Staff Therapists 

    Patricia A. Wiedeman-Stone, PT 

Patricia A. Wiedeman-Stone, P.T., joined the Shady Grove Center for Sports Medicine as a registered physical therapist in 1985, and has worked in the field of orthopaedic rehabilitation for 17 years. A native of Syracuse, New York, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1977, from Russell Sage College/Albany Medical College. Pat has served as the Center's senior clinical instructor here. Her specialties include McConnell taping, rehabilitation of ACL injuries and shoulder injuries, KT-1000 testing, and rehabilitation of other sports related injuries. Pat has taken several specialty courses to include functional testing and rehabilitation, therapeutic uses of theraballs, advanced techniques of McConnell taping, myofascial release techniques and joint mobilization.

Pat has acted as medical consultant to various co-ed and women's recreational sports teams, and has served as the coach of a wheelchair and high school basketball team. For the past 12 years, Pat has been a medical consultant on numerous international scientific expeditions, including the 1984 Pena Colorado Expedition (Mexico); the 1985 Wookey Hole Project (England); the 1987 International Blue Holes Research Project (Andros, Bahamas); and the 1987 Wakulla Springs Project (U.S.A.). During the summer of 1987, she became a member of the exceptional group of women to have stood on the summit of Mt. McKinley, Alaska. For the British project in 1985, she underwent paramedic training in on-site treatment techniques for decompression sickness. She is currently certified in CPR. Pat was a member of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department where she served as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

An avid outdoors person, Pat enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, rock climbing, bicycling, and canoeing. She plays on various recreational sporting teams, including soccer, softball, and flag football. She resides in Derwood, Maryland, with her three sons, David, Rob, and Chris.

Over the past several years, she has taken various courses in functional training, trigger point therapy, myofascial techniques and proprioceptive training. She is also one of the few therapists in the area to be certified to perform Quantitative Nerve Sensory Testing, which is a noninvasive, reliable computer-based technique of making accurate measurements to document subtle sensory loss and motor function.    

   Karen Forester, OTR/L, CHT

Karen Forester, OTR/L,CHT is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who has been specializing in the area of the hand and upper quadrant rehabilitation since receiving her degree from Boston University in 2000.  Prior to relocating to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2001, Karen completed 2 intensive clinical internships in the area of the hand and upper quadrant disorders at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland and at the University of Virginia, HealthSouth.  In Charlottesville she worked at the outpatient hand center at UVA-HealthSouth where she treated level I trauma patients.  In 2002, Karen joined our hand therapy department in Rockville, Maryland.  She is experienced in treating both high-level hand trauma cases including nerve and tendon repairs, tendon transfers, complex fractures, amputations and replantations.  She is also skilled in splint fabrication and in treating repetitive stress injuries including tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.  Karen enjoys collaborating with both Plastic and Orthopedic hand surgeons to maximize her patients' recovery and functional outcome.  Karen is fluent in French and is in the process of learning Spanish.    

  Jennifer Gillott, M.S.P.T. 

Jennifer Gillott, M.S.P.T. grew up in Rochester, NY.  She joined Shady Grove Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2001 after receiving her Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College. Jennifer received valuable experience at Ithaca during her clinical affiliations where she focused her internships on the acute care, pediatric and orthopedic settings and became particularly interested in orthopedics.  

In the past four years Jennifer has treated a wide variety of orthopedic injuries. She has focused mainly on ACL, rotator cuff, spine rehabilitation and sports related injuries. She is also trained in KT-1000, Biodex and functional testing.   

To stay current on the latest advances in her field, Jennifer has taken several courses on Pilates, extremity and SI joint mobilizations, and continuing education courses on the shoulder, elbow and cervical spine.

    Sonali Patankar, OTR/L 

Sonali Patankar, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist who received her Master's degree from Temple University in 2005, concentrating her studies and affiliations around hand therapy.  Sonali underwent a demanding internship at Temple Hand Center in 2005, and from 2005 - 2007 has worked at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey.  While at St. Joseph's, she divided her time between the inpatient and outpatient units and studied under two Certified Hand Therapists.    

Sonali, who will complete the requirements to become a Certified Hand Therapist in 2010, has recently relocated to Rockville, MD and joined The Ortho Center in August 2007.  She is committed to her patient's welfare and driven to continuously advance herself and the Occupational Therapy profession.  She spends her free time playing soccer and spending time with family.