Staff

Tony Hernandez, PT, DPT

Member: American Physical Therapy Association, Special Section of Orthopedics & Sports.

Tony has been on both sides of the fence- a patient and a provider of physical therapy. He’s been with Rascal Creek since 1990, learning and loving physical therapy. His primary areas of expertise include mechanically oriented treatment interventions and he has been influenced by many modern pioneers in patient care. Tony has attended post-graduate training in physical therapy, orthopedics, sports medicine and spinal care. His newest specialty is intervention for golf related problems. He can fix your swing, improve your game and teach you techniques to alleviate any post-golf maladies.

Tony was first introduced to Rascal Creek PT as a patient in 1990 after a disastrous knee injury in soccer. He found friendly faces, sympathetic hearts and discovered that physical therapy could be an interesting ne career option. He crossed the line from patient to staff and never looked back! He worked at Rascal Creek for 3 years while completing his Master’s degree in 1996. He worked in Subacute Rehab for 3 years where he had extensive experience in geriatrics, particularly stroke rehab and treatment of vestibulo/balance disorders. Tony returned to RCPT in 1998 as a full-time Physical Therapist.

Tony went back to CSUF in the fall of 2007 for the inaugural class to earn his doctorate in PT. The program was a joint effort between CSUF and UCSF and Tony was one of six hard working candidates in the doctoral program and received their highest honors in the spring of 2008. In addition, he makes it a point to attend at least two special courses each year to bring his level of expertise to the cutting edge. His hands on skills and friendly smile will make you better.

Heidi Hernandez, PT, DPT

Member: American Physical Therapy Association, Special Sections of Women’s Health and Health Policy Legislation and Regulation

Heidi obtained her Physical Therapy education at California State University, Fresno with a Masters in PT and a minor in Exercise Physiology in 1996. Her background consists of sub acute rehab with special emphasis in geriatrics, wound care, pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, as well as management of the Rehabilitation Department in Madera. In the fall of 2008, she embarked on her advanced education through Northeastern University, earning her doctorate in physical therapy in the spring of 2009. Heidi’s focus at Rascal Creek is in generalized orthopedic care and in the specialized and innovative techniques to treat pelvic problems in men or women and addressing health issues specific to women. Heidi has taken extensive continuing education courses in this necessary and expanding field of pelvic therapy. She continues to attend at least one or two courses a year to make sure her treatment techniques are progressive and inventive. Her goal is to provide personalize treatment plans, while empowering patients with the knowledge to manage symptoms and achieve their goals.

When Heidi is not at work she is raising 3 busy teenagers and training for triathlons!

Stephanie Raymond PT, DPT

Member: American Physical Therapy Association, Special section on Orthopedics & Sports

Stephanie Raymond grew up in the Porterville/Springville area of southern San Joaquin Valley where she was active in swimming and raising guide dogs for the blind. While completing her undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara in 1995, she was a four year member of the Gaucho, Division 1 Swim Team. Her academic studies then took her to Stockton, California where she graduated with her Masters of Physical Therapy in 1997. She began her career as a physical therapist in the Merced area, before relocating to Bakersfield where she was the lead physical therapist and eventually the site coordinator for an outpatient satellite clinic in Tehachapi. In 2005, she returned to Merced and in 2011, she joined the Rascal Creek Physical Therapy team. She advanced her physical therapy degree in 2012, by completing the doctor of physical therapy program from Northeastern University. In 2013, she became the first APTA certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist in Merced County. She continues to exceed the state requirements for continuing education enabling her to continue to provide the most up to date and evidence based physical therapy treatments. When not in the clinic, Stephanie can be found doting over her Labrador, swimming laps in the local pool or on a bike ride with co-workers. She also enjoys gardening and is a self-proclaimed sports nut following the San Francisco Giants and 49ers.

