Our physical and occupational therapy team in the Rochester area hope this page helps you get to know us. We look forward to meeting you in your home soon!
Allison Bakke, MA, OTR/L
President
Allison is the Founder and President of Above & Beyond Senior Services. She is a licensed occupational therapist in the State of Minnesota. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Certificate in Gerontology, Minor in Psychology, and Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.
Upon graduation, Allison worked for many years as an occupational therapist and rehab manager in short-term and long-term rehabilitation in many skilled nursing facilities throughout the Minneapolis metro area. Throughout the years Allison saw a strong need for therapy services outside the traditional Medicare/insurance model. This led to the creation of Above & Beyond as a new model for senior rehabilitation therapies. An approach that incorporates prevention, strengthening, wellness, and joyful engagement in life, using both physical and occupational therapy. Allison’s geriatric areas of expertise are in dementia and memory loss and helping families grow in their understanding of the various disease processes that cause dementia.
Allison was born and raised on a family farm near Moorhead, MN to a dad who was a farmer and business owner and a mom who was a baker. Throughout her childhood Allison’s parents taught her the value of hard work and respect for the wisdom of older generations. She remains a farm girl at heart and definitely gets her entrepreneurial spirit from her dad.
Allison is a proud wife and mom. Along with her husband Jason, Allison has 2 wonderful boys. She loves to spend her free time with family and volunteering. In the summer the Bakke’s can be found spending time at the cabin fishing and boating. The rest of the year is spent watching her boys play soccer and basketball and sing in the Land of Lakes Choirboys. If there is any time left after all of that Allison loves to travel with her husband or entertain friends and family at home with food ranging from home-style to gourmet.
Caitlin Rackliffe, PT, DPT, GCS
Operations Manager
Caitlin is a physical therapist who received her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) in 2014 and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from the University of MN in 2017. Caitlin grew up in Hutchinson, MN and now resides in Eden Prairie, MN with her husband, son, and Goldendoodle.
Caitlin loves working in geriatrics because she gets to help people at critical points in their lives and can serve as a beacon of hope for them. She makes it her goal to provide empathy and find common ground with each person she works with. Caitlin became a board certified “Geriatric Clinical Specialist” in 2021. Her PT experience includes: transitional care, long term care, and home care. She serves as an associated faculty member at the of U of M DPT program.
In her free time, you might find Caitlin curled up with a blanket and a good book. She enjoys being active via daily walks, bike rides, and yoga/barre classes. She has an eye for interior design; Caitlin and her husband spent the better part of 2 years working on a “fixer upper” that has since turned into their forever home.
Jessica Berg, PT
Clinical Director
Jessica is a physical therapist who earned a BA in Biology from Concordia College in Moorhead and a MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Minnesota in 2001. Jessica’s career has been dedicated to working with seniors in the areas of home health care, transitional care, long-term care, and outpatient. She has experience with a wide variety of diagnoses including medically complex, cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedic, neurological, cognitive disorders, psychological, and cancer. Jessica is a certified dementia practitioner and especially enjoys helping clients prevent falls through improving their balance, strength, and walking ability. Jessica is dedicated to supporting and challenging clients so that they can achieve their personal goals.
Jessica grew up southwest of the Twin Cities on a farm where her parents taught her the value of hard work. She and her husband met while working on the go-kart track at Valleyfair Amusement Park. They have a son and daughter. As a family, they enjoy exploring parks, playing games/cards, attending youth sporting events, and watching movies. The favorite member of the household is their calico cat, who is a senior herself. Jessica stays active through rollerblading, biking, hiking, cardio/resistance workouts, and yoga.
Desiree Lanzino, PT
Desiree earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Therapy from West Virginia University in 1990 and a Doctorate of Philosophy Degree in Anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999. She has practiced in numerous clinical settings including acute care, in-patient rehabilitation, and home health, in numerous parts of the country: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, and Minnesota. She was on faculty at Bradley University in the Physical Therapy and Health Science Programs for one year before moving to Rochester, Minnesota, where she was Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy in the Mayo Clinic Physical Therapy Program. There, she taught entry-level doctoral students in topics such as neuroanatomy, geriatrics, evaluation and assessment, neurologic rehabilitation, and complementary medicine. Desiree has published research works in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, Age and Ageing, and the Journal of Vestibular Research.
Excited to get back to her clinical physical therapy roots, Desiree looks forward to helping clients succeed in living, whatever that looks like to them! She enjoys book club, cross-country skiing, hiking, and is involved in numerous Christian-ministry activities. She is a blessed and proud mom of three young adults and wife to a fabulous husband.
