Rehabilitation Services

Brenda Ebode is the director of rehabilitation services for Harrington Healthcare System. She has more than 30 years experience as a physical therapist and director of rehabilitation services in several health care venues including community hospitals, skilled home care, skilled nursing facilities and outpatient rehabilitation settings. Brenda received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Vermont and her master’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University. She then completed her clinical doctorate in physical therapy from Simmons College and a graduate certificate in human resource management from Northeastern University. Her interests include maximizing both clinical outcomes and the patient care experience, as well as community outreach. She is available for community presentations on topics related to physical rehabilitation. To contact Brenda, please call 508-434-1435 or email bebode@harringtonhospital.org.

Audrey graduated from Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L) and went on to graduate from Bay Path College in Longmeadow as a licensed Occupational Therapist. Audrey has more than 28 years’ experience as a therapist and has worked in sports medicine, orthopedic (inpatient and outpatient), pediatrics, school systems, geriatrics, spinal cord, neurological diseases and at our CDU & psychiatric units.  Audrey has 11 years of experience with lymphedema patients. She graduated in January 2010 from The Academy of Lymphatic Studies in Fort Lauderdale Florida and completed her certification as a Lymphedema therapist (CLT).

Leanna earned her Doctorate in physical therapy in 2015 from American International College and her bachelor’s degree in movement science with a sports medicine concentration from Westfield State University in 2012. She gained clinical experience as a student in outpatient therapy, acute rehab, and acute care settings. Leanna is a full-time employee working as an inpatient therapist in the hospital.

Kellie received her associate’s degree from the a physical therapist assistant program at Lasell College. She has more than 20 years experience working as a PTA. Kellie has worked in acute care, short term and long term rehab and home care in addition to the outpatient setting. Kellie’s clinical interests are in rehabilitation of total shoulder, hip and knee replacement surgery and rehabilitation of the rotator cuff repair. She has attended continuing education conferences on these and other topics.

Julie graduated from Bridgewater State University with a Bachelors’ in Physical Education with a concentration in Motor Development Therapy and minor in Psychology. She started her career working with children and then obtained her Masters of Occupational Therapy at Bay Path College in 2011. She has experience in acute rehabilitation in both inpatient and outpatient settings working with a wide variety of diagnoses. She has completed certificate programs in the areas of Dementia and Concussion and is working toward a manual hand therapy certification. She has completed continuing education in the areas of stroke rehabilitation, pain management, upper extremity management, spinal cord injury, vision disorders, myofascial release, Kinesio Taping, and Parkinson’s disease.

Karen is the rehabilitation supervisor Harrington’s outpatient clinic in Webster. She is a graduate of Springfield College and has a master’s degree in physical therapy. During her more than 18 years as a physical therapist she has worked in the acute care, long term care, short term rehab and outpatient clinic settings. Karen has presented and developed stroke education/cardiac education groups at Massachusetts Chapter PT conferences. She pursues ongoing continuing education to broaden areas of clinical practice.

Margaret received her associate’s degree from the physical therapist assistant program at Becker College. In more than 20 years of experience working as a physical therapy assistant, Margaret worked in acute care, short and long-term rehab, home care and outpatient setting, both in Poland and the United States. She enjoys all aspects of physical therapy. She has spent time working with sports medicine patients and post-operative spine patients. Margaret attends continuing education courses each year relating to all aspects of orthopedic rehab.

Sarah earned her Doctorate in physical therapy in 2012 from American International College and her bachelor’s degree in movement science with a sports medicine concentration from Westfield State College in 2008. She gained clinical experience as a student in outpatient therapy, acute rehab, acute care and skilled nursing settings. Sarah is a full-time employee, working mornings in the outpatient clinic and afternoons inpatient in the hospital.

Kristine is a graduate of Quinnipiac College, and has been working in outpatient orthopedics for over 32 years. She has been a clinical specialist in fall prevention and enjoys working with older adults. She is passionate about spending whatever time is needed on patient education, whether on anatomy, exercise, posture, diet, body mechanics, or injury prevention. She has expanded her knowledge considerably over the past few years on understanding and treating patients with low back pain. She has a particular interest in manual therapy, soft tissue work and joint mobilizations specifically, and is continually expanding her knowledge and clinical skills by attending ongoing continuing education courses. She also feels very strongly about being an advocate to promote the awareness of physical therapy within the community.

