Alison Starkey
PT MBA MHA CAPS CDP CFPS
Alison Starkey founded Gaitway of Charlotte in 2012. Originally from the
United Kingdom, Alison completed her training at King's College London and
then shortly after graduating, took a job in Ottawa, Canada at a regional
trauma hospital. Alison made her way to the Carolinas by way of Boston Ma,
where she worked at the prestigious Massachusetts General Hospital.
Alison worked at Carolinas Healthcare System/ Atrium for over 20 years in
several positions but mostly at Carolinas Medical Center Main. Alison has also
worked in Acute rehab, skilled nursing facilities, Assisted Living Facilities and
Home Health over the course of her career.
Alison gained her MBA/MHA from Pfeiffer University. She also holds a CAPS
"Certified Aging in Place Specialist", a CDP "Certified Dementia Practitioner",
and a CFPS ";Certified Fall Prevention Specialist"; certifications.
Since launching Gaitway of Charlotte, Alison has enjoyed the challenge of
doing the very best for each client that we serve. As Federal and private
insurance programs continue to cut the services offered to the public, we
continue to expand our impact with diversification of our service line,
expanding the regions we serve and providing the very best customer
experience possible.
Alison continues to be active in the community. She is a long-time member of
the Centralina Falls Coalition, is an active Volunteer and Community Educator
for the Alzheimer's Association.
Alison enjoys a wide variety of patient care but has special expertise in the
treatment of medically complex and neurological injuries such as stroke, TBI,
and others. Balancing medical challenges with a successful treatment plan is
what she does best!
Alison is also the company expert on the treatment of Long Covid. A very
complex and frustrating disease to experience. Alison and her clients have
enjoyed excellent outcomes with skilled Physical Therapy!
Alison enjoys doing “Aging in Place” evaluations while giving clients sound
solutions for now and into the future. Keeping folks safe at home is always the
goal at Gaitway!
Kelly Schrader
PT
Kelly Schrader has been with Gaitway of Charlotte for 6+ years. Kelly has over 36 years of experience in the field of Physical Therapy. Kelly has experience in home health, long-term care facilities and outpatient rehab. Kelly has a passion for treating patients with neurological disorders, balance dysfunction, vestibular disorders including experience with BPPV treatment. Kelly is passionate about getting patients to their goal and returning to their previous level of mobility.
Kelly is a 1989 graduate of Alvernia University as a PT Assistant followed by graduation from SUNY Buffalo in 1996 as a PT. She lives in Charlotte with her husband, son, daughter and dog, Milo. She enjoys traveling around the world (especially the Christmas markets) and getting away for a weekend of fun in the mountains. In her free time, she enjoys health coaching to bring others to their nutritional goals.
Cynthia Kirkwood
OTR/L
Cindy joined the Gaitway team in early 2021 and has over 22 years of experience as an occupational therapist. She received her bachelor's degree of Kinesiology in 2000 from Penn State University. She worked as an Athletic Trainer before going back to school and graduating in 2004 with a master's in Occupational Therapy at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her first job included 11 years in skilled nursing, gaining extensive experience in treatments for neurological disorders, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and COPD. She then worked in home health / outpatient services for almost 6 years treating patients and educating caregivers in the home and assisted living facilities. She enjoys working with older adults and patients with dementia. She is proficient in the Allen Cognitive Level Screen Assessment. The assessment allows her to assist patients, families, and caregivers identify functional abilities and strengths when safety deficits interfere with self-care independence and quality of life. In her personal time, she enjoys quality time with her family, traveling, exercising, and spending time outdoors.
Jodi Schilian
SLP
Jodi’s compassion and clinical expertise in speech and swallowing disorders have made her an invaluable asset across the full continuum of adult care. She has worked extensively in acute care hospitals, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, long-term care facilities, and home health settings, giving her a comprehensive, real-world understanding of complex medical and functional needs.
Jodi earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University in 2010 and has since built a strong clinical focus in adult neurogenic communication disorders. She specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) solutions, including advanced communication devices that support individuals with limited verbal ability—similar to the technology famously used by physicist Stephen Hawking.
Her expertise is especially beneficial for individuals with neurological and degenerative conditions such as expressive aphasia, dysphagia, traumatic brain injury, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease. Jodi also supports individuals who have lost the ability to communicate following medical or surgical interventions, including cancer resections. In addition, she provides diet reassessments and updates for individuals no longer receiving active speech therapy, with a strong emphasis on balancing safety, independence, and quality of life, ensuring dietary recommendations remain both appropriate and meaningful.
Outside of work, Jodi enjoys traveling, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends. She is a proud parent of two daughters and balances clinical excellence with a strong commitment to family life.
Dr. Ana Yesmin Karim
PT, DPT, PYT
Dr. Ana Yesmin Karim, PT, DPT, PYT is the founder of QueenCity Pelvic PT, a pelvic floor physical therapy practice in Charlotte, NCdedicated to compassionate, evidence-based, and affirming care. With 30 yearsof clinical experience, Ana specializes in pelvic pain, sexual health,postpartum recovery, bladder and bowel dysfunction, menopause, and pelvicpost-surgical rehabilitation.
A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem StateUniversity’s DPT program, Ana brings a rare combination of clinical expertise,pastoral training, and yoga therapy to her work. Her background in ministry andethics allows her to create a therapeutic space grounded in trust, dignity, andwhole-person healing. As a Professional Yoga Therapist, she integratesbreathwork, mindfulness, and nervous-system regulation into personalizedtreatment plans.