Heather vanKoeverden,
OTR/L
Heather is an occupational therapist, who graduated from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. She spent a decade working at Rochester’s Mayo Clinic. She started in acute care, where she was trained in assessment and management of dysphagia. She further developed her skills working at Mayo Clinic’s Chronic Pain Center. She supported the psychiatric units before taking time away from her career to be a caregiver for a child with a chronic illness. She worked in industrial therapy for 5 years, helping to promote success in the workplace by improving the fit between the person, the job tasks, and the environment.
Heather says she landed her “dream job” when she transitioned to geriatrics, and loves being able to help seniors stay in both physical and mental motion. Her favorite part of serving seniors is figuring out what makes them tick, then creatively finding ways to enhance and multiply those things that ignite joy, meaning, independence and contentment. Heather brings a glass-half-full perspective to maintenance therapy, acknowledging that while some things may very well be in decline, there is so much that can be done to uncover and promote the good that might seem lost. There?s nothing she loves more than to be a part of facilitating that! She describes herself as a problem-solver, always up for a challenge to make things a little (or a lot) better.
In addition to being a therapist, she is also a wife, mother, daughter, and a friend to many. Heather has found the deepest meaning in her life in connection with others. Heather can be a firecracker that brings spunk and positive energy to the party, and also loves to rejuvenate on quiet hikes in the forest. She delights in vacations that revolve around the beauty of the world and is enamored by national parks. Together with her family, Heather has embraced adventure, snagging the opportunity to swim with dolphins, raft rapids, drive a dogsled, float a houseboat, wade through a slot canyon hike, and traverse BWCA portages with canoe overhead.
Katie King, PT
Katie is a physical therapist who completed her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2010 from the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences in Rochester, MN. She competed in DIII Gymnastics at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN where she earned her BA in Biology in 2007.
Whether it was through all the rehabilitation as a gymnast herself or simply the wonder of growing up with a physician father/nurse-educator mother, Katie knew she wanted to be a physical therapist from early on. Upon graduation, she began working at St Mary’s Hospital gaining experience in several acute care specialties (wound care, pulmonary rehab, cardiac surgery, ortho/trauma and helping establish PT in the emergency department) until she eventually transitioned into a clinical educator role. More recently, she added cancer and transplant rehab to her skill sets at Methodist Hospital.
The shift to senior focused care seemed like a natural fit given Katie’s love for working with people from diverse backgrounds. Regardless of their age Katie has a desire to help people achieve their individual goals at home and beyond. She credits seeing the value of supportive care to optimize quality of life to help older adults keep living full lives.
Katie has settled into Rochester with her husband and their four young children. She enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at church, but mostly Katie likes getting to know friends and neighbors in the community.
Kim McGarry, PT
Kim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of North Dakota and a Doctor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has practiced in numerous clinical settings in Rochester including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, skilled nursing facilities, pediatrics, and management. She worked for Mayo Clinic for 32 years and enjoyed the teamwork and great variety of individuals she served.
Kim co-authored a publication in Physical Therapy and presented sessions at American Physical Therapy Association conferences at the state and national level. Kim has a special interest in helping seniors avoid falls and staying active and independent to maximize quality of life.
Kim and her husband, Kevin, have 3 awesome adult children and are blessed with 9 grandchildren! She enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking outdoors, reading, sewing/crafting, and gardening (although doesn’t have a green thumb).
Lola Famuyide, PT
I began my career in the early 80s after earning a B.Sc. in Physiotherapy from the College of Medicine at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. My first job took me to a rural area in Western Nigeria, where I worked with both children and seniors. Running clinics at the local hospital, I helped children with polio learn to walk and provided seniors with essential items like canes and knee braces.
Fueled by my passion for senior care and eager to expand my knowledge, I completed an M.Ed. in Exercise Physiology. I moved to the UK and spent several years focused on home care for seniors. Meeting people from all walks of life and helping them embrace aging gracefully was incredibly rewarding.
Over 25 years ago, we moved to the United States, where I’ve focused on senior care in various settings including Wisconsin and the Mayo Clinic. My passion lies in advocating for seniors who want to stay in their homes, promoting safety and healthy lifestyles through movement, no matter how small. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and traveling.
Hannah Borup, PT, DPT, NCS
Hannah completed her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016 from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. She then participated in a residency, receiving specialized training in Neurologic Physical Therapy, from Mayo Clinic. She became a board-certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy in 2018 and has experience working with adults in the ICU, hospital acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, and wellness, as well as educating the next generation of physical therapists.
During her time at Mayo Clinic and beyond, Hannah had the opportunity to work with many seniors, with and without neurologic conditions, and loves helping them realize they can do more than anyone believed. She relishes the opportunity to build strong and individualized connections with people and help them achieve what is most important to them!
Hannah lives in Rochester with her spouse and little one, and their two cuddly and opinionated felines, Nova and Helix. When not doing squats with her clients, Hannah loves to immerse herself in the beautiful Minnesota outdoors- hiking, canoeing, gardening, and is always happiest when floating on a lake with her family.