Emily has her associate’s degree in physical therapy assistant program from Springfield technical community college. Has over 10 years of experience in orthopedics, pediatrics, sports rehabilitation, and chronic pain management. Emily is a Licensed Graston Technique Practioner and is currently working in outpatient rehabilitation.

Jilanne has a bachelor’s degree in performing arts from Oklahoma City University and an associate’s degree from the physical therapy assistant program at Becker College in Worcester. In her more than 15 years as a PTA she has worked in the long-term care, sub-acute home care and outpatient settings.

Lois Johansen is a graduate of Quinnipiac College. She has more than 30 years experience in the field of occupational therapy. She began her career in pediatrics, working in the local school systems. She then worked in the areas of home care and outpatient treatment. For the past 20 years she has focused on upper extremity injuries. She worked for a number of years at the UMass hand clinic. She returned to Harrington to work in the outpatient OT department treating primarily upper extremity injuries. She has experience in ergonomics as well.

Nancy is a graduate of Sargent College of Allied Health Professionals at Boston University. In her more than 30 years as a physical therapist, Nancy has worked in acute care, outpatient and pediatrics in schools settings. She has extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions and has attended numerous continuing education courses pertaining to shoulder, knee and hip rehabilitation. Her manual skills education includes courses in Maitland, Jones strain/counterstrain, muscle energy, craniosacral therapy and myofascial release. She has taken a particular interest in helping develop the ongoing treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, specializing in the treatment of female incontinence and chronic pelvic pain syndromes. She has also attended courses in core stabilization. Nancy finds physical therapy to be a fun and rewarding career.

Christine graduated from the School of Allied Health Professions at the University of Connecticut. She has more than 30 years of experience treating a variety of clients in various settings, including inpatients, outpatients, home health care, and in the local school system, while also working at Harrington. Christine has an interest in women’s health and treating musculoskeletal conditions using a manual therapy approach. She has attended numerous continuing education courses to develop and advance her manual skills, including the therapeutic techniques of strain-counterstrain, muscle energy, myofascial release, and craniosacral therapy. She has also completed coursework in the Sara Meeks method for the treatment of osteoporosis and the postural changes of aging. The majority of Christine’s work at Harrington involves the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders such as back, neck, and knee pain.

Elizabeth graduated from Sargent College at Boston University with her Master’s in physical therapy and her Doctorate from Temple University. She has more than 13 years of experience in inpatient and outpatient physical therapy. Elizabeth enjoys all aspects of physical therapy. She has spent time working with post-operative spine patients as well as sports medicine patients. Her areas of interest include orthopedics and sports medicine therapy.

Alessandra earned her Doctorate in physical therapy from American International College. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Applied Exercise Science from the University of New England. Alessandra is a full-time employee in outpatient rehab at Harrington. She is able to maintain acute care skills working in the inpatient settings at times. She is able to see a variety of orthopedic, pediatric, and neurologic diagnoses. She has taken courses in Biosynchronistics and a number of pediatric courses. She continues to look forward to furthering her skill set with continuing education courses, with her interests being in manual therapy, sports medicine, and pediatrics.

Meredith earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Simmons College. She has over ten years of experience working in acute care and outpatient settings treating patients with a variety of orthopedic and neurological conditions. She is SMFA level 1 certified and is also certified to administer the Functional Movement Screen. She is a licensed Graston Technique Provider. Meredith is an avid runner and is passionate about helping patients achieve their movement goals.

Sandy worked with mentally and physically challenged residential clients for 10 years, and earned her PTA license in 1983. Her experience includes orthotic and prosthetic training as well as implementing developmental programs. She worked an additional 17 years in short term rehab and long term care where she developed a gift for getting the difficult or mentally challenged patient to participate. Most recently she spent three years working at a neuro rehab center with focus on regaining strength and function with traumatic brain injured. Sandy joined the team at Harrington in August 2010, providing inpatient and outpatient therapy.

