Dr. Addison Nichols is a physical therapist here at Empower Physical Therapy. Addison “Addi” is originally from Ulysses, Kansas and graduated high school there in 2011. He attended Butler Community College and Wichita State and obtained his bachelors degree in exercise science in 2016. Addi received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Wichita State University in the spring of 2019. He enjoys watching movies, playing 10 point pitch with his wife and two sons, and paddle boarding at Cheney Lake during the summer. His favorite movies are of the Star Wars series. “I chose physical therapy because I love to work with people but most importantly I get to help people through what can be the worst time in their life. As a PT, I get to give people the power and knowledge to take back their life which can be very rewarding.”

Brad joined Empower Physical Therapy in October 2018. Brad was born and raised in Medicine Lodge, KS. After graduating with his MPT, Brad returned to Medicine Lodge and practiced there for 12 years in an all-encompassing setting with emphasis on outpatient treatment. Brad is both ASTYM and Micropoint Stimulation certified. When Brad is not in the clinic, you will likely find him hanging out with his wife and two children, on the golf course, at the movies or at home watching sports.

Connor grew up in Pratt, KS. She received a bachelors degree in Biology at Friends University where she also completed in track and field. Connor attended Wichita State University for her Doctor of Physical Therapy studies and graduated in 2020. Connor is comfortable seeing a wide range of diagnoses in an outpatient setting and certified in Functional Dry Needling – Level 1. Connor started at Empower Physical Therapy in April 2021. She lives in Hutchinson, KS with her husband, Derek and son, Myles, also her new baby girl, Tyler. She loves spending time with family and any activities that get her outside!

My hometown is in Wichita, KS. I attended Wichita State University before being accepted in the PTA program at Laramie County Community College, located in the beautiful state of Wyoming! I chose to become a PTA to help people be able to take back their life and find non surgical approaches to treat less acute / chronic pain and to improve their functionality! Being an outpatient therapist I can see a broad scope of conditions but my area of interests include geriatrics (working with the older adult), neurological conditions (neuropathy, nerve pain), and hand / wrist therapy. I am married to my beautiful wife of almost 15 years named Merrie and live in Andover, KS. I also am specialized in Canine Physical Therapy and work at a rehab animal hospital in Andover, KS. I love the great outdoors and am constantly looking for new places to hike and explore! Fun fact: I went to art school for 3 years and studied media arts and animation.

Jake was born and raised in Derby, KS. He knew early that he wanted to pursue a career in the health care field and found a true passion for physical therapy following several observation opportunities. After graduating from McPherson College with his Bachelor of Science in Biology he continued his education at Wichita State University where he had multiple clinical rotations, one of which being at Empower Physical Therapy in Newton. He fell in love, not only with the town of Newton itself, but with the unique atmosphere at Empower Physical Therapy. He received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in May of 2016 and accepted a physical therapy position with Empower Physical Therapy following his graduation. Throughout Jake’s clinical rotations he was able to see a variety of settings and obtain knowledge in several treatment approaches. During these rotations he had the opportunity to treat patients with wide ranges of diagnosis and conditions including: orthopedic, sports rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, vertigo, Parkinson’s, neuropathy and many other diagnosis. In 2017 Jake married his best friend Ashley and in December of 2019 Jake became a proud new daddy to a sweet baby girl named Hadley. Jake enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Dr. Kaycee Adair was born and raised in the Wichita, KS area. She knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in health care and more specifically within the field of physical therapy following several sports injuries in high school. She got her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training at Wichita State University, from there she worked professionally as a certified / licensed athletic trainer in Kansas City before returning home and starting physical therapy school. She graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Wichita State University in 2021 and has been with Empower ever since. Kaycee enjoys working with patients of all ages and backgrounds, but her true passion lies inspirits rehabilitation and performance. She plans on continuing her education in this area so that she may provide the best, well-rounded care to athletes of all ages. In her free time, Kaycee enjoys working out, well-deserved naps, and spending time outdoors with her husband Jeremiah and fur baby Bobbi Jango.

