Rehab Staff

ochrehab_400The OCH Rehab Services Department has grown by leaps and bounds during the last few years. With four physical therapists, five physical therapist assistants, two occupational therapists, two speech language pathologists, two aides, four full-time athletic trainers, an office manager and a receptionist on staff, as well as an impressive facility and array of equipment and services, the department is rehabilitating more patients than ever.

According to OCH Rehab Services Director Randy Maples, PT, because each staff member has specific areas of interest and/or training they can bring to the table, they work very effectively as a team. 

Physical Therapist Randy Maples, who has more than 30 years experience, has served as the department's director since 1983. He has a bachelor's degree in Biology Education from Mississippi State Univerisity, a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), and in 2001 received a Master's degree in Exercise Science from Mississippi State University.

Physical Therapists on the OCH staff include:

Shannon Skelton is a 1997 graduate of UMMC. She specializes in manual therapy, and received certification in manual therapy in 2008 from the University of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida. 

Carol Walters earned her Master's degree in Physical Therapy in 1992 from Texas Woman's University and completed her Doctorate in 2011 from UMCC.  She obtained a certificate of achievement in Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy from the American Physical Therapy Association's Section on Women's Health in 2009.  She is also a certified  lymphedema therapist. She specializes in women's health: urinary incontinence, back and pelvic pain as well as pre and post-partum issues, musculoskeletal issues, and lymphedema.

Patrick Thompson is a 2012 graduate of the Physical Therapy Doctorate Program at UMMC.

Joe Nickels received his PT Doctorate from Tennessee State University in 2012. 

Licensed Athletic Trainers David Ruffin, Gil Cochran, Paul Mock  and Jeremy Harville work side by side with several graduate assistant athletic trainers from MSU each year to cover many high school sports programs in Starkville and the Oktibbeha County area, West Point and Louisville.
Speech-language pathologist Laurel Jones oversees all speech-language therapy services provided through the department. This includes the identification, evaluation and rehabilitation of speech, language, fluency, voice, cognitive communication and swallowing disorders.  She treats patients of all ages with a variety of conditions.

Two occupational therapists Jamie Yates and Linda Maiers provide treatment programs and therapies to assist people in returning to a functional lifestyle after an injury. Jamie graduated from UMMC in 2001 and specializes in hand therapy, pediatrics, and hippotherapy.   Linda graduated with her Bachelors in OT in 1988 and a Masters in Exercise Science in 1999.  She has specialized in pediatric and hand therapies. Both OT's treat inpatients, outpatients, and children with special needs in area school systems.
The Physical Therapy staff also includes four Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA's).Jan Vaughan, Allison Hinnant,  and Valarie Clifton all work in the outpatient physical therapy department located in the HealthPlex. Judy Leonard works exclusively with acute care patients in the inpatient department located in the hospital.

For more information about the OCH Rehab Services Staff, call (662) 615-3020. 

For a referral, see your personal physician.