Thornton Hospital Clinic

Her 20+ years of experience in multiple practice areas allows her to bring her vast clinical knowledge to all areas of her job. Allison is also an accomplished martial artist, and with her husband runs a school for Chinese martial and healing arts. She is able to use this knowledge and experience to enrich the therapy department by exposing the therapists and their patients to the benefits of complementary medicine, including Qi Gong, meditation and Taijiquan.

Educational Background
Master’s degree in occupational therapy – Texas Woman’s University, Dallas
6th Duan Wei in Chinese martial arts

Kimberlee Bond, OTR/L, CLT, ATP
Occupational Therapist
Kim is an occupational therapist and certified lymphedema therapist. Originally from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, she moved to Denver, Colorado after graduating college and began her career working with individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of occupational therapy and eight of those years she spent working at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit. Kim also has specialized training in wheelchair seating and positioning for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Kim enjoys the diversity of what each day of her job brings. She also loves exploring the beautiful San Diego coastline on her motorcycle.

Educational Background
Master’s degree in occupational therapy – Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti
Bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation – Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant

A native of San Diego, Resie likes teaching her patients about their conditions and how to take an active role in their own care. She is happy to share her knowledge and skills in order to help improve her patients’ quality of life. Resie enjoys spending time with her family, running, going to the beach, doing outdoor activities, playing the guitar and trying new desserts.

Educational Background
Bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy – San Jose State University, San Jose

Abigail Duya, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Abi Duya is an occupational therapist at Thornton Hospital and a native San Diegan and a UC San Diego alumnus. She is thrilled to be working with the amazing team at UC San Diego Health System. As an occupational therapist, she enjoys helping patients achieve functional independence so they can perform meaningful everyday activities.

Abi enjoys working in inpatient rehabilitation because it gives her the opportunity to work as part of an interdisciplinary team and involves lots of patient interaction. She is especially interested in working with patients with various neurological disorders and plans to pursue an advanced certification in spinal cord injury and stroke rehabilitation.
In her free time, Abi enjoys cooking and baking, trying new restaurants, traveling and watching football. (Go Chargers!)

Educational Background
Master's degree in occupational therapy - California State University, Dominguez Hills
Bachelor's degree in human development - University of California, San Diego

Roberta likes to stay active outside of work. In college, she competed in club water polo and was an ocean rescue lifeguard in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She enjoys cooking, traveling and taking her dog, Simon, to local parks and beaches.

Educational Background
Master’s degree in occupational therapy – Temple University, Philadelphia
Bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration – Penn State University, State College

Missie Gee, PT, CCCE
Physical Therapist 
Missie was born and raised in Arizona, but has lived in San Diego and worked for UC San Diego Health System for over 23 years. Missie enjoys working with patients and feels that she learns something new from each one of them. In addition to her work as a physical therapist, Missie has had the opportunity to serve as the departmental safety coordinator, the student clinical coordinator, the CPR compliance officer and a mentor to numerous students.

In her spare time, Missie enjoys sports, reading, traveling and spending time with her family.

Educational Background
Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy – Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Bachelor’s degree in psychology – Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff

Carter McElroy, PT, MPT
Physical Therapist
Carter received his physical therapy degree with distinction from Northern Arizona University in 2000. He specializes in treating patients with various neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, vestibular and balance disorders, multiple sclerosis, brain and spinal injuries, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Lou Gehrig’s disease and post-polio syndrome.

Carter previously served as a physical therapist in the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at the University of Virginia and is currently involved with the UC San Diego Movement Disorders Program. He is also experienced in treating patients with thoracic outlet syndrome. Carter enjoys the unique opportunity UC San Diego provides for working in a multidisciplinary setting to offer the best patient care.

Educational Background
Master’s degree in physical therapy – Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff

Syrisa Metzger, PTA
Physical Therapist Assistant
Syrisa is a licensed physical therapist assistant, originally from Pasadena. She is passionate about learning new techniques to help her patients. Syrisa’s special interests include vestibular rehabilitation, myofascial release, and neuro-developmental treatment (NDT) techniques.

Outside of working in rehabilitation, Syrisa enjoys playing the harp, making soy candles, exercising, hosting dinner parties and exploring the world.

Educational Background
Bachelor’s degree in health education – California State University, Northridge
Associate’s degree in physical therapy – Cerritos College, Norwalk

Catherine enjoys playing with her Bengal cats, running marathons, completing triathlons and serving as a mentor for those with Type 1 diabetes.

Educational Background
Doctorate of physical therapy – George Washington University, Washington, DC
Bachelor’s degree in kinesiological sciences – University of Maryland, College Park

Jessica Salzman, PT, MPT
Physical Therapist
Jessica has known that she wanted to be a physical therapist since she was 16 years old when she sustained a sports injury playing on her high school basketball team. She went through extensive physical therapy in order to return to playing sports. She had an amazing physical therapist that changed her life and inspired her to pursue a career in rehab. It has been Jessica’s dream to help people meet their physical mobility goals, just as her therapist helped her return to the basketball court.

Although Jessica’s interest in physical therapy originated in the outpatient/sports medicine realm, Jessica is interested in various therapy settings, making her a very versatile therapist. She was privileged to have an internship at the Sutter Rehabilitation Institute in Roseville, CA, where she worked in the traumatic brain injury unit. This opened her eyes to the world of acute care.

In the future, Jessica would like to be a clinical instructor to help physical therapy students accomplish their dreams of becoming PTs. She would also like to pursue specialty certifications in orthopedics and neurology to maintain her versatility.

Outside of work Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband, Andy, and their three dogs, Lily, Bubbles and Tootles. She also enjoys being physically active by working out at the gym, doing Xtend Barre, cycling, wakeboarding and snowboarding.

Educational Background:
Master’s degree in physical therapy – California State University, Sacramento
Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology – San Diego State University

Amy Wedge, PT, MPT
Physical Therapist
Amy comes to us from Maine, where she worked at the Maine Medical Center – a Level I Trauma Center and teaching hospital. While working in the Emergency Department, she covered the cardio-pulmonary, stroke, spinal cord and assisted ventilator units. Amy is also a certified clinical instructor through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

One of Amy's most notable accomplishments (outside the health care arena) is that she played Division I tennis for four years at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. She is a big New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan, and enjoys lots of outdoor activities, including tennis, soccer, hiking and kayaking.

Educational Background
Master’s degree in physical therapy – Quinnipiac University, Hamden
Bachelor’s degree in health science studies – Quinnipiac University, Hamden

Susan Neese, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist 
Susan is the primary speech pathologist at Thornton Hospital. She completed her clinical fellowship at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2006. Susan is certified in the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment approach, the neuromuscular electrical stimulation technique for swallowing impaired individuals, and the flexible endoscopic exam of swallowing (FEES).

Susan is the leader of the Speech Group at Thornton Hospital – an organization that meets monthly with the goal of improving communication for individuals struggling with speech and language impairments. Susan also assists in the Rehabilitation Services Department at the Parkinson's Clinic.

Educational Background
Master’s degree in speech-language pathology – Michigan State University, Lansing
Bachelor’s degree in audiology and speech sciences – Purdue University, West Lafayette