Mountain Area Pro Bono Health Services

Have you had an injury or illness that has limited your function or quality of life? Is pain limiting your ability to work or participate in activities you enjoy? Have you fallen or are you afraid of falling? Have you had an injury or illness that has limited your function? Have you had a stroke and are still trying to regain function?

Call 828.227.3527 to leave a voicemail and make an appointment. If you do not currently have physical therapy coverage, please call for full eligibility details.

Physical therapy services are provided by Doctor of Physical Therapy students under the direct supervision of licensed physical therapists.

Meet some of our clinicians:

Sandy Davis
Sandy is a physical therapist and board-certified specialist in pediatrics. She received her Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University in 1998 and has been working with Harris Regional Hospital providing physical therapy to young children since 1998. She serves as the Clinical Coordinator for Harris Regional Hospital's pediatric rehabilitation services. Sandy also has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia. Prior to working as a PT, she has 12 years of experience as a social worker, primarily working with infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

Zach Demeester
Zach earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from WCU in 2021. He now works at RO Physio and Collective Fitness (co-owner), a CrossFit Swerve gym in Sylva, NC. Zach takes particular interest in post operative management, return to sport, and strength and conditioning. His favorite part about volunteering in MAPHealth is learning from current DPT students and his fellow clinicians while offering healthcare to members of the community who need it most. Zach is a big proponent of the DPT program’s annual trip to Honduras; he has been every year since 2019. Outside of PT, he enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and tennis, and his favorite local spots are Cosmic Carryout and Innovation brewing! 

Hannah Pollard
Hannah earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Western Carolina University in 2019, completed the University of Mississippi Medical Center Residency in Neurologic Physical Therapy in 2020, and became a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy in 2021. She works for Mission Health CarePartners, predominantly serving individuals in the home health and inpatient rehab settings. She is also an adjunct faculty member in WCU’s DPT program. Utilizing the principles of neuroplasticity, Hannah is passionate about working with individuals and their support systems to promote neurologic recovery and maximize independence with functional mobility. Hannah's favorite parts about volunteering in MAPHealth are collaborating with students to serve the community and observing student growth each semester as they gain confidence, didactic knowledge, and clinical experience. Outside of PT, she loves to play tennis, team sports, traveling, river time, hiking, and making music, especially fun, PT inspired songs!

DPT Faculty:

Dave Hudson
Ashley Hyatt
Josh Jones
Katie Ollendick
Tammy Simmons
Andrew Sullivan
Todd Watson

"It can be hard to initially sacrifice the time on a Wednesday night when you have a busy week but the opportunity to work with the amazing supervising clinicians MAPHealth offers is unrivaled and has helped improve my clinical reasoning, my confidence on clinical rotations and my communication skills with patients. I truly believe volunteering in MAPHealth was the most valuable part of my didactic education. It reinforced what I learned in my classes and helped me prepare for working with people, which I realized was not as straightforward as I expected (despite all the "it depends" I already heard). Additionally, I found that the nature of having to defend my clinical reasoning and explain my thought process better prepared me for clinical rotations and the residency interview process." ~Anne Pursiful, Class of 2021

“It can be difficult balancing weeks of school and clinic but it’s what keeps me motivated and inspired knowing that I’m doing something I love while making a change in another’s life. The hard work and long nights are all worth it when you can see a patient progress throughout the semester while building upon our clinical reasoning skills. The more I volunteer, the more comfortable I become with the application of our knowledge and the progression of individualized care.” ~Emily Schaul, Class of 2022

Mountain Area Pro Bono Health Services Student Board members are elected each year from the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. This group of dedicated students is guided by faculty member Dr. Ashley Hyatt. The students' energy and commitment, along with Dr. Hyatt's experience and enthusiasm, make the clinic a reality. For more information you can view the Student Board Application.