of Physical Therapy. During his time at UTMB Fermin volunteered at a pro-bono clinic in Galveston serving the underserved and uninsured community. Now pursuing an Orthopedic residency at Harris Health, he continues his journey of growth as a clinician, dedicated to serving those in need.

Lila Tran, PT, DPT

About: Lila grew up in northwest Houston where she ran track and cross country and was introduced to the world of physiology and nutrition. She went to University of Houston where like most undergrads, didn’t exactly know what to do. She soon found a growing interest in the health field. After shadowing and volunteering at different clinics out of curiosity, Lila found an interest and passion in physical therapy. So, she decided to pursue a career in PT while majoring in nutritional science to get the best of both worlds. She was eventually accepted into Texas Woman’s University in the medical center.

During PT school, Lila completed a variety of clinical rotations in the acute care, neuro LTAC, orthopedic, and pelvic health setting. Her experience with Harris Health had come full circle when she did a rotation here and became interested in the residency program, something she witnessed during her undergrad career when she volunteered for Harris Health. Lila hopes to improve her skills and clinical thinking as a resident, educate and guide her patients through their rehabilitation, and become a clinical instructor. After residency, she hopes to specialize in pelvic health and utilize her background in nutrition with her patients.

On a personal level, Lila loves checking out new cafes in the Houston area, testing out different baking recipes, reading fiction books in her spare time, working out whether at gym or home, and taking long walks to wind down (preferably with her 14-year-old senior dog).

ORTHOPEDIC RESIDENCY GRADUATES

2008-2009

  • Sarah (Zehler) Ammons, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Texas Woman’s University
  • Dana Tew, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Texas Woman’s University

2009-2010

  • Joseph Elliott, PT, DPT, University of Texas Health Science Center
  • Annette Karim, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT, Texas Woman’s University

2010-2011

  • Alex Bonhomme, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, University of Miami
  • Ali (Jeffus) Vargo, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Texas Woman’s University

2011-2012

  • Germaine Herman, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Texas at San Antonio
  • Jamie Partridge, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University
  • Martina (Quivers) Void, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, Texas Woman’s University

2012-2013

  • Rocio Antone, PT, DPT, OCS, OT, Texas Woman’s University
  • Tabbetha (Cruse) Neve, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University
  • Sarah (Lohmann) Worth, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Saint Louis University

2013-2014

  • Jim Heafner, PT, DPT, OCS, Saint Louis University
  • Elizabeth Lemos, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University
  • Stephanie Lynch, PT, DPT, OCS, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Taryn Jurgella, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, University of New England

2014-2015

  • Nicole Baker, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Azusa Pacific
  • Gina Herrera, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Texas Woman’s University
  • Allison Smith, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
  • Eric Spencer, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Miami

2015-2016

  • Nick Allen, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Kansas Medical Center
  • Lauren Geiger, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Vermont
  • Amanda (Esmond) Koenning, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Texas Medical Branch
  • Cinnamon Martin, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University

2016-2017

  • Chris Cimo, PT, DPT, OCS, University of St. Augustine
  • Pablo Estrada, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Texas at El Paso
  • Dana Hill, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Southern California

2017-2018

  • Emily Aven, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Incarnate Word
  • Amy Hsieh, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University
  • Thomas Latimore, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Incarnate Word

2018-2019

  • Jaclyn Brooks, PT, DPT, OCS, University of New England
  • Melissa Clarke, PT, DPT, University of Florida
  • Reka Kovacs, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University

2019-2020

  • Allison Butcher, PT, DPT, PhD (c), OCS, Texas Woman’s University
  • Oluwatosin Victoria Olowoyeye, PT, DPT, MS, Texas Woman’s University

2020-2021

  • JR Alexander, PT, DPT, ATC Medical University of South Carolina
  • Zachary Beauchamp, PT, DPT, University of New England
  • Jave Del Rosario, PT, DPT, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

2021-2022

  • Jackson Hitchner, PT, DPT, OCS, Medical University of South Carolina
  • Sara Rundgren, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Woman’s University
  • Evelyn Villarreal Laclede, PT, DPT, OCS, University of Texas at El Paso

2022-2023

  • Cruz Armas, PT, DPT, ACSM-EP, Texas Woman’s University
  • Nicole Hoppe, PT, DPT, University of Incarnate Word
  • John Schaefer, PT, DPT, CSCS, Saint Louis University