The physical therapists at Access Community Therapists are registered with the College of Physical Therapists of BC. Physical therapy is a health care profession that involves working with people on improving their ability to move and function. They work with people across the lifespan to rehabilitate physical injuries with therapeutic exercise programs and other interventions to enhance performance and independence.
Physical Therapists
Elaine Antoniuk
Physical Therapist
Regina Colistro
Physical Therapist
Regina is a U of A Physiotherapy grad whose entire professional career has been in BC. (Something to do with cold and snow it appears). She has recently joined Access, and brings with her much Acute Spine experience at Vancouver General Hospital, and previous to that Shaughnessy Hospital. More recently she has included rehab spinal cord experience, at GFS Strong. A week end position at Royal Columbian Hospital, on ortho trauma adds to her current professional work. As Regina sees it, working with Access is a perfect rounding out of her Spinal Cord Injuries experience - being involved in all parts of the SCI continuum, from acute care through to community, and she is excited to have joined the Access team. Regina has always loved being a hands on therapist - treating and teaching, and "can't imagine a different professional path". Her passion is working with those spinal cord injured, and is currently involved in SCI and trauma work, during yearly trips to Uganda. On a personal level, her family is her No. 1 priority, with 1 daughter and 4 sons, who are the joys of her life.
Janice Duivestein
Occupational and Physical Therapist
Janice graduated in 1980 with a combine degree in Rehabilitation Medicine (occupational and physiotherapy) and obtained her Master's degree ( MRSc) from UBC in 2010. She started her career in long term care and then went on to work in acute care as well geriatric rehabilitation. She moved over to pediatrics in 1986 at Sunny Hill Health Centre where her long-term interest in eating, drinking and swallowing problems started. Janice was one of the founding members of the Feeding Team at Sunny Hill and Team Leader for 24 years and she continues to have a passion for this area. She joined Access in 1996 providing both rehabilitation and specialized consultation in eating, drinking and swallowing to the adult population. Janice is an assistant clinical professor at UBC and has presented at local, national and international workshops and conferences on eating, drinking and swallowing challenges in both adult and pediatric populations. She also rides her bike everywhere, teaches belly dancing, and is the acknowledged skit master of Access.
Brent Fawdry
Physical Therapist
Brent graduated from the Physiotherapy program at UBC in 1995. He started his career working in orthopedic clinics before shifting his focus of practice to pediatrics. Brent worked in Early Intervention Programs and School Age Therapy Programs and was the Director of Physiotherapy at The Ridge Meadows Child Development Centre for 16 years. Brent made the move to Sunny Hill Health Centre in 2021 joining the Positioning and Mobility Team. In 2022 he joined the Access Therapist team and is keen to apply his skills to provide general rehab support as well as specialized seating services for adults with developmental disabilities. When not working, Brent enjoys exploring the trails and waterways of our amazing province with his wife and his Goldendoodle, Henry.
Ann Rae
Physical Therapist
Ann Rae was educated as a physiotherapist at Queen's University, graduating in 1991. She missed the west and her family and moved back to the prairies, taking her first job at Calgary General Hospital. She started in a new graduate rotation position and eventually settled in neurological rehabilitation PT. This was her preferred area of practice and she had the opportunity to work in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury (SCI) and stroke rehabilitation. In 1995, she moved to Vancouver and started work at G.F. Strong Rehab Centre on the SCI program. During her time at G.F. Strong she has provided PT for inpatient SCI rehab, Outpatient SCI and the SCI Wound Clinic care. She continues her work at G.F. Strong on Outpatient SCI and this has developed a love of creative seating intervention for persons with spinal cord injury. Ann joined Access Community Therapists in 2011 to provide PT services for the WSBC Wound Care Prevention Project for workers living with SCI. Ann graduated with a Masters in Education in counseling psychology in 2001. During this educational experience she completed a vocational inventory which suggested her ideal occupation was OT! Her current work in seating and home based pressure mapping assessments combined with her physical rehabilitation work at G.F. Strong is an ideal combination. When not working, Ann is a busy parent of 3 school aged kids and wife to a very supportive husband. If the Academy decides to give a "Best Actor in the role of an Occupational Therapist" - she hopes to win!
Shannon Sproule
Physical Therapist
Shannon completed her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy in 1984 at the University of Alberta and finished her Bachelor in Arts in Art History and Classics in 1986. She followed her studies with some travelling in Europe and lived in France for a year and moved to British Columbia in 1988. Shannon started working at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre after arriving in Vancouver working in multiple areas of neurological rehabilitation. She started the position of Physiotherapy Clinical Practice Leader of the Spinal Cord Program in 1990 as a maternity leave position but it became a permanent position for over 12 years. During this time she worked in both clinical and administrative capacities managing 12 staff and working on program planning. When the program structure was changed Shannon went back to working as a clinician working exclusively with individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries. Besides her work with both in-patients and out-patients Shannon has enjoyed working on some research projects within the program and SCIRE. In 2008 she began working with Access on a special SCI Wound project and continues with this along with her work at GF Strong. She will begin a one year LOA from her GF Strong job March 24, 2014 to work with the Rick Hansen Institute in the position of National Clinical Liaison and is excited about the opportunity to continue to work in the area of SCI but from a more research and best practice perspective.