About ESM and the ESM TeamThe Elite Sports Medicine team was founded in February 2006, at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center as the inspiration of Drs. Len Banco, Jeff Thomson and others who realized the increasing importance of sports medicine care in the adolescent and young adults of today. The program is built on the premise that sports injuries and rehabilitation are by necessity multi-disciplinary and that in many instances the injuries in young student-athletes can be prevented. The center cares primarily for student-athletes between the ages of 10 and 30 with specialist care offered in operative and non-operative sports injury care, nutrition, sports psychology, physical training and conditioning, and other disciplines as appropriate. The center currently coordinates the care of a local college and several local high schools and AAU programs.
Carl W. Nissen, MD Carl is an orthopaedic sports trained physician who graduated from Princeton with an AB in Economics. He received his MD and finished his residency in orthopaedics at the University of Connecticut in Farmington. Subsequently he completed his sports fellowship with Cincinnati Sportsmedicine and Dr. Frank Noyes. He has served as a sports medicine physician and professor at the UConn Health Center for the past 10 years. Carl currently serves as the Director of Elite Sports Medicine. He is an avid sports fan and has played and coached lacrosse on the collegiate and club level.
Dave H. Wang, MD, MS David is a sports medicine physician with over 15 years of specialized care for athletes of all abilities, from the novice to the Olympian. He has served as a team physician for the University of Minnesota for over a decade, which is also where he received his M.D. in 1989. Most recently he has been the director of the Sports Medicine department in a large multispecialty clinic in Minnesota where he has continued to work with non surgical techniques for musculoskeletal ailments as well as medical conditions affecting the athlete. He holds a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology and has interest and experience with sports performance issues. He is a former collegiate track athlete, who has accumulated a deep understanding of the specifics of most sports and their unique training regimes. In 2009 David and his family made the decision to move to Connecticut and join the outstanding staff at Elite Sports Medicine.
Imran Hafeez, MD Imran is a board-certified and fellowship-trained Sports Medicine physician. He received his undergraduate degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, his medical degree from the University of North Dakota, and completed his residency and Sports Medicine Fellowship at William Beaumont Hospital. He encourages lifelong fitness and wellness to prevent illness and injury in order to maximize function and minimize disability and time away from school, sports, or work. He has served as the head team physician for Wayne State University during his time in metro Detroit and is actively involved in teaching residents and medical students.
AJ Ricciuti Jr., PA-C, ATC “AJ” Anthony J Ricciuti Jr, PA-C, ATC has been working in sports medicine since completing graduate school at Boston University in 1989. He has worked as an athletic trainer at all levels of competition, from high school to professional. AJ graduated from St. John’s University physician assistant program at St. John’s University in Queens, New York in June of 2007 and joined the staff of Elite Sports Medicine in October, 2007. AJ enjoys working with athletes and being involved on the sidelines. He remains active himself, participating in road races, golf, and various other sports.
Karen M Myrick, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC Karen Myrick works in a Joint Appointment, teaching in the University of Connecticut and working as a Nurse Practitioner at Elite Sports Medicine, Connecticut Children's Medical Center. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner, and holds a dual certification as a FNP and an ANP. Karen has over a decade of experience in Sports Medicine, and as an APRN is in the Emergency Department. Karen has professional interests in sports injury prevention and early diagnosis and treatment of sports related injuries in adolescent and young adults. Her personal interests reflect that of her patient population, she has competed on the state level as a gymnast and cheerleader, and currently enjoys running both as a triathlete and half-marathoner.
Nance Cashman, Practice Manager Nance comes to ESM with 25 years of medical office management in varied specialty areas including OB-GYN, Surgery and Orthopedics. She got her B.A. degree from St. Joseph College and started her career at Hartford Hospital before moving to private practice. She is also an instructor at Branford Hall Career Institute in the Medical Assistant and Health Claims Specialist Departments where she teaches courses in Office Management, Personal Psychology and Medical Terminology. She and her husband have raised 3 children who have all played competitive sports including collegiate ice hockey
Robert Peling Rob has worked as a casting technician and splint fabricator for several years for a large multi-physician orthopaedic group in the Hartford area for several years. He joined Elite Sports Medicine upon its founding and currently serves at the lead casting technician and brace and orthotic manager.
Regina Kostyun - MSEd, ATCGina is a certified athletic trainer and serves as the Concussion Program Director at Elite Sports Medicine. Gina completed her bachelors degree at the University of Pittsburgh in athletic training. She obtained her masters degree in education from Old Dominion University in Virginia where she also served as the head athletic trainer at Norview High School. Afterwards, Gina spent a year in Vail, Colorado where she completed an athletic training fellowship at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic where she worked with athletes ranging from high school to professionals. Gina is an avid skier and enjoys running.
