Staff

   

Dr. Will:

 

Andrew J. Will

Cover Story M.D. News.

What is a physiatrist?

 

Psychologist:
   

Georgia Panopoulus, Ph.D.

 

Physical Therapists:

 

Linnae Grant, PT

Leslee Harper, PT

Maureen Henderon, PT
   

Nurse Practitioners:

 

Christy Lester, NP

Amy Krenzer, NP

Molly McNaughton, NP
What is a nurse practitioner?

 

Registered Nurses:
 
Annie Fox, RN
 
 

Andrew J. Will, M.D.

 

Andrew Will, M.D.

Andrew J. Will, M.D., grew up in Bemidji, Minnesota. He is a third generation medical physician, following in the steps of his father, Theodore J. Will, a surgeon, and his grandfather, Theodore H. Will, a family practice physician.

Dr. Will is a graduate of St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN and the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee where he was chief resident. He has been in medical practice since 1998. 

Dr. Will is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pain Medicine. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and in the subspecialty of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He has been a Contributing Editor for Rehab in Review, and is current president of the Minnesota Physiatric Society, the state organization for Minnesota physiatrists.

 

Dr. Will is a third generation physician. His grandfather, Dr. T.H. Will, was a family practice physician in Ohio and his desk now sits in the TCPC reception area.

Dr. Will attends numerous continuing education courses throughout the year to stay at the forefront of his specialty and to provide the most advanced care for his patients. Recently he put his medical services to work in Central America. In 2007, he accompanied his father on a volunteer medical mission with Rotarians to Santa Barbara, Honduras.

Dr. Will lives in Edina with his wife, Staci, and their two children. They both enjoy being active in their children’s school and spending time with their large extended family.


Dr. Will doing physical exams on residents of a mountain village near Santa Barbara, Honduras.
   
   
 
 
 

Cover Sotry M.D. News

 


M. D. NEWS
Twin Cities Pain Clinic

Specializing in Nonsurgical treatment of Spinal and musculoskeletal Pain.

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What is a Physiatrist?

 

Dr. Will is a board certified specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation. A physician in this specialty is also know as a physiatrist (pronounced fizz-EYE-uh-trist). 

The specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation began in 1947, but is often unknown to patients because it is a relatively small specialty representing only about 1% of medical doctors.  In addition, physiatrists often sub specialize in particular areas. Dr. Will’s practice focuses on the spine and other painful musculoskeletal problems.
 
 
 

Psychologist

 

Georgia Panopoulus, PhD, LP

 

Health and Behavioral Psychologist

 

Georgia Panopoulus, Ph.D., L.P. believes pain can change a person’s core belief system. “Pain is a traumatic life event that is negative. It has life-changing impact on everything from sleep patterns, to a person’s ability to work or not work and it affects a person’s trust in his own body to do the things he used to do,” said Dr. Panopoulus.

Over her 11 years in practice, Dr. Panopoulus has developed a mind-body approach to addressing pain. “We’re not saying it’s in a patient’s head; I am a member of a clinical team who assess each of our patients needs and then we take an integrated approach to address the pain issues. We don’t want to over utilize any one method. It usually requires several different treatments that might include stretching in physical therapy, medical intervention supervised by the doctor as well as behavior modifications,” said Dr. Panopoulus.

Dr. Panopoulus graduated from the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine with her graduate degree in psychology. After completing a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Panopoulos became the Director of Ambulatory Services of Psychiatry from 1998-2000.

Before joining Twin Cities Pain Clinic, Dr. Panopoulus built up an extensive resume consulting for a variety of inpatient and outpatient services at the University of Minnesota clinics as well as the Fairview University Health System.

Dr. Panopoulus is married and has three daughters. Much of her leisure time revolves around sharing her Greek heritage and culture with her family.

   
   
 
 

Physical Therapists

 

Linnae Grant, PT

 

Linnae Grant, P.T., gradually made her way west to Minnesota via Connecticut and Illinois. Born on the east coast, Grant moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University for undergraduate degree and continued on to earn her Master’s from Northwestern University Medical School; Programs in Physical Therapy (NUPT).

“I was drawn to the physical therapy field through my own experiences growing up playing a variety of sports,” said Linnae, who played soccer and softball, competed in gymnastics, and also was an active cyclist.

“I enjoy treating a variety in my patient caseload, helping people achieve their restored function so they can return to activities they enjoy and need to do,” added Linnae.

When she finds a little free time, Linnae unwinds by spending time with family and enjoys reading the classics.
 
 
 

Leslee Harper, PT

 

Leslee Harper, P.T., specializes in manual therapy including Muscle Energy, Trigger Point Release, Myofascial Release, Active Release Technique (ART) along with core strengthening exercises. 

Harper earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota and her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.

Her work in pain management and rehabilitation has been especially gratifying. “I believe the patients I see want to get better,” said Leslee. “And they work hard to get rid of those nagging pains. The best part is seeing my patients decrease their pain levels and return to living healthier, more active lifestyles.”

