Jana Van Surksum
PT, DPT, OCS
Jana Van Surksum is a Board-certified specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association. A certified Level 1 Gyrotonic Instructor, Jana utilizes Gyrotonic technology to assess and address bio-mechanical deficits and faulty movement patterns as they relate to her patients’ golf swing. She has received Golf Assessment training from the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) and routinely works with her patients to improve both their golf posture and swing mechanics.
Jana’s post-graduate studies center around getting the maximum output for her patient’s efforts in therapy sessions. She offers a diverse and extensive program repertoire that helps her to identify and eliminate the root cause of pain and dysfunction in the neuromuscular systems of her patients.
Gerard Del Rosario
PT, DPT
Gerard is a graduate of the California State University of Long Beach, completing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an option in Exercise Science in 2011. He went on to attend the University of St. Augustine, completing their Dual Degree program, receiving a Master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2014 and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2015. He has completed clinical internships in numerous settings including acute hospital, ICU, inpatient neuro, outpatient neuro, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient orthopedics. Upon receiving his license he has focused his physical therapy skills into outpatient orthopedics, and his occupational therapy skills into per diem work at various skilled nursing facilities.
He has completed the Manual Therapy Certification course from the University of St. Augustine, with advanced skills in cervical/thoracic/lumbar spine manipulations, subcranial manipulations, SI joint manipulations, and extremity manipulations. Gerard also has extensive experience working with patients with neurological deficits, such as CVA, Parkinson’s, and TBI.
Gerard likes to spend his time powerlifting, breakdancing, and finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie. He does not like long walks on the beach, but rather a nice long drive down the coast.
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William Xu
PT, DPT
Will graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Biological Sciences but knew his true passion was to help people take control of their physical health through exercise and activity. He went on to gain experience as a Physical Therapy Aide prior to attending and graduating with his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University in Provo, Utah. Will has a variety of orthopedic experiences ranging from treating young athletes to our older geriatric population to decrease pain and improve functional mobility.
In his spare time, Will enjoys going to the gym, playing volleyball, and going snowboarding. He is also very open to exploring and doing all sorts of activities. Currently, he is trying his hand at the golf range and pickleball court.
Lisa Yamagishi
PT
Lisa is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. She worked as a physical therapy aide for 2 years while completing her pre-requisite courses for physical therapy schools. She got accepted to Chapman University and achieved her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During her studies at Chapman University, she had experience in orthopedics, inpatient acute setting, and pediatrics. She has been out in the field for 1 year in the outpatient orthopedic setting.
With her pediatrics knowledge, she likes to monitor her 2 children with their developmental milestones.
Elin Quan
DPT
Elin attended the University of California, Davis, and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Biology. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area all her life, she wanted to explore New York City. She went to Touro College in Manhattan where she received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Elin moved back to Los Angeles and has been working in outpatient orthopedics ever since. She occasionally does home health physical therapy on the side as well. She is also an APTA certified Clinical instructor. She frequently takes continuing education courses to hone her skills and keep up to date on research for the most optimal clinical outcomes. Her approach to physical therapy is often the whole body approach to create a specific individualized program for each patient.
Outside of her passion for physical therapy, Elin’s hobbies include napping, going to spin, barre, HIIT classes, reality television, and hanging out with friends and family. She also loves to travel to different countries and experience different cultures and food.
Joashuan Valdez
PTA
Josh is a Physical Therapist Assistant licensed from Cerritos College. Before receiving his license, he gained a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from San Fransisco State University. Both the Bay and Los Angeles have given him a diverse background in the PT field, including inpatient ortho, outpatient ortho, and aquatics. He now has more than 6 years at our clinic, serving the community where he was raised. Outside of work, Josh enjoys participating in a variety of physical activities, spending time with family, exploring hidden LA gems, and drinking coffee.
Chuck Gaudette
PTA, ATC
Chuck Gaudette is a licensed physical therapy assistant and athletic trainer who brings over 20 years of experience to Gardena Physical Therapy. Chuck is an experienced and nationally ranked athlete of the Nike World Masters and Masters National pentathlon, decathlon and javelin throw.
He also treats and trains high school, college, and professional athletes. Chuck enjoys surfing, golfing and fishing in his free time.
Genesis Lorica
PTA
Genesis began his journey as a PT Aide at Gardena Physical Therapy before graduating from Stanbridge University as a Physical Therapy Assistant. Genesis has always been passionate about helping others in their rehabilitation and attaining their goals. Genesis enjoys playing volleyball, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
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Jennifer Mazza
PTA
Jennifer is a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant who graduated from Cerritos College in 2014. She also has a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology that she obtained from Cal State Long Beach in 2010. Since High School, Jennifer knew that helping others was her true calling. Being that she was a former gymnast and competitive cheerleader, she was always interested in how the body worked and functioned.
Jennifer has worked in physical therapy for over 15 years, but her primary focus is outpatient orthopedics. She's worked in a variety of settings, including hospital acute care, hospital acute rehabilitation, outpatient orthopedics, and aquatic therapy.
In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and friends and working on fixing up her home. Jennifer and her husband bought a 100-year-old Craftsman Bungalow back in 2020. Keeping up with their 100-year-old home keeps them busy, though they absolutely love its charm and character. They were grateful to be able to find their dream home.
Jamie McLachlan
Director of Operations
Jamie Mclachlan is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in Kinesiology. She has over 25 years of experience in the field of physical therapy administration and customer service.
In her spare time, Jamie enjoys traveling, camping, water skiing and spending time with her family.
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Ryann Landero
PTA
Ryann Landero is a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) who is licensed by the Physical Therapy Board of California. Ryann has worked at Gardena Physical Therapy (GPT) as an aide for 6 years. While working at GPT, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2017. During his time at GPT he wanted to expand his ability to help others, so he furthered his education and later graduated from Cerritos College’s PTA program in 2023. Ryann has experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, primarily with adults. His clinical interests include orthopedic injuries, specifically sports related rehabilitation. At GPT, Ryann enjoys connecting with his patients. He values the opportunity to provide individualized treatment, all while making rehabilitation an enjoyable and positive experience.
In his free time, Ryann enjoys the outdoors, playing sports, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Debra Stewart
PTA
Bio Coming Soon!
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