Scott van Epps - PT, MS, PCS, ATP Scott is the manager of the Physical Therapy Department as well as the Center for Motion Analysis at Connecticut Children's. Scott obtained his B.S in Physical Therapy from Northeastern University in 1995 and his M.S in Allied Health from the University of Connecticut in 2003. He is a certified advanced pediatric physical therapist from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Connecticut APTA pediatric section representative. Scott's clinical interests are pediatric neuromuscular disorders, sports medicine and assistive technology. He has lectured locally and nationally on topics including pain management, neuromuscular disorders and assistive technology.
Sylvia Ounpuu - MSc Director, Center for Motion Analysis
Sylvia Õunpuu was appointed Director of the Center for Motion Analysis in August 1998. She earned her B.Sc. degree in Kinesiology in 1982 and her M.Sc. in Kinesiology (Biomechanics) in 1986 from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. She is an Adjunct Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut. She began working in the Center for Motion Analysis in June of 1987 where she has been involved in clinical gait analysis (testing and data interpretation), research and continuing education. Her primary areas of interest and research are in the effects of surgery and orthotics on gait kinematics and kinetics in children with cerebral palsy and myelomeningocele. She has had extensive lecturing experience and contributes routinely in the annual meetings of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and the North American Society of Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis.
Anita Brucker, RT (R), (M)Anita graduated with a BS in Human Services from New Hampshire College, and is a graduate from New Britain General Hospital School of Radiologic Technology. Anita is registered with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the Society of Radiologic Technologists. Anita has 25 years of clinical experience and joined the Elite Sports Medicine center upon its founding. Anita has been practicing internal martial arts - Tai Chi Chuan - for 10+ years.
Evelyn Alvarez, CMAEvelyn is a Certified Medical Assistant who graduated from the Sawyer School of Business in 2001. She previously worked in OB/GYN for 6 years. She joined Elite Sports Medicine in April 2007. Evelyn is bilingual and is currently preparing to study nursing.
Art FredericksArt graduated from Springfield College with a BS in Athletic Training and MS in Physical Therapy. While there he was captain of the Springfield College track team and earned All-America honors. Art's interest in sports medicine developed while participating in a variety of sports and guided his career path into sports medicine. While attending Springfield College he completed an internship at Cincinnati Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center further guiding him into sports medicine. Prior to joining Elite Sports Medicine and Connecticut Children's Medical Centrer, Art worked for a facility in Fairfield County providing sports medicine, outpatient orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation, as well as providing athletic training services to local high schools.
Alicia SwiatekAlicia graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a major in Geography and a minor in Anthropology and Fine Arts. She loves traveling and has worked in the hospitality industry for years. Growing up in Connecticut and loving the east coast, she recently moved back from Cape Cod, MA to be closer to her family and friends. Alicia loves to work with such an energetic and friendly team, and is glad to be a part of Elite Sports Medicine.
Deneen M. SayersDeneen graduated from the Medical Assistant program of the Morse School of Business, formerly in Hartford, in 1985. She has worked as a certified medical assistant in various surgical specialties as a medical/surgical assistant. Deneen’s previous experience also includes administrative duties such as handling problem claims in a medical billing office, several years managing a surgical practice, and more recently helped to open & manage an office based physical therapy office for an area Orthopaedic practice. She has worked in orthopaedics for the past 4 years. Her hobbies are gardening, cooking, playing acoustic guitar, and karaoke. She also enjoys volunteering in the community; formerly state certified as a crisis counselor, volunteered 3 years in a row for the New England Celebrity Shootout-golf tournament to benefit cancer research, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She has held a public service license to drive limousine for the past 11 years and occasionally works as a D.J. for various events. Deneen has one teenage son who is an avid snowboarder/skateboarder.
Jason Booker, PTJason graduated from the University of Hartford with a degree in Physical Therapy. He has been practicing physical therapy in central Connecticut for more than 10 years; having joined the Department of Occupational and Physical Therapy at CCMC in 2002. Throughout his career, he has specialized in both Sports Medicine and Pediatrics. Jason has a special interest in working with young athletes and was excited to join the Elite Sports Medicine team in November 2007. He also works with athletes with disabilities that participate in wheel chair sports. Jason is an avid sports fan who enjoys playing basketball and participating in triathlons.
Tricia Rogers, PT, MSTricia graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy. She completed her final clinical rotation at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and began working for the Department of Occupational and Physical Therapy in May 2006. Tricia developed strong interests and skills in both pediatric and adolescent sports medicine and was pleased to become part of the Elite Sports Medicine team in November 2007. Tricia is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, Connecticut Chapter, as well as the Pediatric and Sports Physical Therapy sections. Tricia enjoys being a spectator of and participant in many sports including boxing, football, field hockey, baseball, and softball.
