Biographies

Susan, RPT / Director

Sue has been the Director of the Therapy Department of the Orthopaedic Center of Southern Illinois since 1991. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Distributed Studies from Iowa State University and Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1988.

Sue has attended numerous continuing education courses specific to treatment of the sacroiliac joint. She also has specialized training in the use of myofascial release, which is a skilled manual therapy technique, for the relief of pain and movement dysfunction.

Unlike many physical therapists working in a supervisory role, Sue maintains a full patient caseload. This is evidence of her devotion to patient care and her desire to maintain a clinical presence. Sue's commitment to her patients and willingness to assist and mentor staff members does not go unnoticed by her team.

Sue ranks highly among physical therapists in the region. Her expertise and successful patient outcomes have earned her a solid referral base from physicians and surgeons as far away as St. Louis. Sue's positive reputation is largely based on the fact that she is often able to provide significant pain relief to sacroiliac joint patients who have failed to respond to previous therapies.

Raquel, DPT / Doctorate Physical Therapy

Raquel obtained her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from Hanover College in August of 2024. She is currently working towards becoming a certified dry needling specialist and a certified orthopedic manual therapist through Aspire OMT. Her manual therapy skills include manipulation of the thoracic and lumbar spine, and extremity manipulations for the wrist, elbow, and ankle. Raquel performs mobilizations and manipulations of the SI joint and skilled in specific segmental joint mobilizations for the cervical spine.

In addition to her therapy skills, Raquel has experience working in acute care and inpatient rehab settings. She also specializes in vestibular rehabilitation therapy to treat conditions such as cervicogenic dizziness, concussion, and BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). 

Raquel is third generation in her family to work in physical therapy.

Kim, OTR/L

Kim Rubenacker is an Occupational Therapist and leads a very successful Occupational Therapy program at OCSI. Kim graduated with a degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern Indiana in 2002. She also is certified to perform Functional Capacity Evaluations.

In addition to Kim's outstanding Occupational Therapy skills, she is trained to fabricate custom dynamic and static splints for the upper extremity.

Before starting her career at OCSI, she worked for 5 years in home health, specializing in pediatrics. For the past several years Kim has specialized in the treatment and rehabilitation of the upper extremity.

Kim chose Occupational Therapy for her profession so that she can help patients achieve their specific goals after an injury or surgery.

Stacey, PTA

Stacey has worked at OCSI as a PTA since 2002. She graduated from Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Southern Illinois University in 1995, and a obtained a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management at SIU in 1997.

Stacey has attended numerous continuing education courses specific to myofascial techniques for the lumbar and pelvic regions, advanced exercise programs for frail elderly, therapeutic taping for manual therapy, and rehabilitation for the post surgical orthopaedic patient. Stacey is also a Certified Clinical Instructor.

Prior to working at OCSI, she worked at an Inpatient Rehabilitation Department for 7 years. Stacey has also worked in the nursing home setting and has extensive home health physical therapy experience.

Stacey knew at a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. Her grandmother experienced a broken arm and received physical therapy. At that time, she realized that she wanted to help others in her career. She enjoys her job because she gets to spend one on one time with her patients. She enjoys getting to know them personally, which helps to gain a deeper understanding of the problems they are experiencing.