Michael Clark, OT

Member: California Occupational Therapy Association, American Society of Hand Therapy

Michael has been providing occupational therapy in the specialized area of hand therapy at Rascal Creek since November 2000. He graduated from San Jose State University in 1996 with a BS in Occupational Therapy. Michael heard about Rascal Creek while work in Subacute Rehab with Tony, one of the PT’s here. He found a comfortable niche at the Creek and looks to be a permanent and productive member of the Crew. To make himself more valuable to us, he has completed State of California requirements for Hand Therapy and use of Physical Agent Modalities and is working on his advanced certification as a member of a select group of hand therapists. He knows the latest and greatest techniques and is an expert problem solver.

Michael was born and raised in Springville, Utah where he was active in track & field and cross country running. After leaving home, he tried living in Georgia and Florida. In 1996 he met his wife Elsa and decided to stay in Merced. Hobbies include woodworking, traveling, spending time with his wife and riding his motorcycle.

Rosemary Haskett, CCC-slp

I am Rosemary Haskett and am a Speech and Language Pathologist who provides speech therapy services at RCPT.

For children, I’m able to improve a child’s ability to process information, formulate and produce vocabulary and sentences, sound production, social language skills and pragmatic skills. I’ve worked with children following cleft palate repair, cochlear implantation and congenital disabilities such as cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. I will start treatment with a child as young as 2 years old and provide the family with guidance necessary to improve their child’s communication abilities. Parents are always present during the session and are able to see their child’s communication skills improve through the course of therapy.

I have worked with many adult patients whose communication abilities have been affected by stroke, progressive neurological disorders such as Parkinsons and following a traumatic brain injury. My practice also addressess head and neck cancer, laryngectomy care, dysphagia, vocal disorders and reduce speech intelligibility following a medical episode.

Since beginning my practice, I have worked within acute medical care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers, home health settings and the school district. Due to the diversity of my background, I feel confident that I can address the communication, voice, hearing and swallowing needs that are referred for speech therapy. If you have questions about the practice and how I may be able to be of assistance, give me a call and I’ll be happy to discuss your case with you.

Patricia Scholl

Physical Therapy Assistant

Tricia Scholl graduated from College of the Sequoias’s Physical Therapist Assistant program in 2018. She received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2016 from William Jessup University in Rocklin CA. Tricia discovered her interest for Kinesiology while participating in athletics at an early age (Soccer, Volleyball, Softball, Swimming and Track and Field) and has found a new passion to pour her athletic and people skills into as a PTA. Tricia loves the challenges that working in a physical therapy clinic has to offer and the ability to use her skills, knowledge and just plain creativity to best serve her patients! Tricia has lived all over the state of California, spent time in Spain and Germany, visited nearly every state in the U.S. and continues to have a love for travel!

Tricia currently lives in wonderful Sonora with her handsome Hubby and their three fur babies; Tater-Tot the cat, and pups Reggie and Dale. The best place in the world in the words of Tricia would be any river with a swimming hole or a hike in the mountains with her pups. You can count on Tricia to always have a smile on her face and do everything in her ability to best serve you and get you back to your better self. 

Jennifer Hobbs, M.S., R.D.N.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Did you know that dietary factors are associated with 4 of the 10 leading causes of death? Following appropriate nutritional guidelines can help prevent obesity, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer, stroke, gastrointestinal problems, and type 2 diabetes. Nutrition is an integral part of health and its impact on wellness is indisputable. Meet one-on-one with our Registered Dietitian for individual counseling to discuss how nutrition can be a part of your healthy lifestyle!

To schedule an appointment with Jennifer call: (209) 571-0000

Armando Martinez

Wellness Program

Since losing over 100lbs as a teenager, Armando has dedicated his life to helping others better their lives through exercise and proper nutrition. “You only have to do 80% of what I say” is one of his coin phrases because he is a firm believer that responsible and efficient workouts are necessary, but rest and recovery are equally as important. Armando has been training in Merced for over 10 years and has been in charge of our GRAVITY program and its classes for 8. He is NASM and ACE certified, he has 3 GRAVITY certifications: group classes, reformat and post-rehab, he also holds a Level 1 and 2 Pilates certification from Balanced Body. With the competent and always patient staff at Pilates Plus you can rest assure that your health and fitness goals will be met!! For more information or to set up your free demo call 209-683-8674 or visit Pilates Plus at 410 West Main Street Merced ca 95340