About

Diane Robertson PT, MHSc, MTC

Diane Robertson earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1984 at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She got a variety of experience in her first year working at a general hospital. After marrying in 1985, she moved to Virginia and practiced in an outpatient practice with five orthopedic surgeons. She relocated to Maryland and continued to work as an outpatient therapist.

Diane has a love of research and the pursuit of knowledge. She began to take graduate courses and earned her manual therapy certification in 2005 and completed her Masters in Health Science degree in 2007 from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Since that time, she has continued to study and has taken advanced courses in orthopaedics and craniofacial dysfunctions. She recently became certified in Strength Training for seniors.

Diane opened Elite Physical Therapy with her partner, Christine McCauley, in 2001. Diane treats all orthopaedic conditions, but also has a specialty treating craniofacial patients. Practicing at Elite allows Diane to spend time with each one of her patients and to use her manual therapy skills.

Spending time with her husband and three children is what Diane enjoys the most. She loves to travel and to get a sense of the local flavor of different places. She enjoys playing recreational soccer and participating in outdoor activities like gardening, hiking and skiing. She also loves to cook and read good books. Diane is also a co-owner of Turning Pointe Dance Academy.

Christine M. McCauley, MPT, BA

Christy was raised in Howard County, Maryland where she was very active in basketball, swimming, jump rope and softball. She became interested in physical therapy in high school after she suffered an ankle injury. It was her own rehabilitation process that ignited her desire to be a physical therapist. In her senior year of high school, she was involved in the Howard County Gifted and Talented Mentor program studying physical therapy. She completed research on high school athletic injuries and the data she collected was instrumental in getting Certified Athletic Trainers in Howard County. Christy went to Western Maryland College, where she got her Bachelor of Arts degree. At Western Maryland College, she played basketball and worked as a student athletic trainer for three years. She enjoyed working in the training room so much that she knew she wanted to be a physical therapist.

Christy received her Masters of Physical Therapy degree in 1998 from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. In 1999, she was selected to present her graduate school research at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Section Meeting in Seattle. After graduation, she has worked exclusively in out-patient orthopedics. In 2001, she and Diane Robertson opened Elite Physical Therapy in Elkridge, Maryland.

Christy enjoys private practice and working with such a skilled group of physical therapists. Being a part of a great team allows her to improve her manual therapy skills and learn from her colleagues on a daily basis. She likes collaborating with other disciplines, especially with our Acupuncturist and Occupational Therapist. She treasures the amount of times she gets to spend with each patient and is dedicated to helping her patients reach their personal goals. Christy treats a variety of orthopedic and neurological conditions and is a Kinesiotape Practitioner.

In her spare time, Christy enjoys coaching basketball and soccer, being outdoors, traveling, photography and spending time with her husband and three daughters.

Deb Taylor, BS, PT

Deb grew up in Massachusetts and attended the University of Vermont where she played Varsity Basketball. She earned her Bachelor degree in Physical Therapy in 1988. Deb has worked exclusively in out-patient orthopedics. Her areas of interest include orthopedics, sports injuries, fitness training, running and endurance injuries.

Deb enjoys meeting new people, helping people recover and get back to the activities they enjoy. She is extremely knowledgeable in fitness and teaches her clients about fitness training and working to improve their entire fitness level.

Deb joined Elite Physical Therapy in 2005. She enjoys having the time to work with each client one-on-one for an hour. She provides a thorough evaluation for each client. She follows her evaluation with treatments that encompass her extensive manual techniques and comprehensive knowledge of exercises.

Deb works exclusively in the Elkridge office and she has developed a great relationship with the gym staff and the Elkridge community. She enjoys the gym setting and the access to the fitness equipment. She feels that clients return to Elite Physical Therapy because of the individualized attention that they receive.

When she is not working, you will find Deb training as a competitive endurance athlete. She enjoys participating in triathlons, marathons, and other running events. She completed her first Ironman in September 2012 and was an age group winner! She is currently training for 2nd IM for July 2013. She races, competes and fundraises for Team Fight, which is a cancer advocacy group for young adults with cancer. Deb has coached basketball for twenty-five years, including sixteen years as a Varsity High School Coach. She is the director of Coach Deb's Basketball Camp in Howard County and enjoys giving private basketball lessons.

