Meet Our Director

Ann Fitzpatrick-Valenti, PT

Bio

Ann first developed an interest in physical therapy when she witnessed the improvements her grandfather experienced after he received home-based care from her future boss, Carl Gargiulo, PT, DPT.  This interest in the field led her to start working at Strulowitz & Gargiulo Physical Therapy in Jersey City as a physical therapy aide in 1987, and she then decided to advance her career and obtained a BS in Physical Therapy from Daemen College in 1991.

In 1992, Ann returned to Strulowitz & Gargiulo Physical Therapy, where she treated patients both in the office and in home-based settings.  She joined the Greenville Hospital staff in 2000 and became director the next year until the hospital closed in 2007.  The same year, she also played an active role in helping Strulowitz & Gargiulo Physical Therapy expand for the first time when it opened its second location in Bayonne.  Ann went on to become director of the Bayonne clinic in 2016, and has since been responsible for running the daily operations and ensuring a positive experience for all patients.

In her 27 years of experience as a physical therapist, Ann has provided treatment to a wide range of patients that includes all ages and activity levels.  She regularly sees a variety of conditions, but specializes in osteoporosis screenings, geriatrics, sports injuries, orthopedics, and worker’s compensation cases.  As an active member of her community, Ann also facilitates fall-prevention seminars and health fairs, and does work in several continued education fields, including geriatrics and osteoporosis.

Ann remained clinic director as Strulowitz & Gargiulo Physical Therapy and Twin Boro Physical Therapy began a partnership in 2019.  From her position, Ann will be spearheading efforts to broaden the scope of the rehabilitation services offered at Strulowitz & Gargiulo-Twin Boro Physical Therapy at Bayonne, and is helping to lead it in new directions that will serve the local patient population in a more comprehensive way.  She uses a personalized, one-on-one approach to treatment that carefully guides patients through every step of their progression, starting with impairment and eventually to full functionality.  Her management strategy closely correlates with Twin Boro’s One2Four^TM Care Model to determine the “right level of health care” for each individual.  This unique approach looks at the entire continuum of care for each patient, which ranges from a relatively low level of function—such as immediately after surgery—all the way through to peak performance and return to activity.  She also strives to incorporate evidence-based practices into her treatment protocols as often as possible.