Hawaii Rehabilitation Therapy
Our Team is Ready to Serve Your Family
Our physical therapists specialize in treating acute, chronic and congenital conditions impacting children and young adults.
Occupational therapists at Shriners Children's Hawaiʻi help children gain fine motor skills that improve independence and functionality.
Child life specialists and certified recreational therapists are ready to help children achieve their goals through play and distraction.
The rehabilitation services team shares one focus: children.
That focus dictates every piece of a patient's treatment plan. Children learn most efficiently and work hardest when they play. Our therapists incorporate play into every exercise and functional activity to distract the child from the hard work needed to be successful at physical and occupational therapy.
Physical Therapy
Our physical therapists specialize in treating a variety of acute and chronic conditions impacting children and young adults. They serve children with developmental delays, scoliosis, sports injuries, and conditions of the legs and feet. The therapists create treatment plans to support gross motor skill acquisition, flexibility, strength, return to sports, prosthetic training and post-operative recovery.
Our team will create a custom treatment plan for your child using a multidisciplinary approach.
Diagnoses include arthrogryposis, cerebral palsy, limb deficiency, torticollis, neuromuscular disorders, developmental delay (gross motor and fine motor) and many more.
The Shriners Children's Hawaiʻi physical therapy team also specializes in Scoliosis Specific Exercise (SSE) – a non-traditional 3-D treatment approach for scoliosis. Our SSE program focuses on educating patients about body awareness while using physical therapy exercise and stretching, with a goal of creating stability around their corrected posture. The program empowers patients by providing them with an active role in their treatment.
Occupational Therapy
Our occupational therapists work closely with patients and families to evaluate and create individualized treatment plans to help patients acquire fine motor skills, and improve independence with activities of daily living, including dressing and bathing. They provide education in self-care and recommend equipment aides, as needed, for patient independence. The team of occupational therapists work in collaboration with the surgeons, prosthetists and other medical professionals to ensure successful improvements in function and established patient goals.
My therapist had me do fun exercises to stabilize my ankle which helped me get back in the game.
Michele Chee, PT, DPT, brings nearly three decades of clinical expertise to her role as director of rehabilitation services at Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi, where she has been a dedicated pediatric physical therapist since 2001. Michele earned a Bachelor of Science in health sciences and a Master of Science in physical therapy from Pacific University, followed by a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Montana. She holds advanced certification in scoliosis management, specializing in scoliosis-specific exercises based on the Schroth Method, which she completed through the Barcelona School of Physical Therapy. Since 2022, Michele has served on the Hawaii State Board of Physical Therapy. She is also a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, and a member of the Pediatric, Orthopedic and Sports Sections. As director of rehabilitation services, Michele leads with a patient-centered, evidence-based approach, emphasizing the value of collaboration within a multidisciplinary team to achieve the best possible care outcomes for her patients.
Keri Nakama-Kaʻaialiʻi, PT, DPT, has been a physical therapist at Shriners Children's Hawai'i since 2019. She earned her Bachelor of Science at Occidental College and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Chapman University. At Shriners Children's Hawaiʻi, Keri evaluates and treats children from birth to 18 years old in the inpatient and outpatient settings. She has experience working with children with orthopedic and sport injuries, neurological conditions, developmental delay and torticollis. Keri enjoys being a member of Shriners Children's Hawaiʻi’s multidisciplinary team that provides comprehensive care to help children reach their goals and full potential.
A graduate of Chicago’s Northwestern University, Lori started her career at Castle Medical Center before joining Shriners Childrens Hawaiʻi to work with children in an orthopedic setting. She treats post-surgical patients and both inpatients and outpatients ranging from birth to 18 years old with a variety of diagnoses including cerebral palsy, sports related injuries, developmental delays, Down syndrome, idiopathic toe-walking, autism spectrum disorder, and other neurological, orthopedic and genetic conditions. Lori enjoys modifying equipment to fit the needs of her patients, and has extensive experience in evaluating patients for durable medical equipment and generating letters of medical necessity for insurance authorization. She finds joy and reward in seeing the resilience of children in overcoming adversity and physical challenges.
Erin Nakatsuka, PT, DPT, received both her Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Saint Louis University in 2017. Erin started her career as a physical therapist at an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic, working with patients of all ages and various diagnoses. Drawing on her experiences as a former collegiate athlete, volleyball coach and treating youth athletes, Erin joined Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi to focus on pediatric physical therapy in 2022. She has gained valuable experience working with children with sports and orthopedic injuries, post orthopedic surgery, developmental delay and neurological conditions. She is honored to be a part of her patients’ care team to support them to be the best that they can be.
Hailey Chong, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist at Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi. She received her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology at Westmont College and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. Hailey has previously worked as an elementary school physical education teacher. She has experience working with children with orthopedic and sports injuries, developmental delay and neurological conditions. She enjoys being able to help local and international kids recover from injuries or surgery so that they can reach their full potential.
Sarah Knox is a passionate occupational therapist with 25 years of clinical experience in both the United States and England. She began her career in diverse pediatric and adult outpatient and inpatient settings, but since 2009, she has dedicated her expertise to Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi. Here, she specializes in treating children with a range of conditions including congenital hand differences, cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis and ADHD.
Sarah is committed to evidence-based practice and excels in advanced splinting, adaptive equipment and custom wheelchair seating, as well as specialized evaluations that are critical for pediatric hand surgeons' pre-operative planning. Beyond her clinical work, she is a mentor and fieldwork educator, serving as an adjunct professor for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at Hawaiʻi Pacific University.
With a strong focus on fostering a positive learning environment, Sarah is dedicated to her own professional growth and actively engages in international collaborations to share best practices in pediatric hand therapy. She is driven by the principles of occupational therapy, striving to enhance the health, well-being and quality of life for the keiki and their families at Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi. Sarah feels honored to contribute to making a meaningful difference in their lives.
Matilda (Maddie) MacArthur achieved her Master of Science in occupational therapy from Saginaw Valley State University in 2014. Maddie previously worked in an outpatient pediatric clinic in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she evaluated and treated children from birth to 18 years of age with various diagnoses of developmental delay, neurological conditions and sensory regulation. She joined the Shriners Children's Hawaiʻi team in 2023. To her, it has been an incredible experience to help children from all over the world and assisting the families in achieving their goals.