Leslee unwinds at her cabin near Brainerd with family and friends, enjoys running, boating and attending outdoor concerts.
 
 
 

Maureen Henderson, PT

 

Maureen Henderson, P.T., graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in physical therapy in 1977. In December 2007, she became one of 23 physical therapists in the nation to earn Postural Restoration Certification which required over three years of post graduate course work and clinical training. 

“In my thirty plus years of clinical practice, I’ve felt passionate about post graduate education as a way to improve my skills and patient outcomes,” said Maureen. In addition to Postural Restoration Certification, Henderson has advanced levels of training in Myofascial Release, Craniosacral Therapy, St. John’s Neuromuscular Therapy, Muscle Energy and the Neurodevelopmental Treatment of adults.

Maureen has been a guest lecturer at the programs in physical therapy at the University of Minnesota, the College of St. Scholastica, and the College of St. Catherine and to groups of physicians.

Maureen and her husband have three children, a horse and two dogs. They enjoy skiing, canoeing, hiking, bicycling, swimming, horses, gardening and reading.
 
 
 

Nurse Practitioners

 

Amy Krenzer, NP

 

Amy Krenzer, N.P., said her interest in pain management began while working at Hennepin County Medical Center as a registered nurse. “I supervised patients in the hospital and recognized how treating the pain benefits the patient’s overall healing,” said Amy.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Community Health from Mankato State University, Amy went to the College of St. Catherine, Minneapolis campus, for a nursing degree. She completed her advanced nursing degree at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul. Amy is a Certified Pain Management Nurse and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pain Management. 

Her greatest satisfaction comes from knowing she can provide resources most patients have never heard of; and, therefore providing hope to patients worn down by the stress of living in pain.

Amy looks forward to her annual tropical vacation with her husband and playing with their two dogs.
 
 
 
 

Christy Lester, NP

 

Christy Lester, N.P. earned her bachelor of science in nursing from Truman State University, in Kirksville, Missouri. While interning with a family nurse practitioner her senior year, Christy knew she wanted to continue her own education and pursued a graduate degree. After graduating from the nurse practitioner program at Drake University, Christy specialized in cardiology and has worked in both the clinic and hospital settings in Des Moines, LaCrosse and most recently at Abbott Northwestern’s Minneapolis Heart Institute.

Christy was drawn to pain management and rehabilitation by her cardiology experiences in the clinic setting. "I love listening to patients' stories. I learn what activities they enjoy, and I help them return to those activities. I can see my work impacting their lives."

She and her husband enjoy camping, hiking, family, spoiling their cat and riding their Harley on warm Minnesota days.

 
 
 

Molly McNaughton, NP

 

Molly McNaughton, N.P., was drawn to working in the field of pain management and rehabilitation while working in orthopedics at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. “After working with patients who have been faced with a loss of function, I find it very rewarding now to help patients get past their pain and recover a full range of activities in their lives,” said Molly. 

She works at helping patient’s identify an activity they have lost the ability to do and turn that into a goal for their recovery. “I recently had a hard-driving corporate lawyer who used to enjoy playing the piano to unwind,” said Molly. “He thought he’d never play again and his focus was getting back to work. However, with medical intervention and physical therapy, he is back to work and playing the piano again which has made him very happy.”

Molly received her Bachelor of Science and her Master’s of Science from the College of St. Catherine’s in Saint Paul. She is married and has four energetic daughters. In her free time, she enjoys walking and biking on family outings.
 
 
 

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

 

NP’s are advanced practice nurses who provide high-quality healthcare services similar to those of a doctor.  NPs diagnose and treat a wide-range of health problems. They have a unique approach and stress both care and cure, health promotion and patient education.

NPs have graduate, advanced education and clinical training beyond their registered nurse preparation. Most have master’s degrees and many have doctorates. Most NPs are nationally certified in their specialty area and are recognized as expert healthcare providers. 

NPs have been providing care for more than 43 years. The specialty was started in Colorado in 1965 and has spread across the U.S. As of 2007, there are 120,000 practicing NP’s.
 
 
 

Registered Nurses

 

Annie Fox, RN

 

Annie Fox, R.N., B.S.N., brings her experience in home health care nursing to Twin Cities Pain Clinic. “In both my work experience and my experience caring for my own family members, I have helped people with a wide range of pain issues. The psycho-social aspects of pain are most intriguing because it is so subjective. Everyone perceives their own pain differently. The challenge is to help them articulate it and then partnering with them to find workable solutions. It’s this challenge that motivates me every day,” said Annie.

Her fondness for literature first drew Annie to attend the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English writing. And then the highly-literate Annie heard her true calling to the field of nursing. She graduated from the University of St. Catherine’s with her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.

In her free time, Annie enjoys long-distance running and long-distance trail riding on her horse through the river valley in the east metro regional parks.