2025 Keynote Speaker
Yoav Dori, MD, PhD
Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist; Director of the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Dr. Yoav Dori is an attending pediatric interventional cardiologist and Director of the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Dori is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
Dr. Dori earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and went on to complete a pediatric residency and pediatric cardiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Dori also completed an interventional cardiology and cardiac MRI fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Dori’s team has already discovered the lymphatic role in a handful of complex diseases affecting patients with CHD including chylothorax, plastic bronchitis, and PLE. Their work is centered on developing new lymphatic imaging and interventional techniques and they intend to clarify the role of the lymphatic system in diseases affecting pediatric patients. They aim to better understand the interface between the lymphatic and cardiovascular system.
2025 Speakers
Carmen Anderson, MS, CCC, SLP
Reimbursement & Market Access Consultant
Carmen is a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) with a blend of clinical expertise, reimbursement knowledge, and durable medical equipment (DME) industry insight. Her hands-on clinical experience provides her with an understanding of the challenges patients face and the intricacies of delivering effective care. Carmen has engaged with medical device and insurance companies nationwide to provide education, facilitate product coverage, effect positive changes in medical policies, and collaborate to secure new contracts.
Over the past two years, Carmen has partnered with the U.S. Medical Compression Alliance (USMCA) to support the implementation of the Lymphedema Treatment Act. This effort involved advocating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and their contractors to promote coding, coverage, and reimbursement for lymphedema compression products.
Carmen’s unique perspective and passion for bridging the gap between health care providers, payers, patients, and the industry continues to drive her towards obtaining quality interactions and outcomes for all stakeholders.
Stefanos Boukovalas, MD
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Since joining the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Dr. Boukovalas has led the development of the Comprehensive Lymphedema Service and is co-chair of the TN Chapter of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network. His clinical interests include oncologic and trauma reconstruction, microsurgery, lymphedema surgery, general plastic and cosmetic surgery. His passions involve innovative and cutting-edge surgical techniques, including DIEP and PAP flaps for breast reconstruction, neurotized free flaps, head and neck reconstruction using virtual surgical planning (VSP), targeted muscle re-innervation (TMR), and lymphovenous bypass surgery using super-microsurgery techniques.
On the academic side, Dr. Boukovalas has a strong interest in research, surgical education and contributing to scientific societies. He is involved in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery. He also has participated in several national scientific committees and served as a member of task forces contributing to guideline development and patient care quality improvement. His research is focused on clinical outcomes, healthcare disparities and guideline development. Dr. Boukovalas has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles along with five individual book chapters and presented research in multiple regional, national and international conferences. He has earned several prestigious research and teaching awards, including the Resident Alpha Omega Alpha, Outstanding Plastic Surgery Resident and the ASRM Outstanding Paper Awards.
Dr. Boukovalas was born and raised in Athens, Greece. He earned his medical degree at the University of Athens School of Medicine. After completing his Plastic Surgery Residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, he moved onto a fellowship in Microsurgery and Complex Reconstruction at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Lauren Brown, MSOT, OTR/L, CLT-LANA
Rocky Mountain Lymphedema and Cancer Rehab
Lauren has been providing expert lymphedema services and oncology rehab since 2018. Lauren has extensive experience in treating people of all ages with and without cancer diagnoses.
Lauren’s goal is to meld current research with functional and practical application of therapy intervention. Your treatment will be individualized to your needs with the goal of optimizing your quality of life.
Lauren was born and raised in Colorado. As a native, the Rocky Mountains have always brought a sense of healing, security and joy. Lauren aims to bring these same values into her treatment so that you, too, can feel a sense of happiness and success.
Andrea L. Cheville, MD
Physiatrist
Steven M. Dean, DO, MSVM, RPVI
Director, Vascular Medicine Program, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Steven M. Dean, DO, MSVM, RPVI, is director of the Vascular Medicine Program, director of Cardiovascular Medicine’s Noninvasive Peripheral Vascular Laboratory and professor of clinical medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
His postgraduate training included a residency in internal medicine and fellowship in vascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Dr. Dean has published many articles and book chapters on topics related to vascular medicine and is a frequent lecturer at national meetings on vascular related diseases. He has co-edited three vascular medicine textbooks including the Color Atlas and Synopsis of Vascular Medicine (winner of the 2014 “highly commended” cardiology textbook award by the British Medical Association).
Dr. Dean is an examination writer for the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and is a board member of the American Vein and Lymphatic Society.
