Heather Ackley, PT, DPT, PRPC
Heather Ackley began her academic career by earning her Bachelor of Science
in Human Physiology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Oregon.
As an undergraduate, she nurtured her passion for combing health and science
by working as a certified personal trainer and as a fitness instructor
for several years.
She continued her education at Chapman University in Orange, California
where she earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Currently, in addition
to her work at Hoag Pelvic Health Program, she is an anatomy lab instructor
for the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Science at Chapman University.
Other teaching experiences include teaching the physical agents course
with Chapman’s DPT program in 2014. Heather has focused her practice
efforts on both orthopedic and pelvic health for men and women with emphasis
on spine, pelvis, and tailbone pain, and their role in urinary incontinence,
painful intercourse, urinary frequency/urgency, prostatitis, interstitial
cystitis, and pre and post-partum pathology.
Currently Heather is pursuing post-professional studies in manual therapy
with the Institute of Physical Art, and expanding her expertise in Women’s
Health by participating in the coursework offered by Herman & Wallace.
Heather has a strong passion and interest in both orthopedic and pelvic
health fields, and brings the two together in the treatment of her patients
for optimal outcomes. Heather is a current member of the American Physical
Therapy Association.
“What I love about working at Hoag Pelvic Health Program is that
the clinic, staff, and patients make it feel like home.”
In her free time, Heather enjoys anything outdoors and involving music.
Mona Espanola - PT, DPT
Mona Espanola is a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health for
both men and women. Mona earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from
Touro University Nevada in 2013, and received her Bachelor's degree in
Clinical Exercise Science from California State University Fullerton.
She is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
- Section on Women's Health, International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS),
Southern California Pelvic Floor Sexual Medicine Collaborative Group (PFSM).
She is actively pursuing a board certification in Women's Health through the APTA.
Mona has a special interest in chronic pelvic pain conditions such as pudendal
neuralgia, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, vulvodynia,
prostatitis, post-surgical pain, and post-partum pain. She also wants
to create an awareness, while providing personalized care and treatment
for the underserved male population experiencing pelvic pain. Mona focuses
on patient-centered care while utilizing the most current evidence-based
manual therapy techniques through specialized education and training received
from Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, Pelvic Education
Alliance, and a post-graduate fellowship focusing on chronic pelvic pain
and pelvic floor dysfunction.
While working on her Doctorate, Mona volunteered at the Children’s
Heart Center, Sunrise Hospital in Nevada and other non-profit organizations
to promote health, wellness, and fitness to the youth in the Las Vegas
area. During her free time, Mona likes to stay active with yoga, paddle
boarding, hiking, and running. She plans to work on her yoga teacher training
and incorporate this into patient care. She likes to attend sporting events,
concerts, spend time with family and friends, and play with her French
Bulldogs Bruce and Gus.
Kathryn Karkut, PT, DPT
Kathryn enjoys treating men and women of all ages with orthopedic and pelvic
health conditions with special interest in pelvic pain, incontinence,
and post-partum restoration.
She received her B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Southern California
with a minor in Nutrition and Health promotion. While there, she competed
on the NCAA Division 1 track and field team in the hurdles. She went on
to receive her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from California State University,
Long Beach and completed a 12-week internship at
Hoag Pelvic Health Program.
In her free time, she enjoys golfing, volleyball, yoga, casual runs, and
riding her bike to the beach.
Kathryn loves the supportive and friendly community at
Hoag Pelvic Health Program and their commitment to providing patients with the best care. She believes
in the multidisciplinary approach provided here to meet all the patient's
needs in order for them to enjoy each day of their life.
Claire Merriman, PT, DPT, MTC, PRPC
Claire Merriman earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University
of St. Augustine, in St. Augustine Florida. During her graduate studies,
she received the 2012 USA Healthcare in Journalism Award for contributions
to an article on injury prevention for runners.
Claire began her career in outpatient orthopedics, gaining 2.5 years of
experience treating a wide range of orthopedic impairments in outpatient
clinics in Boston MA, Cincinnati OH, and Irvine CA. Claire earned her
Manual Therapy Certification through the University of St. Augustine in
December 2015.
Claire joined the Hoag Pelvic Health program in Jan 2015 with a desire
to expand her expertise in treating pelvic impairments. She received her
Pelvic Rehab Practitioner Certification through Herman and Wallace in
November 2017. Claire has a shared passion for treating both orthopedic
and pelvic floor impairments, with a particular interest in care of the
pregnant and post-partum population.
In her free time, Claire enjoys running, hiking and exploring new places
with her husband, family and friends.
Staphany Lao, PT, DPT
Staphany was interested in a career as a physical therapist starting in
her undergraduate years. She graduated from University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
and an emphasis in pre-physical therapy studies. She later went on to
pursue her Doctorate degree and graduated from California State University
Northridge (CSUN). Staphany completed an internship at the Hoag Pelvic
Health Program where she not only gained skills and training, but nutured
her interest in the specialty of pelvic physical therapy. She enjoys working
with both men and women, and has a special interest in patients who are
pregnant and postpartum or suffering from pelvic pain, incontinence, and
orthopedic related diagnoses. She has a passion for bringing awareness
to pelvic floor diagnoses, while providing patients with the knowledge
and resources they need to feel empowered to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Born and raised in Southern California, Staphany enjoys being at the beach,
baking, and finding new restaurants in the neighborhood to try. She likes
to live an active lifestyle and enjoys paddle boarding, hiking, yoga,
or just having a good sweat session at the gym.
What she loves most about working at Hoag’s Pelvic Health Program
is the warm, inspiring, welcoming environment they have created, and their
dedication to helping patients achieve optimal health through their multi-disciplinary approach.
Alicia Meyer, PT, DPT
Alicia began her academic career by receiving a B.S. in Kinesiology at
California State University of Fullerton. While there, she competed on
the NCAA division 1 gymnastics team. Her love of sports, science, and
the human body led her to continue her education at Chapman University,
where she earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During her studies
she took an elective pelvic health course, and then completed an eight-week
clinical rotation at Hoag Pelvic Health Program.
She enjoys working with the friendly team at the Hoag Pelvic Health Program.
She believes in a multidisciplinary patient centered approach to achieve
the best possible outcomes. Alicia is a lifelong learner and plans to
receive her Pelvic Rehab Practitioner Certification in the future.
In her free time Alicia enjoys spending time with her friends and family,
going to the beach, hiking, and traveling the world.