Rehabilitative Therapy
Meet the Team
Marife Ilaban
Bachelors of Science in Physical Therapy, Fatima University, 1995
Marife has been practicing as a physical therapist since 2009. She has been the Director of Rehabilitation at KMC since 2015. She oversees all inpatient and outpatient activities. Marife is driven to help people achieve their prior level of function. In cases where this is not possible, she helps patients define their new normal and works to equip them with the strength and skills needed to thrive. When not working you’ll find Marife running on the bike path training for her 6th Honolulu marathon, or spending time with family and friends. She enjoys traveling, painting, healthy cooking, and plant-based eating.
"I love my job and where I work. This is my community and I’m so grateful to serve it, and the amazing people who live here, every day."
Valerie Buisson, DPT
Doctorate in Physical Therapy, University of Miami, 2018
Valerie was born in France and moved to the mainland when she was 15 years old. She’s been living and practicing in Hawaii for 1 year. She’s passionate about travel and global humanitarian assistance. Valerie spent the last year traveling and participating in a humanitarian initiative providing healthcare to underserved populations. Valerie loves being a physical therapist because it gives her the opportunity to help patients improve their quality of life, promote optimal functioning, and help individuals restore movement and well-being.
“Kahuku and the surrounding community have become family to me in many ways since my arrival here. They have welcomed me with open hearts and incredible genuineness. Working at KMC has been a blessing and I am beyond grateful to serve and grow with such an incredible team and community."
Amanda Witko, MPT, OCS
Master of Physical Therapy, California State University Northridge, 2010
Board Certified Orthopedic Specialization, 2019
Amanda moved from California to Hawaii in 2014. She’s passionate about the ocean and surfing. She’s dedicated to helping make the sport of competitive surfing accessible to individuals with physical disabilities. Amanda is the team trainer and assistant coach for the Hawaii Adaptive Surf Team, who recently snagged 4th place at the International Surfing Association’s World Para Surfing Championship. She takes pride in teaching restorative techniques and helping patients empower themselves to overcome pain, regain movement and strength, and return to activities they love.
"Kahuku is a small, beautifully rural community and working here feels very much like working with family. I appreciate the variety and diversity of the people I get to interact with daily."
Lindsey Simmons, MPT, CSCS
Master of Physical Therapy, California State University Long Beach, 2010
Lindsey was born and raised right here on the North Shore of Oahu. She’s a Kahuku High School graduate who loves spending time with her husband and 4 children and is passionate about living an active life. She played basketball at the collegiate level and still enjoys playing a game of pick up ball. She also likes trail running, kayaking, body surfing, and snorkeling. Lindsey has completed several marathons as well as a half Ironman race.
"I am so grateful to be able to serve the community I grew up in. I often see patients who are former teachers, classmates or church members and I feel blessed to be able to give back to the community that raised me and that’s currently helping to raise my children."
Susie Arendt, OTR/L
Master of Occupational Therapy, Western Michigan University, 2016
Susie moved from Michigan to Oahu in 2017. She loves the ocean, surfing, and traveling, hiking, paddling and practicing yoga. She’s passionate about healthy living and taking a holistic approach on life and as an OT to optimize the physical, mental and emotional health of her patients.
“I absolutely love living here and I’m so very grateful to have the opportunity to give back and serve this amazing North Shore community.”
Lise Tsue, SLP
Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1992
Lise Tsue, Speech-Language Pathologist living and working with adults and children in Hawaii for over 30 years.
"I came here at age 21 to explore the beauty of the islands and stayed because of the beauty of the people. Working at KMC has been such a pleasure. People unfailingly treat each other with kindness and respect here and look for ways each day to improve, elevate and inspire. I am so grateful to be part of the KMC and the North Shore community."
Dawn Sullivan, OT
Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from University of Florida, 1997
Dawn began her career practicing in a variety of settings including inpatient rehabilitation, home health, hospital, skilled nursing, and private pediatric clinics with a focus on sensory integration. She moved from the mainland to Hawaii in 2003 and practiced as a school system Occupational Therapist until 2020 when she joined the team at KMC.
Dawn has always had an interest in the mind body arts immersing herself in yoga and surfing when moving to the islands. She completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training in Costa Rica in 2010, and enjoys including yoga techniques in her work as an Occupational Therapist, as it helps improve overall strength, balance, circulation, and flexibility. When not at work, Dawn enjoys family time with her husband and son.
“KMC has been an amazing opportunity for me to grow as a therapist. I consider myself very lucky to work with an amazing team of therapists. It has been an easy transition from school system to the hospital setting thanks to this support. Plus the basic foundation of occupational therapy remains the same across the settings, and that is facilitating skills for life and maximizing function.”
Jackie Reiser, DPT, OCS
Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Old Dominion University, 2013
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedics, 2019
Jackie grew up in Virginia but has now been an Oahu resident for 5 years. She loves the north shore lifestyle and serving the people in the community. Jackie enjoys spending time in the ocean whether she’s free diving, shell collecting, or paddling outrigger canoe. Both her and her husband are passionate about ocean sustainability and raising awareness through spearfishing and decreasing consumption of single use plastic. She is driven to work with patients to find fun and effective ways to get them back to living their best lives.
“I love working at Kahuku because everyone here is so welcoming, genuine, and caring. The sense of ohana is so strong here that it doesn’t feel like coming to work, it feels like coming home.”