Our Staff
Tim Eckard, MSPT, Cert. MDT
Tim is the President and Founder of Kinetix. In 1988, he received his Bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine and in 1991 his Master's degree in Physical Therapy from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Tim is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). With over 17 years of orthopedic experience, he has multiple specialties in areas of the spine and neck, sports medicine rehab, TMJ dysfunction, laser therapy, core/stabilization programs and manual therapy.
Tim is a certified McKenzie practitioner for acute and chronic spinal conditions. The Mckenzie Method is an effective mechanical approach that helps relieve pressure on sensitive tissues of the spine (neck and back). This is a highly respected certification in the physical therapy community.
He has also acquired his certification for the newest technology of Low Level Laser Therapy. This is an exciting new treatment that has shown incredible results in decreasing pain/inflammation while stimulating tissue healing.
He takes a very caring approach to the patients' needs and concerns. It's important that his patients have an exceptional experience with positive clinical results.
Michelle Gawenda, RN, Vice President/ C.F.O.
Michelle is the Vice President/CFO and Founder of the practice. She is responsible for the overall daily operations of Kinetix. In addition to her financial responsibilities as CFO, she also negotiates insurance contracts, manages human resource issues, and markets to physicians and attorneys.
In 2005, she received her Registered Nursing degree from Sentara School of Nursing in Chesapeake, Virginia. She is certified in Cold Low Level Laser Therapy and has extensive knowledge in alternative health and wellness. In addition, Michelle is a consultant with Gawenda Seminars & Consulting specializing in performing outpatient therapy medical record audits to ensure documentation compliance.
Rick Gawenda, PT
Rick serves as the Director of Finance and Consultant to Kinetix in the areas of billing, reimbursement, and documentation compliance. He is also the founder and President/CEO of Gawenda Seminars & Consulting. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. In addition, he is currently Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Detroit Receiving Hospital. He has provided valuable education and consulting to hospitals, private practices, and rehabilitation agencies in the areas of CPT/ICD-9 coding, billing, documentation compliance, revenue enhancement, and denial management as they relate to outpatient therapy services.
Susan DiMartini, MSPT
Susan has been a licensed physical therapist since 1996 and enjoys working with people of all ages with varying medical and orthopaedic conditions. Originally from Illinois, Susan obtained her Bachelor of Science in General Health from Boston University in 1992 and Masters of Science in Physical Therapy from Des Moines University in 1996. Recognized as a board certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), Susan has obtained advanced knowledge and clinical expertise in the area of orthopedic physical therapy. She has worked in the Santa Clarita Valley since 2002 and offers quality care while helping patients return to an active lifestyle.
Frank D'Ambrosio, PT
Frank is a Physical Therapist with over 20 years of experience in a wide variety of healthcare settings. A native of California, he graduated from UCLA in 1982 and from the University of California at San Francisco in 1984 with Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy. A long-time resident of Santa Clarita Valley, Frank is active in church and community affairs and is a member of the Arthritis Foundation, California HealthCare Foundation and the American Physical Therapy Association. With his wife and three sons, he enjoys cycling, skiing, hiking and camping. He plans to continue his mission of treating, educating and inspiring people to achieve their optimal physical potential.
Ryan Miller, MPT
Ryan is a graduate from California State University of Northridge with a Master's in Physical Therapy. He brings a fresh perspective and approach to quality patient care and is an active member of the APTA. When not working he is following sports and increasing his knowledge in a variety of subjects.
Jamie Aronson
Jamie is our Office Manager offering an innate ability to assist patients with a great physical therapy experience. This begins from the moment the patient makes first contact with Kinetix. She possesses excellent customer service skills along with experience in insurance verification, billing, workers compensation authorizations, and scheduling. She worked as a Physical Therapy Technician for 8 years prior to becoming Office Manager.
Gabriela Symonds
Gabriela is our Front Office Assistant. She is full of energy and greets the patients with a wonderful smile. Being fluent in Spanish, she is able to assist patients in translation to ensure all aspects of their care are addressed. In addition, she was a Physical Therapy Technician at Kinetix before she transitioned to her role as Front Office Assistant.
Nereida Villasenor
Nereida is a Physical Therapy Technician. She assists our licensed Physical Therapists with exercises, modality application, and other basic treatments. Her experience includes exercises for increasing strength, endurance, coordination, and range of motion. With her pleasant personality and caring spirit, she helps make our patient's experience more enjoyable.
Ryan Fadera
Ryan is a physical therapy technician. He is a licensed Physical Therapist in the Philippines but it is currently working on obtaining his license here in the United States. He has a very caring personality and it comes across as he assists with the care of our patients.
Andrea Diaz
Andrea is not only a Physical Therapy Technician at Kinetix, but also the Front Office Assistant at our Canyon Country facility. She studied at Westmont College, in Santa Barbara, California, where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology.
Andrea's passion for sports, especially soccer and tennis, played a significant role in her decision to pursue the field of Physical Therapy. Her billingual and customer service skills, as well as her funny and attentive personality, ensure a quality physical therapy experience for our patients.
Rachel DeRose-Coffee
Rachel is the front office assistant at our Canyon Country location. She is a life-long proponent of natural medicine, exercise and nutrition, and has worked in a variety of settings including chiropractic/acupuncture offices, weight-loss clinic, and health food store. It is rewarding for her to see patients gain strength and healing from physical therapy.
Kristen Klittich
Kristen is a Physical Therapy Technician and also a Front Office Assistant at our Valencia office. She recently earned her Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from San Diego State University and plans on continuing her education to become a Physical Therapist herself. Her passion for helping and caring for people as well as exercise and health have led her to Kinetix, where she puts forth her best effort to ensure each patient has a wonderful physical therapy experience.
