Lee Vaughan Wampler, PT
A local graduate of Mount Vernon High School, Lee graduated from Howard University with a Physical Therapy degree. She has over 20 years’ experience in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, most recently at Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic. She has managed and owned private practices, worked in home health, nursing homes and outpatient clinics.
Lee is a past Director of Physical Therapy for a large local multi-site Orthopedic practice in the Metro area. She has vast PT experience in orthopaedics, sports medicine, geriatrics, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, TMJ, Fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndromes. Lee is also the inventor and owner of Flexboard, an achilles stretch device, used in numerous PT Clinics, team training rooms and fields, senior living facilities, gyms and homes. Lee is also a current Board Member for the local organization Mount Vernon at Home, which helps seniors age in their homes and communities.
The mission that Lee follows in her practice is to "treat every patient with highest respect and go above and beyond in their needed care." Lee enjoys golf and travel with her husband and teenage daughter.
Stephen Sarro, PT, OMT, CEAS
Steve earned his degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Lowell, MA in 1991. He completed a two-year residency at the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy in Woburn, MA to advance his skills in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy (OMT), and became a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Therapy. He has been working in outpatient orthopaedics for the past 30 years. He was the director of a Workers Compensation Program in two Massachusetts clinics for over 10 years. Steve was also Director of Physical Therapy for the Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic, a large orthopaedic surgical physician's group in Northern Virginia. He directed three of their outpatient physical therapy sites, which more than doubled in size while he was Director. Steve is also a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist (CEAS). He has instructed numerous seminars on ergonomic awareness to Physical Therapists, Occupational Health Nurses, and Industrial Health and Safety Professionals.
Steve lives in Alexandria and enjoys spending time with his family doing activities that include basketball, tennis, running, biking, skiing. kayaking and hiking. Steves also volunteers for projects within his community such as Potomac River beach clean up and neighborhood community grounds clean up.
Deb Sarro, MPT, GCS, ATC
Practice Administrator Deb Mann Sarro is a Mount Vernon High School graduate with a BS in Physical Education and Sports Sciences from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Masters in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University in 1994. She has been a Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GCS) for over 10 years and did a one-year residency at the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy in Woburn, MA. Deb has 25+ years of practice as a Physical Therapist practicing in Massachusetts at Massachusetts General Hospital, Genesis Rehabilitation Services, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, and in Northern Virginia at Anderson Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, Deb also holds a Certification in Athletic Training (ATC).
Deb lives in Alexandria and enjoys spending time with her family doing activities that include swimming, biking, skiing. kayaking and hiking. She also volunteers for the various school and athletic programs that her son is participating in.
Carolyn Byron, PT
Carolyn earned her degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland. Over the last 20 years as a Physical Therapist, she has worked in acute care, rehabilitation, home care, and outpatient settings. Carolyn has focused exclusively on orthopaedics for the past 15 years and for the last six years was part of the Anderson Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Clinic. Carolyn’s special interests are rehabilitation of the shoulder, joint replacement, and disorders of the spine.
Outside of work, Carolyn devotes her time to her family, including her two children who are active in competitive sports. She enjoys the outdoors, hiking and yoga.
Jennifer Herrington, DPT, OCS
Jennifer Herrington graduated with a Masters in Physical Therapy from Army-Baylor University in 1998 and in 2009 received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She earned a Board Certification in Orthopedics in 2010 and has 17 years of experience in orthopedic and sports physical therapy. She is certified in Trigger Point Dry Needling and served in the US Navy for 10 years as an instructor and a physical therapist. She has a wide variety of experience in treating teens through senior adults. In her free time she enjoys running, golfing and raising her 4 teenagers.
Janice Draper, MSPT
Janice, a native of the Fort Hunt area, is a licensed Physical Therapist and received her Master’s Degree from Marymount University in 1999. She worked in the INOVA Health System for approximately 13 years, specializing in adult neuro-rehab and multi-trauma. After leaving INOVA, she focused the next three years in the area of pediatrics. For over four years she was an adjunct faculty member at Marymount University, assisting doctoral students in their research of patient case scenarios.
Her passion for sports and an active lifestyle led Janice back to the field of orthopedics. She loves being a part of the MVPT team and working with individuals of all ages.
Outside of work, Janice enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors and exercising, as well as cooking.
Kathleen Thompson, MPT
Joining Mount Vernon Physical Therapy's team of skilled physical therapists is Mt. Vernon, VA native Kathleen Thompson. A graduate of West Potomac High School and Old Dominion University with a BS in Sports Medicine, she went on to receive a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University, fulfilling her educational goal of becoming a physical therapist.
Kathleen brings her enthusiasm to MVPT and her over 20 years experience as a physical therapist. She has had years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient clinics where she treated patients with a variety of needs, including acute and cardiac care, orthopedic, neurological, balance, wound and ventilator weaning rehab. Most recently she worked with inpatient joint replacement patients at INOVA Mount Vernon Hospital, where she was also a member of the outpatient clinic team helping patients of all ages recover their maximum abilities after experiencing orthopedic or neurological events.
On a personal level she enjoys spending time with her family, which includes not only a husband and three children but also a dog and a rabbit, volunteering in the Mount Vernon community and her children's schools, as well as raising service dogs for the military veterans' Warrior Canine Connection program.
