Rehabilitation Services - Inpatient - McLaren Oakland Pontiac

Kayla is a full-time occupational therapist who works mostly in the outpatient therapy clinic and hospital inpatient rehabilitation unit in Pontiac. She has a bachelor's degree in recreational therapy from Grand Valley State University and a master's degree in occupational therapy from Saginaw Valley State University. She has worked at McLaren Oakland since 2014 specializing in outpatient and neurological rehabilitation. Kayla's favorite saying is “physical therapy will make sure you walk out of the hospital, but occupational therapy will make sure you walk out with clothes on.” Kayla is on the Board of Directors for Michigan Sports Unlimited, a non-profit organization promoting adaptive recreation for children and adults with physical disabilities. When not working, she can be found spending time with her husband and son playing outside, going on walks and bike rides.

Nicole Adam is an occupational therapist working primarily with acute care and inpatient rehab at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac. She has been practicing for two years and graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with her Master of Science in occupational therapy. Nicole has experience in home care and works in sub-acute rehab on the weekends. In her free time, Nicole enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family.

Heidi Kraft is an occupational therapist working primarily with acute care patients at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac. She is a Saginaw Valley State University graduate and has been working at the hospital for almost three years. Prior to working at McLaren, Heidi worked at a skilled nursing facility where she continues to help in the evenings and on weekends. Heidi enjoys working with acute care because of the opportunity to work with multiple disciplines and seeing patients with many different diagnoses, allowing her to grow as a therapist. Outside of the hospital, Heidi likes to stay active and spend time with her family and friends.

John Espina is the lead occupational therapist for the inpatient rehabilitation unit at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy with a minor in psychology from Wayne State University in 1995. John has 24 years of experience having worked in many settings including acute care, inpatient rehab, sub-acute and home care. He has worked as a nationwide and local travel therapist as well completing assignments in Texas, Illinois and Michigan. John enjoys anything music related, watching football and sci-fi movies.

Todd Daniel has a Master's degree in physical therapy from the University of Michigan. He has been practicing physical therapy for almost 20 years with a strong emphasis in orthopedics. For the last five years he has worked at the outpatient sports rehab at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac. Over the years, Todd has acquired advanced education in sports swing analysis - primarily in golf and tennis - and is also a teaching pro for college bound tennis players. He still plays competitive tennis through the USTA leagues at Deer lake Country club. Todd is also certified in GRASSTON instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization techniques to assist with alleviating orthopedic ailments. He has two children who follow his passion for sports. His son plays tennis and basketball and his daughter loves volleyball and track, recently setting a school long jump record of 18'4”.

Shalin Lashkari is a physical therapist working at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac for three years. Shalin has a Master of Science in orthopedic physical therapy from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Shalin is a lead physical therapist for the inpatient rehab unit and oncology unit. Prior to working at the hospital, Shalin worked at a busy orthopedic outpatient physical therapy clinic for 11 years, where he gained valuable experience working with various orthopedic injuries and surgeries. Shalin also has experience working at sub-acute rehab. He has attended several seminars for continuing education focusing on manual therapy. When not working, Shalin loves photography and playing table tennis.

Dr. Thamilarasi Subramaniam, PT, DPT, CDP is a physical therapist working at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac since 2016. She has practiced physical therapy for more than 30 years in a variety of settings such as home health care, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, PACE and acute care hospitals. Dr. Subramaniam completed her bachelor's degree in physical therapy in India and her doctorate degree at Utica College in New York. She is a certified dementia care and vestibular rehab practitioner, certified Wayne State University clinical instructor and educator. She has specialized in geriatric care for more than 17 years.

Stephanie is a state licensed and nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in communication disorders at Central Michigan University then went on to complete her Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology at James Madison University. After graduating from JMU in 2012, Stephanie began practicing in Michigan with a focus on the geriatric population. She has been employed at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac since 2014. Clinical interests and specialties include: Dysphagia, Head and Neck Cancer, SLP role in Palliative/Hospice care, supporting patients who have dysphagia in end of life care/decisions, neurogenic communication disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, tracheostomies, and geriatric care.