Confluent Health Celebrates 65 Physical and Occupational Therapists Earning Prestigious Board Certifications

Newly credentialed clinicians strengthen Confluent Health’s commitment to advanced expertise and exceptional care

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Sept. 17, 2026, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Confluent Health is celebrating 65 physical and occupational therapists across its Partner Brands who have earned nationally recognized board certifications, marking a significant achievement in their professional development and demonstrating their commitment to advanced clinical practice in musculoskeletal (MSK) care. 

These credentials represent a rigorous investment in clinical expertise. Awarded by the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) and the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC), board certifications require extensive clinical experience, a comprehensive application process and a demanding specialty examination. 

“Board certification reflects the dedication our clinicians bring to their practice every day,” said Dr. Stephen Clark, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, Chief Clinical Officer at Confluent Health. “These therapists have made the commitment to deepen their expertise, challenge themselves and continue growing as clinicians. Their pursuit of board certification reflects the culture of clinical excellence we strive to build across Confluent Health and ultimately strengthens the care and experience we provide to our patients. We are proud to recognize their accomplishments and the expertise they bring to the patients and communities we serve.” 

With nearly 60% of eligible Confluent Health physical therapists board-certified, the organization has one of the largest concentrations of board-certified physical therapists among healthcare organizations nationwide. 

Nationally, just 11% of physical therapists hold a board certification*. Among licensed physical therapists, only 8% possess the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) designation, while fewer than 2% have earned the Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS) credential**. Less than 2% of physical and occupational therapists have earned the Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) credential***.

“Specialization is one of the ways clinicians can continue to grow throughout their careers,” said Dr. Zach Kovacevic, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Director of Clinical Development at Confluent Health. “These therapists have invested significant time and energy into developing deeper expertise in their areas of practice. We’re excited to celebrate that achievement and the value it brings to our patients, our teams and the profession.” 

Confluent Health celebrates the following clinicians for earning their board certifications: 

Access Physical Therapy & Wellness 

Jessica Book, PT, DPT, OCS 

Matthew DaCosta, PT, DPT, OCS 

Advanced Physical Therapy 

Trebor Besser, PT, DPT, OCS 

All Star Physical Therapy 

Chiahong Andre Tsai, PT, DPT, OCS 

Baton Rouge Physical Therapy 

Zachary Crochet, PT, DPT, OCS 

Emma Goldman, PT, DPT, OCS
Seth Tyler Hymel, PT, DPT, OCS
William Charles Kovach, PT, DPT, OCS, MBA 

J'olee Parr, PT, DPT, OCS 

Colyn Petry, PT, DPT, OCS 

BreakThrough Physical Therapy
Rob Bridges, PT, DPT, OCS 

Olivia Bryant, PT, DPT, OCS
Summer Kenny, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
Leandi Venter O'Connell, PT, DPT, SCS 

Andrew Schwartz, PT, DPT, OCS 

Colorado in Motion Physical Therapy 

Adriana Maldonado, PT, DPT, OCS
Ariel Nathanson, PT, DPT, OCS 

Human Performance and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. 

Christopher M. Campos, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert.DN, TPI Level 1 Certified 

Lone Peak Physical Therapy 

Lori Swenson, OTR/L, CHT 

Mountain River Physical Therapy 

Aaron Coffman, PT, DPT, OCS
Vasu Joshi, PT, DPT, OCS 

Pappas OPT Physical, Sports & Hand Therapy
Lucas Ackermann, PT, DPT, OCS
Ryan Birchall, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CIDN 

Zachary E. Lake, PT, DPT, OCS, AIB-VRC 

Madison Mailloux, PT, DPT, OCS 

Physical Therapy Central 

Emma Green, PT, DPT, OCS, PHC, Cert. DN
Taylor Neshem, PT, DPT, SCS 

Brad Shelton, PT, DPT, MTC, OCS 

MaKayla Walker, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC  

ProActive Physical Therapy Specialists 

Warren Ocano, PT, DPT, OCS 

Colby Taylor, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT  

ProRehab Physical Therapy
Kathryn Crutchfield, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC
Christopher Gambert, PT, DPT, OCS 

Sarah Hutton, PT, DPT, OCS 

Isaiah Kemper, MSOT, OTR/L, CHT 

Megan Lucas, OTR/L, CHT
Jon Newbold, PT, DPT, ATC, SCS, CSCS 

PT Care 

Mordechai Aron, PT, DPT, OCS 

Redbud Physical Therapy 

Elisabeth Wilson, PT, DPT, OCS 

RET Physical Therapy 

Skyler Tateishi, PT, DPT, OCS 

Rachel Vick, MOTR/L, CHT 

Shea Physical Therapy 

Blessing Tamez, PT, DPT, OCS 

Strive Physical Therapy 

Andrea Costantini, PT, DPT, OCS, AIB-VRC 

Lauren Houck, PT, MPT, OCS 

Megan Master, PT, DPT, OCS 

Texas Physical Therapy Specialists 

Alejandro Batista-Martin, PT, DPT, OCS
Ben Brandvig, PT, DPT, SCS
Matthew Lawrence Butkus, PT, DPT, OCS
Laura DaLesio, PT, DPT, OCS
Kyan Daniels, PT, DPT, OCS
Cory Decker, PT, DPT, OCS
Colin Dennison, PT, DPT, OCS
Forouzan Foroughi, PhD, MPT, OCS
Karl Giurlani, PT, DPT, SCS
Jocelyn Harte, PT, DPT, OCS
Kara Lydzinski, PT, DPT, OCS
Alexander McRaven, PT, DPT, OCS
Shae Montoya, PT, DPT, OCS
Marc Skytte Olsen, PT, DPT, SCS
Devin Peterson, PT, DPT, OCS
Kason Reeves, PT, DPT, OCS
Jonathan Roth, PT, DPT, OCS
Jennifer White, PT, DPT, OCS
Richard Casey Wright, PT, DPT, OCS 

TLC Physical Therapy 

Anthony Lee Persampieri, PT, DPT, OCS, IDN-Cert, MTC, VR-AIB 

  

*Source: American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), APTA Association Profile 2026. APTA reports 312,199 licensed physical therapists nationwide and more than 34,000 physical therapists maintaining American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) certification. Percentage calculated based on these figures. 

**Source: American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Specialist Certification, Orthopaedics and Sports; APTA Association Profile 2026. APTA/ABPTS reports 25,306 board-certified orthopaedic specialists and 4,153 board-certified sports specialists as of July 2026. APTA reports 312,199 licensed physical therapists nationwide. Percentages calculated from these figures. 

***Source: Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC), CHT data; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, released May 15, 2026. HTCC reports 6,044 Certified Hand Therapists in the United States. BLS reports 267,330 physical therapists and 162,450 occupational therapists nationally. Percentage calculated by dividing the number of U.S. CHTs by the combined number of physical and occupational therapists (6,044 ÷ 429,780 = 1.4%). 

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About Confluent Health Confluent Health, a nationwide network of physical and occupational therapy companies, is at the forefront of advancing musculoskeletal solutions that make us all stronger. We deliver better patient outcomes, reduce costs of care, improve workplace wellness, provide best-in-class education services, help prevent injuries and play a crucial role in shaping industry best practices. For more information, visit confluenthealth.com or find us on LinkedIn. 

Contact Info

Caitlin Greenwell
cgreenwell@goconfluent.com
+1 270-668-7886