Linda Hodgkins, MS, OTR/L, CLT-LANA
Lymphedema Clinical Program Manager
Linda has been an Occupational Therapist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist since 1997. She is the Lymphedema Program Manager at Hartford Healthcare Rehabilitation Network in Connecticut. Her passion is to promote a higher standard of care for lymphedema services that is effective and evidence-based. She presented the keynote address at the 2019 Klose Lymphedema Conference on Program Growth through Standardizations: The Hartford HealthCare Model, and at the 2020 NLN Conference Dosing for Lymphedema Therapy: Treatment Protocols for Success.
The lymphedema program at Hartford HealthCare was awarded the designation of Center of Excellence for Conservative Care by LE&RN in 2020. Linda is a faculty member of Klose Training and Consulting.
Katherine “Kayte” Forester, PT, DPT, OCS, CLT
Staff Therapist, Texas Physical Therapy Specialists
Born and raised in Grand Prairie, TX, Kayte attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, majoring in Kinesiology. Intrigued by the field of academia and research, she decided to pursue graduate school at Texas State University. As a graduate student, Kayte collaborated with the exercise science, nutrition, and physical therapy departments to research behavior change theories, and at that time decided to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. Kayte went on to attend South College in Knoxville, TN, where she graduated with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
In her first year of practice, she completed an orthopedic residency and became a board-certified orthopedic specialist. She then earned her CLT through Klose Training and became a LANA certified.
Kayte’s main focuses of practice are orthopedics conditions and lymphatics/chronic swelling. She is passionate about the lymphatic system and how the field of physical therapy can better intervene and treat swelling. She has co-authored two courses over this topic. Kayte is also passionate about teaching. She serves as adjunct faculty for South College DPT programs and teaches in the residency program for her company.
Outside of the clinic, you can find her pushing her son in the stroller, playing with her dogs, floating in any (fresh) body of water, listening to her husband’s live music, painting, and fishing.
John Jordi, PTA, CLT-LANA, CI, ASTYM
Physical Therapist Assistant
John received training as a Physical Therapist Assistant from St. Catherine University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1993. In 2007, he earned a B.S. in Business Administration (summa cum laude) from Bryan College, Dayton, Tennessee.
John has been a therapist for 27 years. For nearly 22 years he has specialized in the treatment of lymphedema. Currently, he is the Clinical Manager for Juzo USA. He also continues to work to work directly with patients and physicians in a vascular clinic, specializing in compression and difficult custom garment fittings. His background includes management as clinic director of a lymphedema program at benchmark physical therapy. Additionally he has experience in treatment of strokes, brain injuries, wound care and orthopedics.
John is also an adjunct instructor for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he teaches the lymphedema portion of the doctorate physical therapy program. He is a senior instructor for Academy of Lymphatic Studies (ACOLS) and has been with them since 2008.
John has been published 4 times and provides the clinical expertise for the research publications with Vanderbilt University and Western Carolina University. These articles have appeared in Radiology, Journal of Lymphoedema, and Lymphatic Research and Biology. John also consults with other universities and businesses in continued research related to lymphedema. John also offers no-charge seminars to therapists in his area on topics such as: difficult garment fittings, billing issues and wrapping techniques for therapists.
While John managed the Siskin Hospital lymphedema program, the facility was noted in two journals: MD News, for its inpatient and outpatient program, and Rehab Management Journal, for providing one of only two inpatient programs for Stage 3 lymphedema patients which he initiated. He also managed a free fitting clinic twice a month to any lymphedema patients who had need, he initiated a patient endowment fund at Siskin Hospital to assist patients with the cost of compression garments and he organized a support group for those with lymphedema.
John has had the opportunity to speak about lymphedema and compression at various national conferences such as: Juzo Power, Klose Training, National Lymphedema Network and American Vein and Lymphatic Society.
Ron J. Karni, MD
Chief, Division of Head & Neck Surgical Oncology
Ron J. Karni, MD, serves as Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery for The John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He obtained his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine and then completed his residency training at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine.
Dr. Karni has authored publications on the novel treatment of occult primary oropharyngeal cancer (the unknown primary) and practical tools to integrate evidence-based methods into the daily practice of medicine. His research focus includes de-escalation treatment strategies for throat cancer, morphoproteomic analysis of head and neck cancer, and HPV-related malignancies of the head and neck.
