Hello! My name is Katelyn Alecander, and I am a member of the team at Madden and Gilbert Physical Therapy in Hershey. I have been local to the area for the majority of my life. I grew up in Elizabethtown, PA and recently moved to the Harrisbueg area with my husband. Fun fact, my husband is also a PT, and we met in PT school and got married 2 weeks before we graduated!

I Have always been a very active individual and grew up playing soccer; however, I now enjoy just about any activity outside. I enjoy playing pickleball, hiking, going for long walks, running, and sometimes disc golf with my husband but usually end up spending more time searching for my disc than throwing. I alos enjoy spending time with family and friends, baking, eating good food, watching movies with my husband, traveling, and reading when I get the chance.

I have always been interested in the medical field because my mom is a nurse, but I became interested in physical therapy after my grandfather had a stroke when I was in middle school. Fortunately, he recovered very well, but he talked a lot about the rehab team that helped him get better and specifically the physical therapist he had. I started doing research on the field of physical therapy and knew that was what I wanted to do. I am passionate about helping people get better and back to the activities they love to do!

I graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona in December of 2021 with my degree in Biology with an Emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy and then graduated from Messiah University with my Doctor of Physical Therapy in May of 2025. While in PT school, I had a clinical rotation at Madden & Gilbert in Hershey, and I enjoyed my experience so much that I accepted a job here! Another fun fact, my older brother, Noah Esbenshade, also graduated from Messiah University with his DPT and works at our Harrisburg location – we have lots of PTs in the family!