Staff:

Scott Hoffinger, MD

Dr. Hoffinger attended a six-year medical program at the University of Michigan. He completed a general surgery internship and orthopaedic residency at Yale University, followed by a year of pediatric orthopaedics and scoliosis training at the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Hoffinger spent four years on staff at Children's Hospital in Seattle before joining Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland.

Jim Policy, MD

Dr. Policy received his MD from the College of Medicine at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He completed his residency at Stanford University and a Pediatric Orthopaedic fellowship at Shriners Hospital in Portland, Ore.

Prior to joining the staff at Children's, Dr. Policy worked at Riverside Methodist Hospital and Stanford University Hospital. He has been actively involved in the care of pediatric and adolescent athletes since 1999, and enjoys scuba diving, running, backpacking and hiking.

Stephen Skinner, MD

Dr. Skinner received his MD at the University of Pittsburgh. He then did a surgery internship at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh and an orthopedics residency at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, affiliated with Pennsylvania State University, in Hershey. Dr. Skinner completed a fellowship in Pathokinesiology at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, Calif.

He returned to Pennsylvania to take a position as assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Penn State. He also did clinical work at the Hershey medical center and the Elizabethtown Hospital for Children and Youth, where he also held positions as director of the Kinesiology Laboratory, and chief of the Spina Bifida Service and Pediatric Head Trauma Team.

In 1984, Dr. Skinner joined the University of California, San Francisco, as an associate professor of Orthopaedics and Pediatrics; he spent 6 years building up their Orthopaedics service. He also began doing research at San Francisco’s Shriners Hospital for Children, where he became chief of the Orthopedics department, a position he held for 16 years before joining Children’s Hospital Oakland in 2007.

Dr. Skinner works out regularly, cycling, walking and lifting weights. He’s also relaxed for 43 years by playing guitar.

Michelle Cappello, MSPT
Management Coordinator/Physical Therapist

Michelle Cappello received her MS in physical therapy from Boston University. She is certified in PNF, a manual training method for stretching and strengthening. Michelle has worked with local young athletes in a variety of sports, including rowing, soccer, baseball, swimming, basketball, track, skiing, gymnastics and volleyball. Her rehabilitation programs are based on function and performance tailored to each individual athlete. Michelle is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association in both the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine sections. She is also an avid soccer player.

Bruce Valentine, PTA/ATC
Program Manager for Athletic Training Services
    
Bruce received his BS from California State University at Hayward in 1993. He majored in Kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training. He has been a board-certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) since 1993. Bruce became licensed as a physical therapy assistant with a degree from Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado in 2003.
   
Bruce served for 13 years as an athletic trainer and later as program director of the Sequoia Hospital Center for Sports Health. Bruce was a head athletic trainer at the high school and collegiate levels during that period of time. He has extensive experience working with football, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball teams as well as cross-country, track and field, and swimming. Bruce joined the Children's Hospital Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes in 2005. His particularly enjoys his teenage son’s soccer and baseball participation and the many outdoor activities that his family does together.

Robin Bousquet, MPT
Senior Physical Therapist

Robin received her BA in physical education from California State University, Chico, in 1992 and her MPT in physical therapy from Western University of Health Sciences in 1997.        

While at Chico, Robin taught swimming, played for the Chico State Women’s LaCrosse team, and was director of aerobics at Chico State University. At Western University, she presented her thesis on "Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Land versus Aquatic Therapy." After completing her education, Robin practiced throughout Southern California, working in outpatient and inpatient clinics at Shriner's Hospital, UCLA, St. Joseph's Hospital, and USC University Hospital

Robin was an avid ice skater with several courses in ballet and jazz. Other interests include running, rollerblading and hiking in the local foothills. She is very happy to return to the Bay Area and continues to pursue her interests in the rehabilitation and training of young athletes.

David Arakawa, MPT, CSCS
Physical Therapist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
    
David earned his master’s degree in physical therapy from Western University of Health Sciences in 2000. He has been a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) since 2002. David has worked with young athletes in a variety of sports, including baseball, swimming, basketball, volleyball, football and wrestling. His extensive knowledge of functional anatomy, biomechanics and rehabilitation/training principles enables him to provide optimal interventions for young athletes. 

Lang Ngov, MSPT, CSCS
Physical Therapist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
    
Lang Ngov is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.  She previously worked in sports medicine, outpatient orthopedics and pediatric sports medicine in Los Angeles.
   
Lang has taken continuing education courses on the pelvic girdle, functional manual therapy, spine assessment and treatment, Pilates, running/gait assessment and the functional relationships of the lower half of the body. She was certified as a kinesiotaping practitioner in 2004.
     
Lang enjoys traveling and the outdoors, especially running, rock climbing, hiking and beach activities. She has run two marathons and hopes to one day qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Tuan Mai, DPT, ATC, CSCS
Physical Therapist, Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
    
Tuan Mai received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from Samuel Merritt College and his BA from Pitzer College. He is also a certified athletic trainer (ATC) through the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.     
    
Tuan has worked with athletes in a variety of sports, including football, basketball, baseball, water polo, track and gymnastics. The Sports Medicine Center has helped combine his interest in sports medicine and pediatrics. His hobbies include playing basketball, lifting weights, and learning about business and finance.

Kristen Welsh, DPT
Physical Therapist
    
Kristen graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Samuel Merritt College in 2007. Kristen earned her B.S. degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology and a certificate in Kinesiotherapy, from California State University at Long Beach in 2002. Kristen was born and raised in Southern California before moving to the East Bay to pursue graduate school. 
    
Kristen is an all-around athlete with active interests in everything from surfing to rock-climbing. Kristen’s passion is basketball. She has been playing for over 17 years; her honors include being a Kodak All-American. Kristen is currently competing on a North American Chinese National Basketball team from Los Angeles that travels across the country to play teams from the United States and Canada. She has coached kids at multiple basketball camps in southern and northern California. Kristen’s other interests include snowboarding, skateboarding, running, mountain biking and baseball.
    
Kristen’s love of children and sports has kept her in northern California where she is currently working at the Sports Medicine Centers for Young Athletes in Walnut Creek and at Children’s Hospital Oakland. Kristen is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Orthopedic and Sports sections. She lectures to local sports clubs, YMCAs, coaches and parents about injury prevention programs, as well as assisting in running injury prevention classes for young athletes.

Ma'ayan Geller
Physical Therapy Aide

Maricela Guzman
Office Manager