Physical Therapy

The pediatric physical therapy team at MUSC Children’s Health provides specialized care for children of all ages with a variety of diagnoses. The team is made up of inpatient and outpatient therapists. In the hospital, our inpatient team focuses on helping your child with recovery from injury, surgery, or illness, with a focus on returning to age-appropriate mobility or developmental milestones to facilitate reintegration into home and school.

In the outpatient setting, treatment is provided to assist your child and family in maximizing independence with age appropriate mobility and gross motor skills so your child can fully participate in their environment and with their peers. On both the inpatient and outpatient side, we work very closely with your child’s health care team in order to provide individualized family centered care to assist your child in achieving their highest potential.

Conditions we treat

• Cardiac Disorders
• Cerebral Palsy
• Developmental Delays
• Genetic Disorders
• Muscular Dystrophies
• Oncology Disorders
• Orthopedic Disorders or Injuries
• Premature Birth
• Spina Bifida
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Sport Injuries
• Stroke
• Torticollis
• Traumatic Brain Injury

Services Offered

• Adaptive Equipment Recommendations
• Gait Training
• Kinesio Taping Techniques
• Neurodevelopmental treatment
• Orthotic Fabrication
• Post-Concussion Syndrome
• Pre and Post Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Treatment
• Sensory Integration Therapy
• Serial Casting
• Wheelchair Seating Evaluation and Management

Our Programs:

• Aquatic therapy
• Brain tumor clinic
• Concussion clinic
• Down syndrome clinic
• Hemophilia clinic
• High-risk clinic
• Medically Complex Foster Care clinic
• Spasticity clinic
• Spina bifida clinic
• Wellness Works Clinic

Meet the Pediatric Physical Therapy Team

Pediatric Rehab Manager

Candace Fladger, M.Ed, MCD, CCC-SLP

Candace is the Pediatric Rehab Manager at the MUSC Children’s Therapy Outpatient Clinic and Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital. She has 20 years of pediatric experience as a speech-language pathologist including 10 years of experience in leadership. She previously worked in the public school system as a special education coordinator. Candace graduated from South Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology in 2003, the University of South Carolina with a Master of Communication Sciences & Disorders degree in 2008, and The Citadel Military College with a Master of Educational Leadership in 2018. Candace enjoys building connections with families and care team members in order to provide the best inpatient and outpatient care for children.

Outpatient Team

Lori Bartleson, PT, DPT, PCS

Lori is the lead therapist at the MUSC Children’s Therapy Outpatient Clinic. She has 26 years of pediatric experience in outpatient and school-based settings. She graduated with a Physical Therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1995. She received her transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy from A.T. Still University in 2012. She is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (PCS) and is actively involved in the American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Pediatrics as the chair of the Adolescents and Adults with Diverse Abilities Special Interest Group. Lori is also the coordinator for the MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency.

Stacey Gray, PT, DPT, PCS, CBIS

Stacey is a physical therapist at the Medical University of South Carolina. Stacey completed her undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN and she attended Shenandoah University for physical therapy school, graduating in 2009. She attained her Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (PCS) in 2016 and attained her CBIS (Certified Brain Injury Specialist) in 2023. Stacey has worked as a pediatric physical therapist throughout her career, initially at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU in Fredericksburg, VA prior to moving to Charleston, SC. Stacey has worked at the outpatient pediatric therapy clinic for MUSC since 2015 and enjoys the variety of patients and diagnoses she treats on a daily basis, which includes an interest in concussion treatment. Stacey is the physical therapist for the multidisciplinary Pediatric Concussion and Spina Bifida clinics at MUSC. She is the outpatient advisor for the Pediatric PT Residency Program with MUSC.

Kaitie Burke, PT, DPT, PCS

Kaitie is a pediatric physical therapist at MUSC. She graduated from MUSC with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2016. She has worked primarily in the outpatient setting however has experience with early intervention, inpatient care, and interdisciplinary clinics. She joined the MUSC team in 2018 and attained her Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (PCS) in 2021. Kaitie enjoys working with children and families with a variety of diagnoses including cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, neuromuscular diseases, genetic diagnosis, and patients undergoing treatment of pediatric cancers. Kaitie provides serial casting services to children with orthopedic and neuromuscular diagnoses as well as serves as the physical therapist for the Aquatics program, Multidisciplinary Brain Tumor clinic, Wellness Works Clinic, and Medically Complex Foster Care Clinic. In addition to clinic, Kaitie enjoys working with the physical therapy school and with physical therapy students serving as a teaching assistance for pediatrics laboratories and serving as a clinical instructor. She also enjoys outreach and community services and serves on the Ugandan Wheelchair Project team.