Joanne received her associate’s degree in the physical therapy assistant program from Becker Junior College and her completed bachelor’s degree in business management from Becker College. Joanne has more than 30 years experience as a physical therapist assistant in home care, long term care, short term rehabilitation, acute inpatient care and outpatient clinic settings. She has completed 150 observation/volunteer hours with a nurse practitioner in orthopedic physicians’ office and continues to attend continuing education courses each year. Joanne became Level 1 Certified in Barnes Myofascial Release in 2010.

Sarah earned her Doctorate in physical therapy in 2012 from American International College and her bachelor’s degree in movement science with a sports medicine concentration from Westfield State College in 2008. She became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist in 2017 and was also certified through the Physiological Oncology Rehab Institute in 2016. Sarah is a full-time employee, working primarily as an inpatient therapist at the Southbridge campus.

Marilyn obtained her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from Ithaca College in New York, and received her graduate degree in Audiology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She was awarded a Doctorate in audiology from the Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2008. After completing her clinical fellowship year in Caribou, Maine, she continued to live and work in Northern Maine for seven years. She then moved down to Massachusetts and has been the audiologist at Harrington since 1988. The majority of her experience has focused on diagnosing hearing loss and dispensing hearing aids. Marilyn is Board Certified in Audiology, a fellow member of the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists, American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech Language Hearing Association.

Jen earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Stonehill College and her Master’s from Boston University in 1992. In more than 25 years of clinical practice, she has worked in several different settings including acute care hospitals, nursing homes, home care and outpatient orthopedic clinics. She assists with custom wheelchair prescriptions at Harrington. Her other interests include orthopedic and post-operative rehab and treatment of patients with low back pain due to sacroiliac dysfunction. Her continuing education has focused on manual therapy techniques She is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist.

Ursula earned an associate’s degree from the physical therapist assistant program at Becker College. During her more than 13 years as a PTA she has worked in the outpatient rehab clinic, long term care, acute inpatient rehabilitation and back-to-work center settings. She is specialized in office and workplace ergonomics, as well as work hardening programs. Urszula also serves the Harrington community as Polish language interpreter.

Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from North Adams State College. She earned her associate’s degree in physical therapy from Springfield Technical Community College. She has worked at Harrington for more than 18 years in the acute care and outpatient settings. She has treated a wide variety of orthopedic diagnosis where her interest lies. Sue regularly participates in continuing education relating to all aspects of orthopedic rehab, including myofascial techniques.

Samantha is a graduate of Quinsigamond Community College’s occupational therapy assistant program.  She gained clinical experience as a student in pediatrics, inpatient psychiatric care, and short/long term rehab, specializing in patients recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired brain injury (ABI). During her time at Harrington, her primary focus has been inpatient care on both the medical/surgical and psychiatric floors.  She pursues ongoing continuing education to broaden areas of clinical practice.

Anthony earned a Doctorate in physical therapy in 2017 from American International College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell in 2000. Anthony gained clinical experience as a student in outpatient therapy with a concentration in manual therapy. Anthony is a full-time employee in outpatient rehab at Harrington. He also maintains acute care skills working in inpatient setting at times. He is SFMA level 1 certified and looks forward to furthering his skill set through continuing education courses, with interests in functional movement, manual therapy, sports medicine, and orthopedics.

Audrey is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and has worked as an OT for more than 40 years. Audrey has worked in early intervention, school systems, home care, inpatient medical/surgical and psychiatric, outpatient mental health day program, long term care and home care. Audrey became the director of occupational therapy in 1982, retiring in 2017, but continues to work per diem filling in for vacations.  Audrey’s primary area of patient care is evaluation and treatment of upper extremity disorders and surgeries.

Karen graduated from Worcester State University with a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy. She was drawn to Harrington’s distinctive community hospital charm and gained employment soon out of school. During her more than 20 years at Harrington, her primary focus has been inpatient care on both the medical and psychiatric floors. Once per month, she presents at our total joint education classes. As needed, she is called upon to perform orthopedic/breast surgery pre-op education. Karen has worked in the home care and short term sub-acute settings, as well.