JEANNIE MARIE BERNSTEIN
Jeannie Bernstein was a member of the MTI Physical Therapy family for several years, serving as our Human Resources Manager.
Jeannie passed away on November 4, 2013 after a heroic battle with cancer. We were truly blessed to have not only known her, but to have had her serve as a vital part of our company.
She transformed MTI on the HR side and helped us to move our company to the next level. We miss her every day.
In her memory, we have renamed the Distinguished Service Award to the Jeannie Bernstein Distinguished Service Award.
Jeannie was the first recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in 2012, so we felt it was fitting to keep her memory alive in this way.
BRAD S. JORDAN
PT, DMT, FAAOMPT (Hon)
Brad left us June 15th, 2015, peacefully in his sleep, after a long and heroic struggle with cancer and various related health issues. Brad was a primary instructor and mentor to MTI’s founding members, as they completed one of the first manual therapy residency programs in the US from 1990-1991. After MTI was formed in 1998, and progressed to offering full time clinical training through the Ola Grimsby Institute for orthopedic residencies and manual therapy fellowships, Brad served as the primary instructor teaching all of our clinicians up until the year of his passing. His skill as a clinician and instructor will forever have an impact on MTI PT clinics and their practitioners.
Brad began his career in physical therapy in 1977 after graduating from the University of Washington School of Medicine, Division of Rehabilitation Medicine in Physical Therapy. Since then he had an illustrious career that included being a Governor’s Appointee to the Health Services Advisory Council for the State of Washington in 1996, serving two terms as Treasurer for the Physical Therapy Association of Washington State, being recognized as the Clinician of the Year for HealthSouth in 2002, and teaching post‐professional courses and programs in manual therapy all over the world. Brad was the CEO, COO and Director of Clinical Education of the Ola Grimsby Institute where he taught residencies, fellowships and continuing education courses for many years. He was also honored with a Doctorate in Manual Therapy from the Ola Grimsby Institute and an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. Brad owned, operated and built many physical therapy practices in his almost 40 years of being “in the business,” though perhaps most of all, he will be missed as a master clinician, respected and honored instructor and confidant to many of his thousands of students.
Brad was best known for his clinical knowledge, sense of humor and ability to make anyone feel comfortable in any situation that he was a part of. His boundless energy and enthusiasm, wonderfully wicked sense of humor, and always at‐the‐ready mischievous smile were always a reminder that someone very special was present.
In his memory, we have renamed the Clinician of the Year Award to the Brad S Jordan Award for Clinical Excellence.
ROB TILLMAN
PT, MOMT, FAAOMPT
Rob Tillman lost his battle with cancer on October 17, 2026. He was far more than an exceptional physical therapist — Rob was a visionary leader, a passionate advocate for our profession, a generous mentor, and a cherished friend. His influence has touched countless lives, including many current and former MTI employees, as well as Scott and Jim, who were fortunate to know him as both a mentor and a friend. His passing leaves an enormous void, but his legacy will continue to shape our profession and the people he inspired.
Rob dedicated his life to advancing physical therapy through clinical excellence, education, research, and leadership. After graduating in 1986, he entered the first full-time postgraduate residency program in manual therapy and orthopedics at the Sørlandets Institute, later known as the Ola Grimsby Institute. As a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT), Rob became internationally recognized for his research on the lumbopelvic system and his landmark contributions to the understanding and treatment of the thoracic and cervical spine. His expertise extended into elite sports medicine, where he designed rehabilitation and performance programs for professional athletes across baseball, football, basketball, and golf, including a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, an NBA championship-winning power forward, and a four-time world long-drive golf champion. Whether working within large healthcare organizations or through his private practice group, Ortho Rehab & Specialty Centers in Little Rock, Arkansas, Rob consistently elevated the standards of our profession. He was proud to have his clinic(s) be the first racially integrated physical therapy centers in Little Rock.
Yet, as remarkable as his professional accomplishments were, Rob’s greatest legacy may be found in the people he lifted up and the doors he worked tirelessly to open for others. He understood that advancing physical therapy meant more than advancing clinical science. It meant creating opportunity, challenging inequity, and ensuring that the profession welcomed and represented the communities it serves.
For decades, Rob devoted his leadership, energy, and heart to the American Academy of Physical Therapy (AAPT), an organization founded in the early 1990s to address racial disparities and expand opportunity within the physical therapy profession. Serving as its president at the time of his passing, Rob worked to build bridges, restore relationships, and move the profession toward greater equity and inclusion. Among his many accomplishments was rebuilding a meaningful relationship with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), including developing a close personal friendship with former APTA President Sharon Dunn. Together, they helped advance important conversations and initiatives toward a more inclusive profession.
Rob understood that meaningful progress is rarely a straight line. He and the founding members of the AAPT witnessed decades of advances and setbacks in the pursuit of racial equity, both within physical therapy and throughout society. Even as recent opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives threatened to reverse hard-won progress, Rob remained steadfast in his convictions. He approached these challenges with courage, dignity, persistence, and an unwavering belief that our profession could, and should, be better. His leadership was not simply about changing policies or organizations; it was about changing lives.
For more than a decade, MTI has been proud to support AAPT through monthly contributions, reflecting our respect for Rob’s leadership and our shared commitment to the principles he championed. That relationship has always represented something deeply personal to us: the belief that excellence in our profession must be accompanied by integrity, compassion, opportunity, and service to others.
Those who knew Rob will remember not only his extraordinary knowledge and accomplishments, but also his generosity in sharing them. He gave his time, his wisdom, his encouragement, and his friendship freely. He challenged us to think more deeply, to lead more courageously, and to recognize our responsibility to those who follow in our footsteps. He demonstrated that true leadership is measured not by the recognition we receive, but by the opportunities we create for others.
Rob was a force for good in physical therapy, a mentor to generations, and a friend whose influence will endure long beyond his passing. We honor him not only for all that he accomplished, but for who he was, what he stood for, and the lives he changed along the way.
To Rob’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many people whose lives he touched, we extend our deepest sympathy and love.
Thank you, Rob, for your friendship, your courage, your mentorship, and your unwavering commitment to making our profession better. We are profoundly grateful to have walked part of this journey with you. Your legacy lives on in all of us.
Rest in peace, our friend. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten.