Sally first joined the Kootenay Health Services team in 2003 and after taking a few years off, she found she couldn’t stay away from the fun and returned in 2011. Come into the office and you’ll find Sal’s smiling face behind the front desk, where she makes sure that clients get connected to the right services from KHS’ professional practitioners when they need them most.

When she’s not at the office she can be found on the slopes with her family, or discussing the qualities of a good bottle of wine, or, a great book, with her book club.

Dr Kyle is a fellowship trained sport and exercise medicine physician with expertise and
experience in sport injury assessment, diagnosis and treatment, performance athletics
and injury prevention strategies through physical activity. She has extensive experience
in this capacity from working with professional, national and Olympic athletes as well as with people of all types of athletic backgrounds and abilities.

With expertise in acute sport injury, overuse injury management, optimizing
performance and injury prevention; she is well versed in current management of these
conditions and continues to evaluate new evidence-based treatments.

Bridging treatment with physiotherapists, kinesiologists, occupational therapists, athletic therapists, chiropractors and other skilled health care professionals as well as other physicians provides optimal multidisciplinary care for you. Your family physician remains the cornerstone of your care coordination and every effort is taken to keep your family physician involved in your care.

She has experience in specialized areas of athlete care, including:
• Non-operative management of sport injuries
• Overuse injuries
• Acute injury diagnosis and management
• High performance athletics
• Stress fractures
• Concussions
• Exercise in pregnancy
• Female athlete triad
• Aging athletes
• Team sport health and performance concerns
• Pre-participation physical exams
• Return-to-play decisions
Appointments Dr. Sharisse Kyle requires a referral from your family doctor or another
physician, and the fees for most services are covered under the Medical Services Plan
(MSP).

After finishing her Bachelor of Arts psychology degree at UBC in 2005, Karin spent an immensely rewarding five years supporting individuals with physical and developmental challenges in a variety of settings. Along the way she was inspired by occupational therapists (OTs) that used client-centered and evidence-based approaches to understanding and supporting clients – thus began her pursuit of a higher education. She is now a registered OT (UBC master of OT graduate) with experience in acute care, mental health, community outreach, paediatric, occupational rehabilitation and stroke rehabilitation settings. She believes that participation in one’s chosen activities is vital to health and well-being and is thrilled to be part of the KHS team! In her spare time she loves to socialize, dance, create, and get outside as much as possible to enjoy beautiful Kootenay experiences on the mountains and waters.

Jen McNutt grew up in Calgary, Alberta where she was very active in figure skating, gymnastics, snowboarding, hiking and running. She completed her Masters in Physiotherapy at the University of Alberta in 2009, after which she moved to Nelson, BC to start a career and family. Jen is committed to enhancing the overall physical health, fitness and quality of life of her clients through one-on-one, individualized physical therapy programs focused on a client’s goals. She is a life-long learner and continues to expand her knowledge base. Over the last decade, she has completed courses in muscle mobilization, Orthopaedic Manual and Manipulative physical therapy, GunnIMS, and functional movement. She has also completed her certification in Hand Therapy. Most recently, Jen has embarked on pursuing education in pelvic floor therapy and has completed courses in urinary incontinence.

In her life outside of Kootenay Health, Jen also does canine physiotherapy. Additionally, she loves to spend time hiking with her family and dogs, trail running, figure skating, snowboarding and discovering all the beauty the Kootenays has to offer.

Jane Byers has been an ergonomist since the mid-1990’s. She is a full member of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists as well as the Vocational Rehabilitation Association. She competed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Hon) in 1990. She has prevented injuries and facilitated return to work with firefighters and construction labourers, truck drivers and office clerks. She is focused on injury prevention through ergonomic design and fostering resilience in workers with disabilities. Jane is passionate about her family and writing poetry. She loves hiking, road cycling and Nordic skiing.