Dr. Karni is co-Principal Investigator on a CPRIT grant studying new treatments for head and neck lymphedema using near infrared fluorescent technology. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.
Dr. Karni’s practice focuses on the management of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, including throat cancer, oral cancer, larynx cancer, locally advanced skin cancer, salivary gland tumors, and thyroid/parathyroid disease. He performs transoral robotic surgery for tumors of the throat, a modern approach to minimizing the side effects of treatment for throat cancer. Dr. Karni also performs ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy for thyroid nodules and minimally-invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Guenter Klose, MLD/CDT Certified Instructor, CLT-LANA
Founder of Klose Training & Consulting, LLC
Guenter Klose received his initial Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) and Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) training in 1984 at the Foeldi Clinic in Hinterzarten, Germany. Specializing in the treatment of Lymphedema, he became certified in 1987 as an instructor for MLD/CDT by the German Massage Therapy and Physical Therapy Association and continued working as instructor at the Foeldi Schools in Freiburg and Munich, Germany.
In 1990, Guenter came to the United States to assist Dr. Robert Lerner in establishing the first CDT treatment center for lymphedema patients located in New York City. Guenter’s work was instrumental in establishing the field of lymphedema therapy and training in the U.S. He assisted in opening numerous lymphedema treatment centers on the East Coast.
In 2003, Guenter established his own lymphedema training and consulting company, an organization dedicated to providing the highest quality lymphedema therapy training available. Guenter has facilitated the training of hundreds of lymphedema therapists from across the country and abroad.
Guenter has lectured extensively in the United States, Europe, and South America. His activities include presentations at the National Lymphedema Network Conferences, lecturing at physicians’ meetings in a large number of hospitals, as well as numerous lymphedema support groups across the country. He is the Program Director of the biannual Klose Training & Consulting Lymphedema Conference. Here in the U.S., Guenter actively treats lymphedema patients and teaches classes for MLD/CDT several times a year.
Guenter was a founding member of the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA) and served on the LANA Board of Directors from 1999-2004.
Jean LaMantia, Registered Dietitian
Nutrition Expert for Cancer, Lymphedema and Lipedema
Jean LaMantia is a registered dietitian, cancer survivor and author of three books on the topics of: Lymphedema, Cancer and Intermittent Fasting. She is also the creator of daily and weekly journals to help individuals with lymphedema, lipedema and food sensitivities track and learn about the impact of diet and self-care on their health.
She is the creator and facilitator of Lymphedema Nutrition School, an on-line program to help people living with lymphedema as well as a professional CE course for dietitians and lymphedema therapists to help educate and advocate for nutritional management of lymphedema. She has also created other short courses and webinars on various topics related to lymphedema, cancer and complementary therapies.
She lives in Toronto, Canada, where she has a virtual private practice. You can find out more about Jean and read her blog at jeanlamantia.com.
Joy Macheel, PT, DPT, CLT- CWS
Associate Faculty Member, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Joy Macheel earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the Mayo School of Health Sciences in 2011 and is currently pursuing a PhD in Medical and Health Professions Education at Eastern Virginia Medical School. In March 2014, she became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist through Klose Training and also attended Klose Training’s Lymphedema Advanced & Review class at the Foeldi Clinic in Hinterzarten, Germany in 2016.
Joy serves as an associate faculty member in the Program in Physical Therapy at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, MN, where she instructs on integumentary conditions and documentation. She holds certifications as a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncology Physical Therapy, a Certified Wound Specialist, and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist.
Currently based at Mayo Clinic Health System – Mankato in the outpatient setting, Joy’s clinical focus includes lymphedema/chronic edema, oncology, wound care, and pelvic floor physical therapy. She leads the clinic’s oncology rehabilitation team and collaborates closely with the local cancer center, specializing in a comprehensive range of oncology rehabilitation services, prospective surveillance programs for breast cancer, and pre- and post-operative assessments for breast and head & neck cancer diagnoses. Joy has presented at national conferences and has research interests in health professions education.
Tammy E. Mondry, PT, DPT, MSRS, CLT-LANA
Lymphedema Therapy Certification Instructor, Klose Training & Consulting
Tammy Mondry has been a licensed Physical Therapist since 1989, obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She obtained her Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from MGH Institute of Health Professions, the Allied Health affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mondry is a Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist, obtaining her training through the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute. Dr. Mondry is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist and has been board certified by the Lymphology Association of North America since 2001.
