Gundersen St. Joseph's welcomes Kody Vaassen to Rehab team

Gundersen St. Joseph's is proud to welcome local physical therapist Kody Vaassen, DPT, to its rehabilitation team. 

Vaassen, a native of Elroy and former three-sport athlete at Royall High School, joined the team in May after completing UW-La Crosse's Physical Therapy program with a doctorate in physical therapy and has already made an impact with patients and staff alike. 

"He's a great addition to the team," says Ashley Thayer, PT, director of rehabilitation at Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics. "He's come to us straight out of therapy school and you can tell he has a lot of passion for what he does." 

Vaassen began his pursuit of a career in physical therapy after an accident in 8th grade. "It was thanksgiving morning and I fell out of an 18-foot tree stand, injuring my hip," says Vaassen, who grew up on a farm outside of Elroy. "I was helped out of the woods safely by a physical therapy assistant and then needed physical therapy to help me get back to playing sports again." 

When asked what aspects of physical therapy interest him the most, Vaassen replied, "As of right now, everything interests me. Physical therapy allowed me to get back to playing sports, something I loved. I'm looking forward to being able to give back and help others continue to pursue their passions in life." 

For more information on rehabilitation at Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics, visit gundersenhealth.org/st-josephs/hospital/rehabilitation.