Hear From Our Friends:
I had first originally stopped in here for hand therapy from an auto accident. The staff here were truly helpful in speeding up my recovery as well as providing beneficial information to help my recovery at home. I would highly recommend this location as well as the people here to anyone in the future looking for services, as they truly are experts at their profession, from the initial point of contact to the actual therapist everything was and has been amazing, I thank Donna, Brandon, Allie, Nidia, and Alejandra , and any others my memory has lest me forget; for their superb professionalism, compassion, kindness and quality care. Thank you.
-Stefanos G
Meet Our Staff






Donna M. Gilbert, OTR/L, CHT
Donna attended Kearney State in Nebraska and the University of Nebraska in Omaha before obtaining her B.S. in Occupational Therapy at Loma Linda University in California in 1992. She has enjoyed working in the specialty field of Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation for the past 23 years in Kansas City and Phoenix areas. She obtained her Hand Therapy Certification in 2001.
She joined the team at Desert Hand Therapy in 2001. She continues to treat patients daily as well as manage our North Phoenix, Glendale, and Estrella offices. She is an active member of AOTA, AriZota, NBCOT, and ASHT. Currently, she is the Legislative Co-chair for the Arizona Occupational Therapy Association.






Gaury Alfaro, PT, DPT, CIDN
Gaury graduated from Indiana University where she studied Human Biology. She later completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Midwestern University in Glendale. In addition to working with patients, Gaury serves as adjunct faculty at Grand Canyon University teaching anatomy and physiology.
Gaury joined the Desert Hand & Physical Therapy team in 2021 but has years of experience in orthopedics and sports injuries, and is fluent in Spanish. In her free time, Gaury enjoys doing DIY projects, spending time with family & friends, anything that involves being outdoors, and traveling to as many places as she can.






Joy Ramsey, MS, PT
Joy graduated from Sanford University in 1989 and earned her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the University of Alabama Birmingham in 1991. For over 29 years, she has worked at in-house rehabs, outpatient clinics, school systems, and home health addressing a variety of diagnoses as it applies specifically to every age group. This includes patients with strokes, head and spinal injuries, work injuries, amputees, orthopedic procedures, sports weekend warrior injuries, back, shoulder & neck pain, TMJ issues, and developmental delays.
In June 2015, Joy joined the Desert Hand & Physical Therapy team as a hand therapist, while also developing a full-body PT program at the Estrella office.
Her hobbies include golf, gardening, travel, and spending time with family. Joy is native to Nashville, TN. She has practiced PT in Birmingham AL, Naples FL, and Phoenix AZ for the last 20 years.






Sarah Martin, PTA
Sarah graduated from San Diego State University where she studied Kinesiology, with an emphasis in Athletic Training. In 2011 she became a Certified Athletic Trainer and worked with a variety of high school and collegiate athletes. In 2014 she continued her education at Gateway Community College in Phoenix where she earned her certificate as a Physical Therapist Assistant.
Sarah enjoys giving back to her profession and serves as a Clinical Instructor for Physical Therapist Assistant students. She is also a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is looking forward to expanding her skill set and knowledge through their Advance Proficiency Pathway (APP) program. In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking, camping, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Avondale
1860 N. 95th Lane, Suite 105
Phoenix, AZ 85037