Meet Dr. Melanie “Mel” Hooper, DPT! Dr. Melanie “Mel” Hooper was born and raised in Vancouver, BC Canada and moved down to the US in 2011 on a softball scholarship to Western Nebraska CC. She then moved to Wichita, KS in 2013 to play softball at Friends University. Mel then attended Wichita State University for her Doctor of Physical Therapy, graduating in 2019. She has worked in the outpatient setting since graduating, and has gained a passion for treating pediatrics, athletes and sports related injuries. She is certified in Regenerative Dry Needling – Level 1, Sports Manual Therapy, Running Rehab Specialist, Professional Youth Coaching Certification and is a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. Outside of the clinic, Mel likes to live an active and healthy life. Her and her husband spend time doing CrossFit, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding and everything else that can get them outdoors. She is also a coach at Compelled Fitness in Wichita, coaching the CrossFit Kids and the regular CrossFit classes when possible.

Morgan was born and raised in Topeka, KS. She graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from The University of Kansas in 2013. She worked in outpatient therapy for two years in the Kansas City area until moving to Newton with her husband. She has been an employee with Empower Physical Therapy since August of 2015. Her specialities include orthopedic injuries, sport and running injuries, manual therapy and vestibular dysfunction. She is also certified in ASTYM. “When treating patients I utilize a full body approach, combining manual therapy techniques with patient specific exercises. I don’t want to just decrease pain. I want to get to the root of the problem, fix that and then teach the patient how to move better and move well. As a PT, I truly feel we are the movement specialists in health care. We can provide a personalized treatment so you can feel better, get stronger and meet your goals.” Morgan lives in Newton with her husband and two daughters. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, baking, exercising and being active outdoors. She is an avid sports fan and runner. Go Chiefs!

Peggy is a physical therapist assistant and earned her degree from Hutchinson Community College. She lives in Sedgwick, her hometown, with Rick, her husband of 40+ years. They are the proud parents of five grown children and have twelve grandchildren with two more on the way in 2021. Peggy has a background in geriatric care with a goal to improve quality of life and to help maintain patients’ independence as long as possible, focusing on balance, strengthening and mobility. Peggy specializes in aquatic treatments for those who might find land therapy hard to tolerate. Among other things she is certified through the LSVT Big program for Parkinson’s and the Microcurrent Point Stimulation used to address a variety of issues including migraines, neuropathy and pain. When not at work Peggy enjoys family get togethers, painting, crafts, camping, lake time and watching the Kansas City Chiefs!

Dr. Schuyler Brown graduated from The University of Saint Mary in 2021. In his free time, he enjoys doing yard work and home improvements, listening to music, riding his motorcycle, and watching movies. He also loves to talk about his very intelligent and ever-growing Labrador puppy, Ziggy! Schuyler is originally from St. John, Kansas and grew up working on the family farm before deciding he wanted to spend his life doing something to more directly help as many people as possible, so physical therapy was the obvious choice! Schuyler thoroughly enjoys getting to spend one-on-one time with each of his patients, learning about their lives, and helping them get back to doing what’s important to them without having to worry about pain.

Stefanie has been a physical therapist assistant with Empower Physical Therapy since she graduated from Hutchinson Community College in 2012. She carries out treatment plans under our physical therapists direction and has experience in many diverse diagnosis’. Stef offers our Women’s Health treatments varying from pre and postpartum to stress incontinence, frequency and urgency as well as pelvic pain. Stefanie also has heightened training and interest in working with athletes of all ages. Stef likes to focus on efficient movement patterns, from running to lifting, that not only helps her patient get over injury but prevent further injury or breakdown. She is certified in ASTYM, SFMA, Rocktape, CrossFit LV1, and has extensive training in pelvic floor health as well as the return to life and fitness postpartum. In Stef’s life outside of the clinic she is always on the go. Stef likes to stay active/ healthy and enjoys riding mountain bikes, boating, camping, hiking, riding 4 wheelers, and traveling. Pretty much exploring anything out doors with her husband Ryan and their 6 kids.

Evin Cook works as the Patient Care Coordinator and Benefits Representative at our Hesston location. She grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma where she attended Oklahoma State University in 2018. Her husband Jack got a job at AgCo and they moved to Hesston in January 2022. Evin and Jack love going on walks with their corgi dog, Moose! In her free time Evin loves to cook, spend time with friends and family and being outside playing fetch with her dog.Evin loves working at Empower because she gets to help people and gets to see how Physical Therapy transforms peoples lives.

