Fiorella – known to everyone as “Fi” – was born in Peru but has called Fort Lauderdale home since her childhood.
A seasoned professional, Fi has been practicing physical therapy for 25 years. During that time she has focused on general orthopedics, but has developed a particular passion for treating post-surgical patients. Regarded as a true specialist in rehabbing total hip and knee replacements, Fi gets sincere satisfaction in helping someone realize that they can get back to the lifestyle they had before surgery and, in most cases, an even better one.
Fi began her career in physical therapy with HealthSouth. Proving herself early on, management recruited her to help establish multiple outpatient clinics in the Fort Lauderdale area. After taking some time off to raise her children, Fi returned to patient care at a physician-owned practice in Plantation. That next chapter ultimately brought her closer to home—where she has now spent more than 15 years serving patients at Back To Health in East Fort Lauderdale.
A naturally cheerful, positive person, Fi only sees opportunities where others see obstacles. She is quick to encourage her patients to “talk to her” about any obstacles they’re facing in their treatment. And she listens. She wants to know when something hurts or doesn’t feel right. Her vast experience has taught her many ways to heal and strengthen the body, and she is eager to find the way that works best for them. She cares for her patients like family, and they know it.
And family-first is exactly who she is. Fi and her husband, Patrick, have three children: Tyler, Audrey, and Sean. With Tyler in his 20s, Audrey wrapping up college, and Sean in the thick of his own college years, Fi and Patrick are officially empty nesters. With fewer demands at home, Fi is hoping to have (slightly) more time to enjoy good books—and maybe even rejoin her book club.
If she’s not reading at home, then you are likely to find her reading on the beach. Having spent the first 12 years of her life on the coast of Peru, her family then moved to the sunny sands of Fort Lauderdale. After graduating from Cardinal Gibbons High School, Fi attended the University of Miami (UM) as a premed student. It was from UM she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology before deciding to pursue physical therapy. She went on to graduate as a Physical Therapist Assistant from Lynn University.
A dynamic combination of life experience and clinical expertise, Fi is also our go-to Spanish-speaking therapist—helping patients and families communicate in whichever way is most comfortable for them. As a long-time part of our East Fort Lauderdale practice, Fi is a familiar face for many—bringing expertise, warmth, and steady confidence to every patient she treats.
