About
Najib Johnson, PT MTC, Co-Owner, Founder
Najib is the founder and co-owner of Johnson Physical Therapy & Rehab PC. He earned his physical therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1992. Immediately after graduating, he followed his dream and moved to Colorado. Najib has over 30 years of experience working with a wide variety of diagnoses and patients of all ages. His primary areas of expertise are orthopedics and manual therapy. He has hundreds of hours of continuing education in these areas.
Najib has certifications in Manual Therapy and Dry Needling. He is an active member of the Cortez community, sponsoring many local charities and events. He serves as the head coach of the middle school mountain bike team as well. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and spending time with his wife, Julie, and their two active kids.
Najib has certifications in Manual Therapy and Dry Needling. He is an active member of the Cortez community, sponsoring many local charities and events. He serves as the head coach of the middle school mountain bike team as well. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and spending time with his wife, Julie, and their two active kids.
Julie Carpenter, OTR, Co-Owner, Founder
Julie is the co-owner and founder of Johnson Physical Therapy & Rehab PC. She graduated from St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, MN, with a degree in occupational therapy in 1992. She has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years, beginning with her career in inpatient rehabilitation before transitioning to outpatient care in 1996 with a focus on upper extremity orthopedics.
Julie has hundreds of hours of continuing education in upper extremity orthopedics, from the shoulder to the fingertips. She is also highly trained and experienced in treating upper and lower extremity lymphedema. In addition, Julie has had success treating neurological disorders like strokes, traumatic brain damage, and spinal cord injuries.
With her husband Najib, Julie is involved in the community, supporting numerous regional charities and events. She has volunteered as a soccer coach for both of her kids and is active with the local Pony Club chapter. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, horse riding, and spending time with her family.
Dr. Thomas Ramage, PT, DPT, Clinic Director
Thomas was born and raised in northern Utah. He attended Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, where he earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in 2015. His areas of expertise include treating all ages, orthopedic post-operative and nonoperative conditions, sports injuries, geriatric care, chronic pain, and neurological conditions. He is certified in Level 2 functional dry needling, soft tissue mobilization, and blood flow restriction training.
Thomas attended undergraduate studies at Dixie State University, where he was a scholar football athlete and as a huge bonus, met his bride-to-be, Swayzee. He loves spending time with his wife, son, and daughter. He also enjoys anything involving sports, woodworking, beekeeping, fishing, and being outdoors.
Thomas attended undergraduate studies at Dixie State University, where he was a scholar football athlete and as a huge bonus, met his bride-to-be, Swayzee. He loves spending time with his wife, son, and daughter. He also enjoys anything involving sports, woodworking, beekeeping, fishing, and being outdoors.
Dr. Maeselle La Paz, PT, DPT
Maeselle grew up in Cortez. She attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science in 2015. After graduating from Fort Lewis, she went on to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Mae specializes in the treatment of orthopedic injuries, including pre and post-operative care, total joint replacement, spine, manual therapy, balance disorders, and neurological conditions, including Parkinson's and stroke.
Mae is glad to be back in the sunny Southwest serving the Four Corners community. She enjoys working with patients of all ages and backgrounds. In her free time, Mae enjoys getting outdoors and hiking, swimming, and snowboarding.
Kari Cockrill, OTR/L CHT
Kari graduated from Towson State University in 1995 with a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Since that time, she has enjoyed her career as a therapist, traveling around the country and working in a variety of settings in Colorado, Hawaii, and Alaska. Her most recent work experience has been in hand therapy clinics, and in 2014 she became a certified hand therapist. Outside of work, Kari enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, and enjoying nature with her adventurous pup.
Julia Liska, MS OTR
Julia has a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin. She is a Telluride native and is happy to be back working in the Southwest. Julia specializes in upper extremity orthopedics, pediatrics, and neurological conditions, such as brain injuries and strokes. When not working, Julia enjoys the outdoors with her husband, running, biking, climbing, and skiing.