Hello, my name is Olivia Bishop. I am the Patient Benefits Representative at our Newton Empower Physical Therapy Clinic. I grew up in Maize, Kansas, where I was a state culinary winner. During that time I ended up falling in love with culinary but had to change careers due to an injury. Because of that injury I had to go to physical therapy and I really saw how much it can impact people’s lives. My goal at Empower is to build knowledge, help others, and make friendships. Outside of work you can more than likely find me at the lake enjoying time with friends and family, shopping at any cute boutiques, or in the kitchen cooking my favorite meals. I can’t wait to see the changes Empower can make in your life!

Hi! My name is Saige Pankratz. I am excited to be your go-to gal at our new Andover facility. I was born and raised in Wichita, KS and attended Emporia State University! I am a proud older sister to 3, so naturally I love taking care of others and staying on my feet. In my free time I enjoy going to the gym, trying new restaurants and traveling with my boyfriend. I aspire to make a difference and help people want to be better for themselves! I look forward to taking on new challenges and meeting new achievers!

I grew up in Semi-Valley California, Blackwell,Oklahoma and finally Marshall, Missouri. I graduated in 1984. I took online classes for coding and billing and HR Management. I have been married to my husband Greg for 36 years now and we have 4 grown children Ashlee, Josh, Kali and Jordan. We also have 5 grandchildren Elley, Easton, Braxton, Heidi, Kaceton and we are expecting our 6th granddaughter, Sutton Ann Lee on August 12th. Plus our beloved pugs and german shepherd, Sadie, Katie and Buster. We love to spend time with family during our free time and camping in our 5th wheel where ever the open road may take us. We love the outdoors.

Jerry has owned Empower Physical Therapy of Newton since February of 2005. He is a graduate of University of Kansas in the Physical Therapy program. He has over 40 years of experience in physical therapy. His background covers many areas of physical therapy. His greatest love is outpatient physical therapy using soft tissue release that relieves pain and helps with limited mobility. He also specializes in TMJ and fabrication of orthotics. Jerry enjoys motorcycle rides, helping Dixie with her horse and tending to their farm. Jerry lives in the Hesston area with his wife Dixie. They have four grown children and four grandkids.

Melissa started as a receptionist for Empower Physical Therapy in May of 2015. She is currently the Patient Representative and Vice President of Public Relations (marketing). Melissa graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelors degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Melissa and James, her husband, have a 11 year old son named Luke. Luke loves playing soccer, football, basketball, playing volleyball with mom, video games and being active outdoors. Melissa loves the outdoors especially in the Summer time. She loves playing yard games, volleyball and anything beach. Melissa looks forward to coming to work everyday and really enjoys the “family” work atmosphere here at Empower Physical Therapy. She also finds it rewarding seeing patients improve each day.

Jacie is the Vice President of Administration at Empower Physical Therapy. Jacie joined us in November 2014 as the Patient Care Coordinator and has now been the VPA since 2016. As VPA, she ensures that everything is running smoothly for the clinic. From front desk management at all locations, training, hiring, billing, collections, and anything else she can help with! Jacie grew up in Billings, Montana, and Blackwell, Oklahoma. She graduated from Blackwell High School in 2009 and has attended college at Northern Oklahoma College and Butler. Jacie is happily married to her husband, Eric, of nine years. They have three sons, Preston, Lincoln, and Cohlston, and one daughter, Emersyn. In her free time, she loves camping, yard games, spending time with her kids, being at the lake, traveling, movies, and bargain shopping. Jacie loves working at Empower Physical Therapy because of the fun, family atmosphere, her awesome coworkers, and of course meeting all the amazing patients that make our clinic what it is today!

Dr. Addison Nichols is a physical therapist here at Empower Physical Therapy. Addison “Addi” is originally from Ulysses, Kansas and graduated high school there in 2011. He attended Butler Community College and Wichita State and obtained his bachelors degree in exercise science in 2016. Addi received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Wichita State University in the spring of 2019. He enjoys watching movies, playing 10 point pitch with his wife and two sons, and paddle boarding at Cheney Lake during the summer. His favorite movies are of the Star Wars series. “I chose physical therapy because I love to work with people but most importantly I get to help people through what can be the worst time in their life. As a PT, I get to give people the power and knowledge to take back their life which can be very rewarding.”