Dr. Mondry obtained her certification as a Lymphedema Therapist in 1997 having trained under Guenter Klose, the founder of Klose Training and Consulting. Prior to her faculty appointment, Dr. Mondry has taught professional continuing education courses, lectured at universities, presented at professional conferences, and has multiple publications in many peer-reviewed journals regarding the evaluation, assessment and treatment of lymphedema. She previously served as a content expert for UpToDate regarding the treatment of lymphedema and continues to provide expert medical reviews of challenging lymphedema cases world-wide for TELADOC. She serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Committee for the National Lymphedema Network.
Dr. Mondry started her career in lymphedema at the Naval Medical Center – San Diego in 1997 before opening her first private practice in 2004. She remains self-employed currently operating her private practice Coastal Edema Care in Encinitas, CA.
Linda Roherty, CLT-LANA
Associate Instructor for Lymphedema Therapy Certification, Klose Training
Linda took her initial lymphedema therapy training in 1998 and since then has amassed additional hours of specialty training in lymphatic disorders. Throughout her career, Linda has focused on patient treatment and educating the medical community on lymphatic disorders and patient treatments. In 1998, she worked at Sherman Hospital for 10 years with an emphasis in lymphedema and wound care. In 2008, she joined Presence St. Joseph Hospital to develop the oncology rehabilitation program with special attention on lymphedema. Linda returned to Advocate Sherman Hospital from 2017-2019, where she focused on standards of care for oncology rehabilitation and lymphedema treatment. In 2019, Linda joined HCA StoneCrest Medical Center’s team of lymphedema and oncology rehabilitation therapists to be part of a center of excellence.
Linda joined Klose Norton Training & Consulting, LLC in 2000 as an Associate Instructor for Lymphedema Therapy Certification courses and taught for three years. In 2005, she rejoined Klose Training and continues to teach nationally and internationally.
Linda earned her CLT-LANA credentials in May 2001. She was elected to the Lymphology Association of North America’s Board of Directors in 2000, acted as Vice President of LANA from 2002–2005, and served as Secretary from 2010-2014. She also is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, its Acute Care & Oncology section and the National Lymphedema Network.
Linda lectures nationally and internationally on lymphedema and oncology rehabilitation. She is an important resource to many therapists who are setting up lymphedema programs or needing assistance with difficult-to-treat patients. She is a 1989 graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Physical Therapy.
Eva Sevick-Muraca, PhD
Professor & Director, IMM-Center for Molecular Imaging
Eva M. Sevick-Muraca, PhD, is Professor and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Disease Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center’s Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) where she currently directs the Center for Molecular Imaging. At the IMM she leads the National Cancer Institute Center for Translational Research which focuses upon the development and validation of new imaging instrumentation, algorithms, and imaging agents and their clinical translation. She has pioneered the development of near-infrared fluorescence optical imaging and tomography for molecular imaging and currently has two clinical trials underway at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Memorial Hermann Hospital that employ the technology for novel diagnostic imaging of lymphatic function. Her team is active in preclinical, small animal imaging with nuclear and optical techniques and is pioneering diagnostic imaging for nodal staging in cancer.
Dr. Sevick received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University with Rakesh Jain, her post-doctoral training in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania with Britton Chance, and has served on the faculties at Vanderbilt, Purdue, Texas A&M as well as Baylor College of Medicine. She is past recipient of the National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, the National Institutes of Health Research Career Award, and the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award and has served as an appointed member of the Biomedical Imaging Study section, associate editor of the IEEE Transactions of Medical Imaging, and officer of the Society of Molecular Imaging.
Robert J. Sollaccio, MD
Medical Director, Mat-Su Valley Cancer Center
Robert J. Sollaccio, MD, serves as medical director at Mat-Su Valley Cancer Center. Prior to joining Advanced Oncology Associates, Dr. Sollaccio served as Medical Director and Chairman of Radiation Oncology at Florida Hospital Cancer Institute for 20 years.
After obtaining his medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine and completing a surgical internship at Carraway Methodist Medical Center, Dr. Sollaccio completed his Radiation Oncology residency training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he served as Chief Resident for two years. He was a strategic partner in bringing innovative technologies in oncology to central Florida. High Dose Rate Brachytherapy, GammaKnife Radiosurgery, Intravascular Brachytherapy, Total Body Irradiation, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy are examples of new technologies introduced to the community as Medical Director.
