Meet the Team
Founder, Physical Therapist Meredith Franczyk, PT, MPT
Meredith Franczyk, PT, MPT, founded Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago-River North in September 2017 and has been practicing physical therapy since 2002. She earned her Master of Physical Therapy from Northern Illinois University.
Meredith treats general orthopedic conditions including knee, back, and shoulder pain, along with sports injuries and overuse injuries. Her clinical focus areas are manual therapy, neuromuscular re-education, postural dysfunction, and dry needling.
She has a particular affinity for endurance athletes, especially runners. Meredith is a long-distance runner herself and has volunteered with running groups, races, and running publications across Chicago for years. That perspective shapes how she approaches running injuries, with attention to training load, mechanics, and the reality of a race on the calendar, rather than symptoms alone.
She opened the practice after years in clinics where therapists were expected to treat several patients at once. The one-on-one model at Dynamic is a deliberate response to that. Meredith treats each person as a whole rather than chasing the painful spot, and her aim is for patients to leave understanding their own bodies well enough to stay healthy on their own.
Contact Meredith at meredith@dynamic-pt.com
Physical Therapist Mary Buzzard, PT, DPT, OCS, CMTPT/DN
Dr. Mary Buzzard, PT, DPT, OCS, earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed an orthopedic residency In North Carolina. She is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, a credential earned through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties that requires thousands of hours of direct patient care and a rigorous specialty exam. Combined with residency training, it puts her among a small minority of physical therapists nationally.
Mary has been with the Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago-River North team since 2019. She treats orthopedic conditions with particular depth in hip, knee, and back pain, drawing on manual therapy, dry needling, therapeutic exercise, gait analysis, and postural and ergonomic modification. What she most enjoys is the problem-solving, figuring out why a body is doing what it's doing and building a program around that specific person rather than a template.
She has been the patient too. Mary has recovered from a hip labral repair and a series of running injuries, so she understands the long middle stretch of rehab where progress feels invisible. Her goal is for patients to leave not just pain-free but equipped, with the knowledge and confidence to get back to what they love and stay there.
Outside the clinic, Mary stays active with soccer, yoga, and running.
Contact Mary at mary@dynamic-pt.com
Physical Therapist Sarah Kemmerer, PT, DPT, OCS
Dr. Sarah Kemmerer, PT, DPT, OCS, earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Saint Louis University and completed an orthopedic residency at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, a credential earned through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties that requires thousands of hours of direct patient care and a rigorous specialty exam. Only a small fraction of physical therapists hold it.
Sarah treats the full range of orthopedic conditions, including shoulder, knee, hip, ankle, foot, back, and neck, with particular focus in TMJ dysfunction, vestibular and balance disorders, and sports-related injuries. Her approach blends manual therapy, dry needling, individualized therapeutic exercise, gait analysis and retraining, and patient education, so you leave understanding your own body rather than depending on someone else to fix it.
She has also been on the other side of it. Years of sports and athletics brought her a ruptured Achilles, a dislocated shoulder, and knee, hip, and back injuries, so she knows what a long rehab actually asks of a person. That experience shows up in how she listens. Sarah wants every patient to feel genuinely heard, to have their full story and goals understood, and to walk out feeling physically better than when they came in.
Outside the clinic, Sarah hikes, travels, practices yoga, lifts, and explores the city with friends.
Contact Sarah at sarah@dynamic-pt.com
Physical Therapist Luis Sanchez, PT, DPT
Dr. Luis Sanchez, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist, former professional Irish dancer, and current dance teacher with six years of clinical experience. His background makes him one of the very few physical therapists in Chicago who genuinely understands what dancers ask of their bodies, from turnout and pointe work to jump mechanics and performance endurance.
Luis earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Universidad Del Valle de México, and holds a B.A. and Master of Arts in Irish Dance Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland. He performed professionally in Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, which means he brings firsthand knowledge of elite performance demands, rehearsal loads, and performing through a season to every patient he treats.
Beyond dance medicine, Luis works extensively with sports-related injuries across all levels, from recreational athletes to competitors managing a season. He is trained in dry needling, and combines it with hands-on manual therapy and progressive strength work to get you back to what you actually need to be doing.
Luis treats patients in both English and Spanish.
Contact Luis at luis@dynamic-pt.com
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Sarah Wancowicz, PT, DPT, earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Boston University and brings several years of experience in pelvic health and orthopedic physical therapy. As a pelvic floor physical therapist at Dynamic Physical Therapy in River North, Chicago, Sarah specializes in pelvic floor rehabilitation, including pre- and postnatal (prenatal and postpartum) care, urinary and bowel incontinence, acute and chronic pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction.
Sarah believes exceptional care starts with truly listening. She takes the time to understand each patient's goals, lifestyle, and concerns, building individualized, evidence-based treatment plans that reduce pain, restore function, and help patients return to the activities they love most. Through personalized, one-on-one pelvic floor physical therapy, her approach is collaborative and compassionate, ensuring every patient feels heard and sported throughout their recovery.
Outside the clinic, Sarah enjoys strength training, traveling, and spending time at home with her cat.
Contact Sarah W at sarahw@dynamic-pt.com
Patient Care Coordinator Joni Modaff
Joni has been with Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago since 2019 and is usually the first person you'll talk to. She handles scheduling, insurance verification, and billing questions, and she is the one who will chase down an answer from your insurance company so you don't have to.
She has a gift for clear communication and for keeping track of the details that tend to slip, which means patients can focus on getting better rather than on paperwork. If something about your appointment, your benefits, or your bill is unclear, Joni is who to ask.
Joni splits her time between Chicago and Florida. Outside the clinic you'll find her walking on the beach, traveling, playing pool, or catching a live concert.
Contact Joni at info@dynamic-pt.com