Doctor of Physical Therapy
Payton Cox
Front Desk Coordinator
Payton grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and received her certificate in Medical Billing and Coding from Ultimate Medical Academy. In her free time, Payton enjoys watching baseball and football, visiting her family in Myrtle Beach, and painting.
cayce@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Chase Dixon
Front Desk Coordinator
Chase grew up in Salisbury, MD, before attending the University of South Carolina, where he is majoring in Exercise Science. He plans to graduate in December 2024 and intends to attend Physical Therapy School after graduation.
Chase enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching baseball and football, supporting Gamecock Athletics, and is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and fitness.
cayce@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Dr. Katie Bailey
PT, DPT
Katie is originally from Greenville, SC, and received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Clemson University (Go Tigers!). She went on to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Katie enjoys working with people of all ages and diagnoses but especially enjoys treating the geriatric population, helping to remove the fear of aging while improving patients’ function and maintaining their independence. After going through her own postpartum recovery last year, she also has a special interest in treating pelvic floor and pregnant/postpartum patients.
Outside of work, Katie enjoys weightlifting, cycling on her Peloton, painting, and crocheting. She also loves traveling and spending time with her husband, daughter, and two dogs, especially at the lake or beach!
katie.b@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Dr. Thomas DeHaven
PT, DPT
Thomas was born and raised in Charleston, SC. He developed a passion for health and human performance as an Ocean Rescue Lifeguard. During his time on the beaches, he worked as a United States Life Saving Association Trainer and ensured his guards could perform at the highest level when necessary. While in Charleston, he attended the College of Charleston to improve his understanding of human performance graduating with a B.S in exercise science.
After completing his undergraduate degree, Thomas worked in a variety of physical therapy settings including inpatient rehab and an outpatient physical therapy facilities. He completed his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the University of South Carolina in 2020 and has called Columbia home ever since.
In his off time Thomas enjoys exploring areas nearby Columbia with his wife, Abby, and enjoying the great outdoors. They both enjoy competing in half marathon road races. Other interest include mastering new skills in the gym, playing golf, playing beach volleyball and training their two dogs.
His clinical strengths include a wide array of manual therapies aimed to reduce your discomfort and get you back to doing what you love as quickly as possible. Thomas also chose to specialize in a golf certification provided by Titelist Performance Institute. He can help golfers of all skill levels improve their ability to execute a powerful, effortless and repeatable golf swing without pain.
thomas.dehaven@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Dr. Carly Holthausen
PT, DPT
My name is Carly Holthausen! I was born in a small town in New Jersey, but my family moved to South Carolina when I was young, so I grew up in Lexington and claim it as my hometown. I tried my hand at many sports growing up, but ultimately landed on soccer and running (the only ones I was pretty good at). My passion for PT came from growing up with my dad who suffered a spinal cord injury as a young adult. Over the years, he has been in and out of PT for lots of things related to his original injury. I graduated from Clemson University (don’t hate, Go Tigers) in 2016 with a BS in Health Science. I then moved to Charleston for PT school. I graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2020 as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I continued to play soccer while in school, and fell in love with urban hiking in CHS and hiking in the mountains in the upstate.
I have a few years’ experience in the field now, and have realized helping people heal, no matter the setting, the injury, the background, fills my cup. So many people helped my dad through the toughest of times – I wanted to be that for others, and this field has given me that opportunity. I’m excited for this new chapter in my life and my career and I am excited to be part of the Vertex team!
In my free time, you can still find me trying to relive the glory days playing soccer in adult rec leagues, hiking in SC’s state parks, in the gym, or in a local coffee shop feeding my *boujee* coffee addiction!
carly.h@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Dr. Kailyn Horn
PT, DPT
Kailyn was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Though she was raised in Greenville, SC, she remains loyal to the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues! She completed her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at North Greenville University in 2016. During her time at NGU, she used her passion for nutrition and fitness to develop the Women’s Fitness Club providing and instructing classes for women across campus to create a space for them to become comfortable and confident in the gym.
Following her time at NGU, Kailyn moved to Columbia, SC and completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of South Carolina. Fueled by a growing passion for teaching, Kailyn is currently continuing at USC to pursue her PhD in Exercise Science with a concentration in Rehabilitative Science. She hopes to use this experience and research to help her patients and teach physical therapy students in the future.
In her free time, Kailyn enjoys volleyball, being involved with her church community, traveling the country to hike National Parks, and spending time with friends and family.
