OUR FACULTY

Esteban graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise & Sports Science. He received his master’s degree in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University in 2000 and completed his IAOM certification in 2004. He completed his Doctorate of Science (ScD) from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2011. Esteban owns Modern Physical Therapy (www.modernPT.com) with his wife Amy Hay. Esteban and Amy created the online course Clinical Reasoning for Spinal Pain Management. Esteban is a professional photographer (www.kccp.smugmug.com) and graphic designer. He also has a business creating patient education handouts and marketing materials for interventions pain management physicians and physical therapists:  Orthopedic Education Associates (www.OEAbrochures.com). Esteban loves taking complex concepts and making them more organized and clear when he teaches.Esteban graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise & Sports Science. He received his master’s degree in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University in 2000 and completed his IAOM certification in 2004. He completed his Doctorate of Science (ScD) from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2011. Esteban owns Modern Physical Therapy (www.modernPT.com) with his wife Amy Hay. Esteban and Amy created the online course Clinical Reasoning for Spinal Pain Management. Esteban is a professional photographer (www.kccp.smugmug.com) and graphic designer. He also has a business creating patient education handouts and marketing materials for interventions pain management physicians and physical therapists:  Orthopedic Education Associates (www.OEAbrochures.com). Esteban loves taking complex concepts and making them more organized and clear when he teaches.

Jamie Bergner has over 20 years of clinical expertise as an experienced occupational therapist specializing in the care of clients after hand and upper extremity trauma, injury and surgery. She is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) and a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT) and a full-time clinician at a Level I trauma center for Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Jamie is passionate about mentoring and teaching, and teaches online graduate courses as an adjunct faculty for the MSOT Program at Cox College in Springfield, Missouri. Continuing her own professional development, she obtained her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy with an elective track in academic education from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2016. Jamie teaches live courses with the IAOM-US Hand and Upper Extremity Track, is an instructor with MedBridge teaching online continuing education courses, and has presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences. Invested in clinician-led research, Jamie has published in multiple peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Hand Therapy, the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and OT Practice magazine.

Brent has been a full-time clinician in the greater hill country region of Texas since 2011. He received his BS in Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas in 2005. He achieved is entry level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in 2011 and his terminal Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy (ScD) in 2018. He delivered his clinical dissertation course, Applied Motor Control Assessment & Treatment in the Low Back Pain Population in October of 2017. He holds certifications in orthopedic manual therapy (COMT) through the IAOM-US in upper & lower spine, upper & lower extremities and is currently a fellowship candidate under the mentorship of Dr. JM Brismee’.

Jackie has been a physical therapist with Carondelet for 24 years and recently joined El Rio Health in Tucson as a staff physical therapist in January 2020. She has been a physical therapist for 43 years. She is a graduate from the University of Manitoba in Canada, she has specialized in treating people with musculoskeletal problems, has attended many seminars throughout the world, and has taught other therapists these techniques off and on since 1988.  She studied medical acupuncture and dry needling for musculoskeletal pain in South Africa, and introduced and established dry needling in the 3 Carondelet Hospitals from 2009.   She began teaching the technique throughout the US states in 2013 and now teaches courses to therapists and other medical personnel throughout the US and in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.  She is a Director of Optimal Dry Needling Solutions, an international teaching company.

Mary graduated from the Mayo School of Health Related Sciences, Minnesota in 1977. She was certified by the IAOM in Orthopedic Medicine and Manual Therapy in 1991. Mary completed a Clinical Masters with Ola Grimsby in 1993. Mary earned her Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy in May 2013 from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. Mary is currently a senior therapist at the Institute for Athletic Medicine in Minneapolis, MN. www.athletic-medicine.org.

Valerie graduated with a degree in physical therapy from the University of Minnesota in 1981. She was certified by the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine, IAOM, in orthopedic manual therapy in 1989, and became an international instructor for the IAOM in 1994.

Dr. Phelps became a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist, OCS, through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in 2003. She is a Fellow with the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, FAAOMPT since 2004. She graduated with a terminal professional degree, a Doctorate of Science, ScD, in Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, in December 2011.

Along with being the founder and current education director of the IAOM-US, (www.iaom-us.com) she has lectured throughout the United States and Europe. Dr. Phelps has co-authored several books, book chapters, and numerous peer review journal articles. She is the founder and practice director of employee-owned Advanced Physical Therapy (www.aptak.com) in Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Mat-Su Valley, and the Kenai Peninsula, in Alaska.

Becky graduated from Louisiana State University – Health Sciences Center – Sheverport with a Masters in Physical Therapy in 1998. She completed her Fellowship in 2018 through the IAOM-US. She graduated May 2020 with ScD in Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Her dissertation was on Evaluation and Management of Temporomandibular Disorders. She is employed by Melanie Massey Physical Therapy and is Director of the Adult Clinic in West Monroe, LA.

Phil graduated in 1985 with a BSPT from UTMB in Galveston, TX, USA. He completed a MEd in Exercise Science (1993) and PhD with an emphasis in Sensorimotor Control (2002) at Texas Tech University (TTU). Phil completed his COMT with the IAOM-US (1997) and became a Fellow in OMPT (2003). Phil is a TTUHSC President’s Distinguished Professor and Endowed Professor in Pain Science, serving as the TTUHSC Associate Vice President of Research Innovation and as a senior lecturer in the ScD Program in PT, PhD Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, and Medical Pain Fellowship. He currently functions as a mentor for the Regional NSF I-Corps and Accelerator Programs at the TTU Innovation Hub at Research Park. He has maintained a faculty clinical practice for 20+ years with University Medical Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.

John  is a physical therapist and athletic trainer.  He studied physical therapy at Northern Arizona University and soon after completed a Masters degree in biomechanics and motor control at the University of Arizona.  He was the Head Athletic Trainer and Director of Sports Medicine for the University of Arizona and then entered private practice at ProActive Physical Therapy in Tucson, AZ where he was the CEO of a 9-clinic organization. John is currently the CEO of Patient Success Systems – patientsuccesssystems.com