Emma Haley was born and raised in Nelson, B.C. After graduating from L.V. Rogers’s high school, she attended Selkirk College for two years before moving to Vancouver to finish her undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia. She then went on to achieve a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Since graduating with her MSc. OT, Emma has been working in private practice since 2015. Emma is committed to providing client-centred care and believes that education and building self-management strategies are key components to a client’s recovery from illness or injury. Emma was drawn to Occupational Therapy largely in part because of the holistic approach taken to restoring client’s function and increasing independence in daily activities through evidence-based practice.

Emma’s practice interests include cognitive assessment and intervention, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, mental health, return to work, functional and cognitive capacity evaluations, cost of future care, medical-legal and concussion management. Emma is committed to professional growth and continuing education in order to provide the most relevant treatments to her clients and feels fornature to be a part of an innovative and forward thinking team of clinicians at KHS.

Emma is passionate about skiing, paddle boarding, travelling, hiking, running and gardening. She loves laughing with her fiance and spending time with her two cats.

Devon was heavily influenced to pursue a career in health and fitness by her love of running cross country and track in high school. She graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree in 2005 and has since worked in numerous capacities. She started as a brace fitter and orthotic technician in Vancouver. After a move took her to Victoria, she pursued personal training and soon settled into the kinesiology role. Charmed by the Kootenay lifestyle, Devon moved to Nelson in 2013. She has since worked with clients in occupational rehabilitation programs, injury rehabilitation, and fitness assessment. With a focus on correcting biomechanics, injury prevention, and functional fitness, Devon loves working one-on-one with clients and has motivated many to great results.

Devon joined Kootenay Health Services in 2018. As a kinesiologist, she provides exercise programming and education for the Worksafe Occupational Rehabilitation program, which operates at the clinic. Devon also offers private kinesiology sessions, guided by the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and corrective exercises. Breathwork, Movnat and Strongfirst kettlebell disciplines strongly influence her programming.

Devon currently uses kettlebells to strength train and keep up with her two little girls. She and her family are passionate about nutrition and enjoy reaping the nutrient dense foods they grow in their garden. Devon also loves knitting, sewing, sunshine and her Bengal cat.

Hannah grew up in Summerland and Victoria, BC, where she developed a passion for being outdoors through backpacking and rowing. In 2014 she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Human Kinetics from the University of Guelph, then took a year off to travel and hike in New Zealand. She completed her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta in 2017.
After graduation, Hannah moved to Kamloops where she worked in community mental health and substance use services, as well as in tertiary psychiatric care. She has completed additional training in motivational interviewing, concussion management, suicide intervention skills, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She is passionate about the integration of mental and physical health practices to enable clients to engage in meaningful daily occupations. Hannah is delighted to be working with the team at Kootenay Health Services to assist in providing quality and holistic health care services to individuals on their recovery journey.

In her spare time, Hannah spends her time rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, knitting, and trying to pet as many dogs as possible!

Sophie was inspired to pursue a career in Athletic and Exercise Therapy through her personal connection to injury and her love for fitness and extreme sports. Before embarking on her education, Sophie spent many years enjoying the Kootenay’s and all of its outdoor accessibility. Mountain biking, snowboarding, trail running, strength training and yoga occupied her time beyond work in the service industry.

She graduated in 2021 from Camosun College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic and Exercise Therapy. She is now a Certified Athletic Therapist through CATA, a registered Kinesieolgist with BCAK and a Certified First Responder. Sophie has completed Functional Movement Screening (FMS) training and continues to seek new knowledge to further assist her assessments and rehabilitation prescription. She’s passionate about helping others reach their
goals, just as she has been helped so many times.

Sophie has worked with Vancouver Island’s premier soccer league, the University of Victoria men’s Rugby team, and the Vikes Varsity Athlete Clinic at the University of Victoria. Here she treated varsity and Olympic level athletes both on-field and in the clinic. The high-volume settings and case load at each location allowed Sophie to encounter a variety of injuries and challenged her to use the skills learned in school. Working alongside Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Sports medicine doctors and Athletic Therapists allowed her to gain knowledge from many different professions.

Her approach to Athletic Therapy encompasses the whole body and encourages the client to be an active participant in their rehabilitation. Through diligent assessment of orthopaedic injuries her treatment plans will assist you in returning to the activities you love.