Joshua Summers, PT, DPT
Joshua earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Old Dominion University in 2012. After graduation he became a traveling physical therapist, gaining clinical experience working in multiple cities across Virginia before settling down in Northern Virginia. Since that time, he has treated a wide variety of patients across all spectrums of care. He has worked in sub-acute rehab and has also been a Director of Physical Therapy in Home Health and Outpatient Orthopedic settings.
Joshua's overall goal is to get each patient back to doing what they love, whether that is playing with their grandchildren, walking on the beach during the next family vacation, hiking the Shenandoah trails, playing a round of golf pain free, or maximizing an athlete’s performance to the next level. Joshua prides himself on going above and beyond for each patient by individualizing their own unique program. By individualizing the programs, and staying away from 'cookie cutter' approaches, he promotes long term success by teaching clients the tools they need to maintain their rehab progress once they are discharged.
Joshua has a strong background working with seniors/adults to help them maintain a maximum level of independence. As a former college athlete, he also enjoys working with clients to achieve sport specific goals. He is Titleist Performance Institute certified and enjoys helping golfers play more, with less pain, and helping clients improve their skills to enjoy the game that he loves. In his spare time Joshua enjoys golfing, attending DC sporting events with his new wife, taking care of his dog Nugget, and spending time with his friends/family at the beach.
Rachel Odom, PT, DPT
Rachel earned her doctorate in physical therapy from Marymount University and her undergraduate degree from the United States Naval Academy. After five years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), she moved to Northern Virginia to start a family and attend physical therapy school. Rachel is a former collegiate powerlifter and rugby player and has practiced martial arts for over 15 years. She has certifications from Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC)/StrongFirst in both kettlebell and barbell training. Her clinical interests include vestibular (dizziness) dysfunction, return to sports, post-operative rehab for the spine and joint replacements, and medically complex patients. She is certified in dry needling by MyoPain Seminars and also performs cupping. Rachel enjoys outside adventures with her daughter - going to sporting events (Saints, LSU, Braves, Navy, Caps), the beach, boating, cooking, and traveling.
Jasmine Majors PT, DPT
Jasmine graduated with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Hampton University in 2019, and completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at the University of Virginia in 2014. Since graduating, Jasmine has worked in the outpatient orthopedic setting, treating patients of all ages and various injuries. Jasmine has experience with Dry Needling, negative pressure massage, Instrument-assisted massage, Electrical stimulation, balance training, post-surgical care, and more. Jasmine calls Virginia home but comes from a military family and greatly enjoys working with veterans. Jasmine also was an All-State Thrower for Track and Field in high school and went on to coach for 2 years after college. This experience contributed significantly to her PT experience treating children/young athletes. Jasmine enjoys working with older adults, to improve their balance, mobility and overall function for improved quality of life. Jasmine enjoys learning new words in various languages (she studied American Sign Language during her time at UVA), going for hikes, traveling, trying new recipes, and spending time with her family.
Danielle Thompson, MPT
Danielle grew up in Massachusetts and attended Northeastern University in Boston, where she graduated in 2003 with her Master's in Physical Therapy.
Over the past 18 years Danielle has enjoyed working in numerous clinical settings, including hospital inpatient, orthopedics, home healthcare, and private in-home physical therapy. After having children she switched gears and worked as a clinical liaison for a home health agency helping to transition patients to in-home care. Danielle is happy to have now returned to the outpatient setting. When not at work she enjoys spending time with her family outdoors, watching her kids play sports, exercising, and traveling back up North to see family.
Esmeralda Castro, Patient Care Coordinator
Esmeralda "Esme" Castro has been a Mount Vernon resident for more than 20 years, graduating from West Potomac High School in 2008. Esme has worked in customer service roles in the past and after helping a family member who was receiving PT at Mount Vernon Physical Therapy she decided to apply for the front office job opening. When not at work, Esme loves spending time with her two children, family and friends. During the warmer months, she loves playing soccer, riding bikes with her kids and being outside.
Abi Habtemariam, Office Manager
Abi has lived in the Mount Vernon area since 2013. She graduated from T.C. Williams Highschool in Alexandria. Abi has spent the last 12 years working in childcare. She is currently studying medical billing and coding to pursue certification as a medical assistant. In her free time, Abi enjoys spending time with her daughter and family and enjoys making soaps, doing arts and crafts.
Brian-Mike Njong, Rehab Aide
Brian-Mike first moved to the United States, from Cameroon, in 2006 before becoming a permanent resident in 2008. Brian-Mike grew up in the Mount Vernon area and is a graduate of Bishop Ireton High School. He recently graduated from Marymount University in Arlington, VA with a B.S. in Biology. While at Marymount, Brian-Mike served as a student ambassador, the school's garden intern, and was a member of the campus Food for Thought program. He is currently working to pursue a degree in physical therapy and working at Mount Vernon Physical Therapy to expand his knowledge of the field. In his free time, Brian-Mike enjoys coaching and officiating soccer.
Kate Murray, Rehab Aide
Kate, a lifelong resident of Alexandria/Springfield, Virginia, is an alumna of Bishop Ireton High School. She has coached at Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP) for the last ten years. A recent Pennsylvania State University graduate, she earned her degree in Kinesiology and Sport Studies. While at Penn State, she participated in the club swim team and joined the kinesiology and pre-physical therapy clubs. Kate is pursuing admission to a physical therapy graduate program while working at Mount Vernon Physical Therapy to deepen her understanding of the health field. Her leisure time is spent with loved ones, swimming, puzzling, and exercising at the gym.