Antara Desai, PT, OCS, CKTP, CMTPT

Antara's calling to physical therapy became clear while surviving cancer in her teenage years, when physical therapy made an immense difference in the quality of her life. After going through a heart and double lung transplant in her mid-twenties and months of therapy that followed, it made her impassioned for patient care and the importance of giving back to the health and wellness of others.

Antara has been practicing physical therapy for more than 15 years. She started her career at a hospital inpatient acute care and rehabilitation center in 2004, followed by an out-patient physical therapy setting since 2006. Antara received her Orthopedic Certified Specialization (OCS) in 2015. She treats all types of orthopedic patients and musculoskeletal conditions, including acute and chronic pain, post surgical patients, and sports related injuries. Her certifications include: Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist (CMTPT), Orthopedic Certified Specialization (OCS), Graston Technique (GT), Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP), Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), Functional Movement System ( FMS) and Y Balance. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, Antara treats patients as a whole through an integrative approach to assess and treat the root cause of the problem.

Antara is committed towards providing high quality personalized care and positive outcomes with special interest in injury prevention. She enjoys learning new and innovative techniques and has expertise in various manual treatments and assessments, including visceral manipulation, craniosacral therapy, neural manipulation, dry needling, Graston Technique, myofascial release, and joint mobilization/manipulation.
Among her other interests, Antara dedicates her time to causes such as the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland (LLF) and the Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) in raising awareness for organ donation, and is a mentor to organ transplant recipients and families at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Transplant Program.

Sarah Sivitz, MPT

Sarah was born and raised in Oklahoma, where she developed a love of health and physical fitness by playing a variety of sports. She became interested in physical therapy during her undergraduate studies in biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She went on to pursue a Master's in Physical Therapy degree there in 2001.

Sarah gained 9 years of experience in outpatient orthopedics in the San Francisco bay area prior to moving to Maryland. She joined the Elite Physical Therapy team in 2012. Sarah has a comprehensive approach to her treatments, heavily emphasizing manual therapy, patient education, and individualized exercise prescription. She has continued to develop her skills through a variety of continuing education coursework including functional mobilization and Australian manual therapy. Sarah strives to create meaningful relationships with her patients to help them achieve their goals and also realize their potential. When she isn't working, you will find her running in the park, playing with her two children, or gardening in her backyard.

Stephanie McKay DPT

Stephanie was born and raised in Prince Georges County, Maryland. She always loved science and became interested in Physical Therapy during her undergraduate years at Frostburg State University. Stephanie joined the swim team at Frostburg and it was there that she learned to love exercise (even running up those hills!). She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise and Sport Science before continuing her education at the University of Maryland Baltimore where she graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2011.

While in PT school, Stephanie completed an internship in Women's Health/Pelvic Floor physical therapy which not only taught her valuable clinical experience, but sparked her interest and passion for this much needed and often underrepresented area of physical therapy. She has taken several continuing education courses to further develop her skills as a pelvic floor physical therapist and presently has ten years of experience treating conditions such as pelvic pain, incontinence, and in pre/post-natal care in addition to orthopedics. Stephanie strives to make her patients feel comfortable and confident in their treatment plan, and to become active participants in their healing process so they can return to the activities they love.

When she is not working, Stephanie enjoys working out, walking her dog and spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children.

Kate Hernandez, DPT

Dr. Kate Hernandez graduated with her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and then went on to Andrews University for her Masters of Physical Therapy, followed by Temple University where she obtained her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She graduated from PT school in 1999 and has been working in the outpatient orthopedic setting ever since.

As an active triathlete and runner herself, Kate specializes in movement analysis and biomechanical assessment for custom orthotics fabrication. Dr. Hernandez has implemented a successful orthotic program at Elite Physical Therapy, using orthotics as an adjunct to physical therapy treatment in order to both prevent and treat painful acute and chronic orthopedic conditions. Kate has seen the positive effects and benefits from incorporating custom orthotics into patients' treatments and she looks forward to continuing to share this expertise with patients at Elite Physical Therapy.

In her spare time, Kate tries to keep up with her boys' soccer and basketball schedules and her and her husband both enjoy an active lifestyle of swimming, biking, and running.