An active member in clinical research, including Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Gynecology Oncology Group, and Southwest Oncology Group, he participated as the clinical instructor to Gynecologic Oncology fellows and the University of Central Florida Medical School. Dr. Sollaccio is board certified in Radiation Oncology. Experienced in all areas of oncology, Dr. Sollaccio’s special interests include breast cancer, brain tumors, prostate cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer.
Dr. Sollaccio is passionate about clinical care, fly fishing, skiing, and outdoor Alaskan adventures. Dr. Sollaccio is privileged to serve on the Board of Directors for The Children’s Place. Located in Wasilla, AK, The Children’s Place’s mission is “to offer hope and healing to children and families impacted by child abuse and neglect through a coordinated community response.”
Joshua Trock, DPT, CLT-LANA
Doctor of Physical Therapy and Lymphedema
Joshua Trock is the Doctor of Physical Therapy and Lymphedema Specialist at San Antonio’s leading vein treatment center, Medical Vein Clinic. He has more than a decade of experience caring for patients suffering from various forms of lymphatic disease. He is passionate about creating novel and adaptive plans of care that positively impact the socioeconomic, emotional, and relational outcomes for lymphedema and lipedema patients and their caregivers.
After receiving his doctorate in Physical Therapy from UT Health San Antonio in 2011, he went on to complete his CLT with Klose Lymphedema Training that same year. Joshua developed the first and only in-home lymphedema treatment program in South Texas. During his work with a locally owned home health company, he grew the program, training a large team of treating therapists to care for hundreds of patients throughout multiple counties. Through this volume and assortment of cases, he developed and optimized the best practices for the diversity of venous-lymphatic disorders along with associated wound care.
Joshua is accredited with the Lymphedema Association of North America (LANA), certified as an Edema Wound Specialist through Norton Lymphedema Training, certified as an Exercise Expert for Aging Adults through the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy, and certified through APCA for diagnostic ultrasound physics.
Jan Weiss, PT, DHS, CLT
Lymphedema Therapy Certification Instructor, Klose Training & Consulting
Jan Weiss is a 1977 graduate of Indiana University and completed her Doctor of Health Science degree from the University of Indianapolis in 2010. She has worked as a physical therapist at numerous locations in the United States and Germany, as she and her family often moved during the years her husband served in the military.
Jan moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 1994 to continue her career in physical therapy in Outpatient Rehabilitation at CoxHealth. After receiving her MLD/CDT certification in 1996, she established the Lymphedema Clinic at Cox and until her retirement in 2019. She served as the Lymphedema Resource Therapist for her hospital, while treating a variety of patients with edema and lymphedema.
Her professional interests include clinical research and teaching. She has presented studies at national and international lymphedema conferences, has taught for Klose Training since 2000, and is on the physical therapy faculty at Missouri State University. Professional accomplishments include developing the Lymphedema Life Impact Scale (LLIS), a validated quality-of-life outcome measure used in clinics across the country. Additionally, she has authored and co-authored numerous research articles in the field of lymphedema.
Jan received her CLT certification in October 2001 and served on the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA) Board of Directors from 2003-2009.
Jodi Winicour, PT, CMT, CLT-LANA
Course Instructor, Physical Therapist, Klose Training and Consulting
Jodi Winicour graduated from Indiana University’s Physical Therapy program in 1993 and received her massage therapy certification in 1997 from Michigan’s Health Enrichment Center. Initially practicing general orthopedic physical therapy at Community Hospital East’s Outpatient Physical Therapy Department in Indianapolis, Indiana, she began specializing in the treatment of cancer patients in 1998 and lectured for the Physical Therapy Department of Indiana University.
Jodi was certified as an MLD/CDT Therapist by Klose Norton Training & Consulting in 1998. She received her CLT-LANA Certification in October, 2001.
In 2000, Jodi joined Cedars Sinai Medical Center where she worked to develop and expand the oncology and lymphedema program in Los Angeles for seven years. Since 2007, she has treated patients with lymphedema, cancer-related dysfunction, and orthopedic issues at Longmont United Hospital in Longmont, Colorado.
In addition to her work as a full-time clinician, Jodi has served as a class instructor for Klose Training & Consulting’s Lymphedema Therapy Certification course since 2000. She is also the author and instructor for one of Klose Training’s most successful continuing education courses, “Breast Cancer Rehabilitation.”
Jodi has taught and presented at courses and conferences across the United States and in Europe on the topics of lymphedema and breast cancer rehabilitation.