Kailyn has been fortunate to gain experience in vestibular rehabilitation and is passionate about providing and raising awareness about vestibular physical therapy. She also finds great joy in helping patients of all populations recover and retain the highest level of function and quality of life so that they can do the things they love for a very long time.
kailyn.horn@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Dr. Josh Jeffery
PT, DPT, MS, CSCS
Chief Operating Officer
Josh is the COO and co-owner of Vertex PT Specialists, where he specializes in working with overhead athletes, including throwers, and functional fitness athletes. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Josh completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Dayton in 2012, earning a B.S. in Business Administration. He moved to Columbia, SC in 2013 to begin his graduate studies at the University of South Carolina, where he earned a M.S. in Exercise Science in 2015 and his Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2019. Josh holds several certifications, including Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, OPEX coach, and CrossFit Level 2 trainer.
Before joining the team at Vertex, Josh worked in the strength and conditioning field, gaining experience working with a variety of athletes, including those at USC, NFL players, Olympic athletes, elite-level CrossFitters, weightlifters, and powerlifters. As a former college baseball player, Josh’s niche lies in working with overhead athletes as they strive to return to their sport. He has also coached CrossFitters to the CrossFit Games, regionals, and sanctional events.
When he’s not working, Josh enjoys spending time with his wife and their two dogs, traveling the country to teach continuing education courses, and training and competing in CrossFit and weightlifting.
To schedule an appointment with Josh, please email josh@vertexpt.com or call 803.973.0100.
Dr. Tory Meier
PT, DPT
Tory grew up in the Greenville, SC area and earned her bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Clemson University in 2016. After gaining hands-on experience working in a physical therapy clinic for a year, she pursued her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of North Georgia, graduating in 2021.
Following graduation, Tory and a close friend from PT school embarked on an adventure as travel therapists, working across the U.S. She lived in Washington (twice), California (twice), Maryland, and New Mexico before returning to South Carolina in late 2023. An avid traveler, Tory has visited 43 of the 63 national parks and has driven across the country more times than she can count. Her diverse experiences as a travel therapist have spanned outpatient, home health, and acute care settings.
Tory is passionate about helping patients through their individual rehab and prehab journeys, empowering them to continue doing the things they love. Having been a patient at Vertex herself, she is thrilled to now join the team.
tory.m@vertexpt.com
803.973.0100
Dr. Tim O’Neal
PT, DPT, TSAC-F, Cert. DN, OMT-C, BT-CL2
Tim is originally from Irmo, SC, and has been serving the community as a Doctor of Physical Therapy since 2010. After graduating from Dutch Fork High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from USC-Columbia. While at Clemson, Tim helped coach high school wrestling and served as a Chaplain’s assistant for the football team. He began wrestling at the age of 7 and developed a passion for training and lifting, which sparked his interest in health and human performance through his own injuries and rehab experiences.
Tim’s treatment approach focuses on meeting patients where they are, whether they are older adults, weekend warriors, or competitive athletes. He emphasizes an exercise-first approach, enhanced by spinal manipulation, manual therapy, and dry needling. His career has given him the opportunity to work with Olympic athletes, military Tier 1 operators, and professional athletes from the NBA and NFL.
Tim is also an instructor for Body Tempering, LLC, teaching weekend courses at military installations and gyms across the country. This has allowed him to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in human performance.
Outside of work, Tim enjoys lifting, running, training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and spending time outdoors. He also loves spending time with his amazing wife and kids, as well as his Midtown Fellowship church family.
To schedule an appointment with Tim, please email tim.oneal@vertexpt.com or call 803.973.0100.
Dr. Brandon Vaughn
PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, Full Body ART®
Chief Executive Officer
Brandon is the founder and co-owner of Vertex PT Specialists and is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS). He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science in 2007 with high honors from The Citadel and completed his graduate studies at The University of South Carolina, earning his Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2010. Brandon has also received multiple certifications in specialized areas, including Spinal Manipulation and Dry Needling through the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy, NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Functional Movement Screen (FMS) certification, concussion management certification through the American Institute of Balance, Pose Method running technique specialist certification, Full Body Active Release Technique® certification, and most recently Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)® certification.
With a passion for advancing his skills and knowledge in the field of physical therapy, Brandon specializes in combining advanced manual therapy techniques with dry needling, functional movement, and mobility restoration. His skills have been used to help world-class athletes, including NFL players, Olympians, and CrossFit Games athletes, rehabilitate and return to peak performance.
When he’s not working, Brandon enjoys spending quality time with his wife Rachael, his daughter Scarlett, and his son Beau. He is also an avid athlete, training and competing in Ironman triathlons and local CrossFit competitions.
To schedule an appointment with Brandon, please email brandon@vertexpt.com or call 803.973.0100.
