MEET THE TEAM

Kimberly Wortman received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Puget Sound in 2017. Dr. Wortman began her career in rural Nevada, taking a position as the Director of Physical Therapy at a Critical Access Hospital. She cultivated and expanded an outpatient program, meanwhile continuing care in both the Skilled Nursing Facility and Acute settings. Through this experience, she has become a well-rounded therapist equipped to handle a variety of diagnoses throughout the lifespan. Kimberly and her husband, Philip, then moved to Durango, CO in July of 2020. Since relocating and beginning her work at Peak Physical Therapy, she is grateful to be providing care to such a motivated and health-savvy group of individuals.

Kimberly is a life-long learner, striving to use best practices in therapeutic exercise, functional training, and hands-on manual therapy to return her patients to their full movement potential. She is passionate about helping patients achieve their goals, firmly believing that the “cookie-cutter-care” approach is inferior. She instead chooses to partner with each patient to provide an individualized approach based on their unique presentation and characteristics. Kimberly has a special interest in the conservative care of musculoskeletal injuries. She also has extensive knowledge in post-operative care, as a portion of her clinical time is spent at Animas Surgical Hospital aiding patients in the immediate phase of recovery following orthopedic surgeries.

Kimberly and her husband enjoy spending time with neighbors and friends. They have a new-found appreciation for the great outdoors, finding interest in hiking, picking wildflowers, and experiencing new adventures in our neck-of-the-woods. Kimberly’s Christian faith drives her to excellence in all that she undertakes.

Ronald J. Wenger, a native of Salina, KS, graduated from the University of Kansas School of Physical Therapy in 1973. In 2012, he received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine, Florida. He and his wife, Linda, owned a Physical Therapy clinic in Minnesota for over 40 years. They later moved to Durango, where Ron has continued his care of patients for the past seven years. Ron is an OCS, or an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and has a certification in manual therapy. He has treated individuals with diagnoses ranging from TMJ disorders, cervical pain, shoulder pathologies, knee injuries, and back, hip, foot and ankle disorders. Additionally, Ron has 35 years of experience in Functional Capacity Evaluations with a certification through DSI Work Solutions, onsite ergonomic assessment, and on site early intervention. Ron enjoys returning people to their maximum level of activity. He enjoys helping geriatric patients, both to remain independent in and out of their homes as well as to help prevent falls and their deleterious effects. He believes in treating his patients as if they were a family member or a friend.

Ron and Linda have three children, two of which live in Durango, while the third resides in Salt Lake City. In his free time, he enjoys training for the Iron Horse Classic, snowshoeing, hiking, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Meet Dr. Vanessa Ward DPT, a highly skilled and experienced physical therapist who has been serving patients for almost 10 years. With her doctorate of physical therapy from the University of New Mexico, Dr. Ward has gained extensive experience in various physical therapy settings, including outpatient rehab, inpatient rehab, and skilled nursing.

Dr. Ward began her career in Chandler, AZ, where she worked at an outpatient sports and aquatic rehab while also providing PRN services at a Skilled Nursing Facility. Throughout her career, she has diversified her skill set and gained exposure to a wide range of diagnoses and patient populations. This has enabled her to offer personalized treatment approaches that are tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

Dr. Ward is certified in dry needling and is proficient in a wide range of manual techniques, making her adept in addressing musculoskeletal issues. She also has experience in vestibular rehabilitation, which helps patients with balance and dizziness disorders. Dr. Ward is passionate about helping her patients achieve maximal return to function. She collaborates with her patients to understand their goals and develops a personalized treatment plan that focuses on achieving those goals. Also, having played Division II volleyball, she truly enjoys working with athletes trying to rehab from injury to return to their sport.

Outside of work, Dr. Ward enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the great outdoors. She and her husband moved to Durango to be closer to nature and provide their children with the opportunity to grow up in an active community. Dr. Ward’s family and her faith are what drive her to be the best she can be in her career and in life.

Dean Walker is a Physical Therapist who has been given the opportunity to build relationships with patients, assisting them to navigate their physical and mobility challenges. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX in 1988. He has practiced in Durango since 1989, working in a variety of settings including home health, inpatient care, outpatient practice, and skilled rehab settings. The bulk of his experience has been in outpatient and home-health settings.

Dean is driven by a passion to learn more about our miraculous bodies and their ability to heal and adapt to ever changing demands. He is interested in identifying abnormal biomechanics, posture, and movement patterns; he then finds it beneficial to teach patients through corrective techniques. Dean is a certified Sole Supports orthotic provider. He also has a special interest in bike fitting.

Church and family are his priorities. Dean has been blessed with two children who attend local schools. He enjoys spending his free time dining virtually any outdoor recreational activity. Dean has been racing motocross and mountain bikes for nearly three decade. He has also coached professional and amateur bicycle racers.

Tiffany graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with an emphasis in pre-med. She then worked as a personal trainer and nutritionist until earning her Masters in Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University in 2007. In addition to orthopedic physical therapy, she specializes in myofascial and trigger point release techniques. What she most likes about PT is the opportunity to help people get back to doing the things they love through rehab techniques, including targeted exercises and mobilizations. Tiffany currently assists patients post-operatively at Animas Surgical Hospital. In her free time, Tiffany loves to hike, ski, camp, and spend time with her husband, two children, and her dog.

Susan graduated from the University of Vermont in 1988 with her Masters in Physical Therapy. She provides care to patients post-operatively at Animas Surgical Hospital, having extensive knowledge and experience in helping people in the immediate phase of recovery following spinal and total joint surgeries. Susan loves her job, being highly motivated to help people learn about their new joint, ultimately achieving a better quality of life. She cannot count the times in which a patient was so happy with their total joint that they cried the first time they got up following their operation. In her free time, Susan enjoys riding her Connemara ponies, gardening, and taking care of her chickens and dogs.

Aaron was born and raised in Durango. After high school, he attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins for two years before moving back to his hometown to finish his undergraduate degree at Fort Lewis College. After completing his degree in 2018, Aaron worked as an assistant manager at The Living Tree in Durango and then decided to teach English in Shenzhen, China.

After returning to the States, just before the pandemic, he enrolled in the Physical Therapist Assistant program at San Juan College because of his passion for helping others and his interest in exercise. He completed this degree in 2022. In school Aaron obtained experience in several different clinical settings and he has a great amount of experience with the rehab processes following different surgeries.

In his free time, Aaron likes to spend time with friends and family, especially his two nephews. He also enjoys playing board/card games and working out at the local gym