Sydney Benson, PT, DPT

Sydney is a pediatric physical therapist and graduate from the Medical University of South Carolina (2022). Prior to receiving her clinical doctorate, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Clemson University. Sydney works on the outpatient team, treating infants and children of all ages with a variety of orthopedic, neurological, and genetic conditions. She provides serial casting for children with orthopedic and neurologic disorders. She enjoys working with children and families to improve each child’s physical abilities to participate in life more fully.

Natalie Fountain, PT, DPT

Natalie is an outpatient physical therapist at the Medical University of South Carolina who received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Ohio State University in 2022. After graduating, she completed an Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. During her residency she had the opportunity to present at local and state PT conferences, as well as present guest lectures at Otterbein University on topics such as physical therapy for pediatric orthopedic diagnoses, physical therapy for the adolescent dancer, psychological considerations for adolescent athletes, and adolescent pelvic health physical therapy. Natalie is passionate about helping children of all ages optimize movement and function, so that they can participate with their peers and do the things they love.

Inpatient Team

Jenna Saunders, PT, DPT

Jenna graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology and Psychology from William and Mary in 2006 and went on to obtain her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2009. She started as the Inpatient Pediatric Team Leader for MUSC in 2020. She has worked in a multitude of pediatric settings including outpatient, inpatient, transitional care, early intervention and interdisciplinary clinics. She is certified child passenger safety technician and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Jenna enjoys working with patients of all ages and diagnoses. She enjoys teaching and being a clinical instructor for physical therapy students.

Jaime Snape, PT, DPT, CNT

Jaime has been working as a pediatric PT at MUSC Health since she graduated from Simmons College in Boston in 2005. She primarily works in the hospital caring for the inpatient population after having also worked for many years in the outpatient clinic and specialty clinics. Her primary focus in the hospital is working in the neonatal intensive care unit and step down nursery. She became a Certified Neonatal Therapist in 2021, the first at MUSC. Jaime is the physical therapist for the outpatient Down Syndrome Clinic at MUSC, which evaluates and manages babies and children with Down Syndrome with a multidisciplinary approach.

Jenna Domann, PT, DPT

Jenna has been a pediatric physical therapist at MUSC Children's Health since she graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2016. She works on our inpatient team with children of all ages that are admitted to the hospital, with a primary focus in critical care and therapy for children in the intensive care units. Jenna also serves as the founder and director of the Sleep Play Heal program at MUSC and teaches a portion of the curriculum for the MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency.

Caitlin Keller, PT, DPT, PCS

Caitlin graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2018 and started working at MUSC at this time. Previously she had been a high school math teacher in the state of South Carolina. Caitlin works inpatient at the Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital treating infants and children of all ages who are admitted to the hospital. She has a primary patient focus in hematology/oncology, bone marrow transplants, and participates in hemophilia clinic. She became both a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (PCS) and Credentialed Clinical Instructor in 2021.

Julia Masciale, PT, DPT

Julie is a graduate of the University of St. Augustine’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina in Exercise Science with a focus in Motor Development. Julie has a passion for working with the pediatric population and has experience in both the outpatient and acute care settings. Julie currently works inpatient at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital treating infants and children of all ages who are admitted to the hospital.

Pediatric Resident

Meghan Andrews, PT, DPT

Meghan is the current pediatric physical therapy resident and a recent graduate from the Medical University of South Carolina (2023). Prior to receiving her clinical doctorate, she obtained my Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a minor in psychology from Clemson University. Meghan has always had a passion for working with the pediatric population and knew she wanted to further enhance my knowledge and skills by going through a residency program. She enjoys working in all pediatric settings and treating infants and children of all ages with a variety of orthopedic, neurological, and genetic conditions. She is always seeking to learn new treatment strategies, equipment options, and varying activities to help improve each child's physical abilities and achieve the child and family's goals.