Ana is committed to trauma-informed, inclusive pelvic healthcare for all people. Each session focuses on empowerment, education, andrestoring confidence in movement, intimacy, and daily life.
As co-founder of the Greater Charlotte Pelvic Collaborationand the Charlotte Pelvic Health Initiative, Ana is a leader in communityeducation and expanding access to pelvic floor therapy. She presents locallyand nationally on pelvic health, sexual function, and gender-affirming care.
Brook Machin
O TR/L
Brook graduated from Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA in 2013 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy. She moved to Charlotte with her husband, where she worked in acute care for 7 years. Working in acute care gained her extensive knowledge and experience in surgical and orthopedic trauma, neurological accidents and disorders, oncology, and general medical surgeries. After taking time off to focus on her family, she began working for Gaitway where she has been for the past 2.5 years. She loves the close-knit community she shares with her colleagues, ability to practice freely within her scope of practice while seeing multiple diagnoses and building relationships with her clients.
In her spare time, she teaches prenatal yoga, is active in her church and loves being outside with her 2 young boys and husband.
Jennifer Battaglia PT
Jennifer is a New York native who graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 1991. She then continued her education at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, where she earned her combined Bachelor of Science and Masters of Physical Therapy in 1995.
Prior to moving to North Carolina, Jennifer provided inpatient Physical Therapy at the prominent New York Presbyterian Hospital in NYC for patients with various, neurological, medical and surgical diagnoses, with a special interest in the medically complex patient. She also served as the supervisor of the Acute Care department.
Prior to joining our team, Jennifer has enjoyed working with both the pediatric and adult populations in the home care setting. She particularly enjoys assisting her patients in maximizing their independence in the home and the community.
Jennifer lives with her husband and 2 teenage children. When she’s not at work, she enjoys working out, Broadway musicals, going to the beach with her family, and traveling back to her beloved NYC. She is also a dedicated figure skating mom and mom to 3 cats.
Annie Abbott
CCC-SLP
Annie Abbott is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience. Raised in upstate New York, she earned her bachelor's degree from SUNY Cortland and her master's degree in speech-language pathology from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
Abbott is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Her experience spans both adult and pediatric populations, encompassing various settings such as skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, hospitals, and home health.
Her areas of specialty include voice treatment, particularly LSVT for Parkinson's disease patients. She is also skilled in dysphagia assessment and treatment, including FEES. Additionally, Abbott has experience working with individuals with cognitive deficits or impairments, developing strategies to maintain independence.
Since moving to North Carolina in 2013, Abbott has enjoyed the state's lifestyle, pursuing hobbies like gardening, walking, hiking, cooking, and spending time with loved ones.
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Justin Hea
PT, KTC
Justin joined the Gaitway team at the beginning of 2025 after Practicing physical therapy in a variety of different settings. He is a graduated with a BS of Biomedical Sciences from Auburn University, followed by returning to his original home in Ft. Lauderdale to receive his MS in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University.
After graduating from physical therapy school, he worked as a pediatric physical therapist for 5 years, before taking a job in a skilled nursing home. This is where he developed his true passion working with the older population. He has worked in settings including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and continuing care communities performing both inpatient and outpatient physical therapy for 8 years. Prior to joining the Gaitway team he spent the last 10 years in home health physical therapy.
While working in the continuing care community he created and ran a Parkinson’s Support group in the community. He has also taught continuing education to other therapists on the use of modalities including electrical stimulation, diathermy, ultrasound for pain management and functional mobility of muscles. Lastly, he became trainer for the OTAGO Balance Program and assisted in education of staff at 18 facilities in South Carolina.
When not at work he enjoys spending time with his high school sweetheart and 2 children. Most evenings or weekends you can find him at a sporting event for his son. Or heading with the family to visit his daughter in college.
Dr. Alka Patel Amorose
DPT, PT
Dr. Alka Patel Amorose is a licensed PhysicalTherapist with over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in geriatricrehabilitation. Originally from Ontario, Canada, she completed her education atD’Youville College in Buffalo, New York, where she earned her Doctor ofPhysical Therapy and completed earlier degrees in physical therapy and healthsciences.
Alka spent more than eight years traveling acrossthe country, working in a wide range of settings including acute carehospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent livingcommunities, outpatient clinics, and home health. This diverse backgroundallows her to provide highly adaptable, patient-centered care for individualswith complex medical and functional needs.
She enjoys working with medically complexpatients, including those with age-related conditions, post-surgical recoveryneeds, mobility limitations, and dementia. Alka is known for her strongemphasis on safety awareness, caregiver education, and evidence-basedinterventions.
At Gaitway, Alka provides individualized,functional therapy designed to translate directly into real-life movement andconfidence at home. She works closely with patients and families to developpractical strategies that support rehabilitation goals, meeting individualswhere they are and progressing care at a pace that feels both safe andempowering. Each plan of care is guided by comprehensive assessment andclinical reasoning, with a focus on improving strength, mobility, balance, gaitmechanics, and functional performance to reduce pain, minimize fall risk,improve movement efficiency, and support safe participation in dailyactivities.
Alka is licensed to practice in both NorthCarolina and South Carolina. She has been married for ten years and is theproud mother of an eight-year-old daughter. Outside of work, she enjoysspending time with her family and maintains an active lifestyle that reflectsthe principles of independence, balance, and mobility she brings into herclinical practice.