Danielle Barone, PT, DPTDanielle graduated from Ithaca College with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During her final clinical rotation she studied under a former Philadelphia Phillies athletic trainer and physical therapist where her passion for sports medicine continued to develop. An avid participant in sports all her life, Danielle played varsity lacrosse as a mid-fielder while attending Ithaca College. She is very excited to have joined the Department of Occupational and Physical Therapy at CCMC and the Elite Sports Medicine team in January 2008. As an enthusiastic sports fan, she looks forward to working with young athletes and helping them to achieve their performance goals.
Nicholas Giampetruzzi, PT, MSNick graduated from Springfield College with a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy. He was a captain of his Westfield High School (MA) basketball team, and went on to be a member of the Men’s Basketball Program at the Birthplace of Basketball, Springfield College. His passion for sports led him to other experiences including, coaching high school basketball and also at various college and professional basketball camps. Nick was involved as a volunteer at his local YMCA from a young age, sparking his interest in youth athletics. He completed one of his four clinical rotations at the renowned Champion Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, where he learned from some of the country’s best Physical Therapists in the areas of clinical practice and research. Nick came to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in July 2008 from an outpatient orthopedic facility in southern Connecticut. His experience and enthusiasm for youth sports along with a great interest in orthopedic sports medicine has Nick very excited to be a member of Elite Sports Medicine.
Wanda VasquezWanda is the administrative associate for the Center for Motion Analysis. She has been an employee at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center since 1996. Before working in the Center for Motion Analysis she was the assistant office manager for the Primary Care Department at CCMC. Currently she does all of the scheduling, billing, gait analysis report transcriptions and internal bookkeeping
Matthew Solomito - BSBEMatt graduated from Western New England College in Springfield, MA with a BS in Biomedical Engineering in 2007. He is currently working on his MS in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Matt joined the Center for Motion Analysis in 2007 where he is involved in patient testing and research.
Dawn Roller - PTDawn originally earned her A.S. in physical therapy from Becker College in Worcester, MA in 1990. At that time she began practicing in orthopedics and sports medicine physical therapy. She returned to school and completed her B.S. in physical therapy from the University of Hartford in 2001. Her practice continued in orthopedics and sports medicine until she joined the staff at the Center for Motion Analysis in 2004. She is involved in the clinical testing and gait interpretation occurring in the lab, as well as education in gait analysis interpretation. In addition to her role in the Center for Motion Analysis, she is a part-time faculty member in the physical therapy department at the University of Hartford.
Dennis Tyburski, A.S.Dennis joined the Center for Motion Analysis in 1983. He is responsible for the development and maintenance of all hardware and software systems in the lab and also performs daily patient gait evaluations
Katharine J Bell, M.S.Kathy earned her B.S. degree from Springfield College (Springfield, MA). After earning her M.S. degree in Exercise Science from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) she joined the Center for Motion Analysis in 1989 where she is involved in all phases of gait testing and interpretation. She is a charter member of North American Society of Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis.
Sue GravelleSue comes to us with over eight years of medical office experience. She spent three years in an Ear, Nose and Throat office in Florida and the last five years in Orthopedics and Physical Therapy offices in both Chicago and Connecticut. Prior to her experience in the medical field, she spent 12 years in early childhood education in several daycare centers in Florida. Since moving back to Connecticut from Chicago last year to be closer to her family, she has been enrolled at Goodwin College in the Medical Billing and Coding program, which she will complete in December 2010. Her love for sports and children makes her a great fit here at the Elite Sports Medicine division of CCMC.
Deb SchwagerDeb is a medical assistant who graduated from Brandford Hall Career Institute in 2003. She studied her internship at the Bristol Hospital Emergency Room where she continued to work for 7 years. She has been with Elite Sports Medicine since the spring of 2010.
She was a Varsity player on the track and field team at Farmington High School where as a freshman she placed 3rd in the State Championship for javelin. She is recently married and enjoys her life with her husband while living on Highland lake. They enjoy boating and life on the lake.
Tina BeaulieuTina is the department's Administrative Assistant. She recently made a move from the legal field where she worked as a paralegal for over 8 years at local area law firms to work in CCMC's Elite Sports Medicine Department. She attended Bristol Central High School, Montserrat College of Art and most recently the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online. Tina has experience working at an Orthopedic office where she functioned as a clerical assistant and medical records clerk. She loves her 6 year old son, Thomas, has a passion for Art and Interior Design and is excited to join the Elite Sports Medicine team.
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