Travis Hauck is a dedicated cyclist whose passion for the sport and multiple achievements have given him international recognition. When he’s not participating in events, Travis trains hard and likes hanging out in the “pain cave”. Don’t be intimidated by his personal pleasures. He’s a friendly guy who is excited to motivate and inspire people during spin class.

Adding to Travis’s credibility he instructs mountain biking in the summer, cross country skiing in the winter and is a RAD Dad all year round!

“The reward for hard work is…more hard work”
~ Grandfather Dickson.

Jaime Frederick is an avid road cyclist and amateur endurance athlete with a lifetime of cycling experience. Over the last several years, he has completed numerous one-day rides of more than 200km, many century rides (162km), and even an “Everest” (8,848 m of elevation gain in one ride). He has also completed long-distance bike tours in Canada, the U.S. and Italy. On the spin bike, he likes big beats, tough climbs and all-out sprints. Jaime enjoys motivating riders to be their best and helping them achieve their health and fitness goals. He lives in Nelson, where he loves to be outdoors with his family, exploring all the splendour the Kootenays offer.

Dave is a sports medicine physician newly moved to the area from the UK where he had been working in elite and international level rugby in the Pro 14 as team physician for Cardiff Blues and the Wales Rugby Union (WRU) for the Wales U18 squad. In addition, Dave spent his time working in sports medicine clinics for the Military of Defence. He has a background as a trained physiotherapist (University of Southampton) prior to attending medical school (Cardiff University). He has since completed postgraduate studies in Sport and Exercise Medicine obtaining his DipSEM (UK). Dave has a keen interest in overuse injuries. He provides assessment, diagnosis and intervention (including corticosteroid and viscosupplementation where appropriate) as well as utilising ultrasound for musculoskeletal problems.

Outside of work he is a keen footballer (soccer), skier and enjoys spending time with his young family!

Raphael moved to BC from Quebec in 2020 to spend more time pursuing outdoors sports and activities. His passion for snowboarding and mountain biking as well as the community vibe made him choose the Kootenays as a place to call home.

He completed his master’s degree in the entrepreneurial profile from University Laval in 2019 and worked in private practice before moving to BC. During his studies, Raphael worked with many sports teams including football, hockey, and rugby. He spent 2 years working with a college football team and did his final internship with the University Laval football team, “Le Rouge et Or”. He developed a big interest in sports physiotherapy and gained a lot of field experience and knowledge during this period.

Raphael was an outdoor guide for 8 years, mostly guiding canoe expeditions on the beautiful rivers of Gaspésie. He understands the importance of sport in your life and he is committed to guiding you in your rehabilitation with a personalised approach. He loves to work in an active community such as Nelson.

Raphael can easily be found in the mountains splitboarding, snowboarding, mountain biking or hiking. He also loves brewing beer, scuba diving, canoe-camping and backcountry adventures.

Sports and being active have always been a big roll in my life. I have competed at world level in Tae Kwon Do and have competed in multiple Big Mountain snowboarding competitions. I enjoy running, functional movement, Split Boarding and much more.

The human body has always fascinated me and I am very passionate about helping others get back to the sports they love or the normal day to day activities they are having issues with. Sports massage isn’t just for athletes, everyone can benefit from it. Most peoples jobs and activities put different stresses and strains on their muscles and joints, a massage is a great way to help alleviate these problematic areas.

Whether it's pain relief, injury recovery and prevention or just for relaxation, I have the ability to help you.

Nicole moved to Nelson BC from Calgary AB where she was born and raised, about 3 years ago. She moved to the Kootenays to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and did she ever!

Living out in the woods in Ymir, Nicole spends her time when not at work, cuddling with her 13 year old Dog Odie, watching a good Murder Mystery show and enjoying a glass of wine.

In the summer she enjoys being outside walking the paths just outside her house, having a fire and soaking in the hot tub.

Nicole is very excited to have joined the KHS team and can't wait to see what the future holds!