Meet the Inpatient Team

Meet the team at the Inpatient Rehab Center at Northern Nevada Medical Center:

Brett Bonetti, MSOTR/L – Occupational Therapy Supervisor

Brett Bonetti graduated with his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from California State University in Fresno, California in 2007. In 2012, he began volunteering at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto and saw firsthand the impact of occupational therapy and how it helped wounded veterans go on to live independent and meaningful lives. In 2015, Brett moved to Las Vegas and received his master’s degree from Touro University Nevada in Henderson, Nevada.

Upon graduating, he accepted a job specializing in inpatient rehabilitation. He gained vital experience treating patients with clinical disabilities and neurological disorders, as well as mental health issues, traumatic brain injuries, severe spinal cord injuries, strokes and age-related injuries. In 2016, Brett made the move to Northern Nevada to continue his career in a stroke-certified inpatient facility. He is growing his focus of interest by working with stroke patients and using evidence-based practice as his foundation. Brett is certified in Kinesio taping, a technique known to help patients decrease pain, improve mobility and heal faster. He has a broad-based approach to care, yet individually supports each of his patients with the goal of minimizing their limitations, managing disease and enhancing their overall quality of life.

Emma Wagner-Powning, MS, CCC-SLP

Emma graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with both her bachelor's and master's degrees in speech-language pathology and audiology. She completed her externship and clinical fellowship years at Northern Nevada Medical Center. She has experience in long-term acute care and skilled nursing settings and has a passion for working as part of a multidisciplinary team to evaluate and treat a variety of speech, language and swallowing disorders.

She believes that every situation offers a unique learning opportunity and the chance to provide patients and their families with the tools to be successful and reach their fullest potential. Emma was born and raised in Eastern Oregon and in her spare time enjoys camping, fishing, sports and spending time with her family.

Laura Murph, MS, CCC-SLP – Speech Therapy Supervisor

Laura Murph has 35 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist. She graduated from UNR in Reno, Nevada in 1983 with a master's degree in speech pathology and audiology and has been practicing in the Reno/Sparks area ever since. After graduation, she worked in the private practice setting for 10 years with a focus on pediatrics and adults. She had been employed by NNMC since 1994.

She has extensive experience in the rehabilitation of individuals with speech, language, swallowing and cognitive impairments following stroke and head injuries. She also has expertise in the evaluation and treatment of cognitive deficits seen in dementia and other progressive neurological diseases. Laura enjoys the outdoors and is an avid fly fisher.

Kim Smith, MS, CCC-SLP

Kim graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2017 with a master's degree in speech pathology. She completed her student externship at NNMC and is currently in her clinical fellowship year. Kim has extensive education and training in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of communication and swallowing disorders among a wide range of diagnoses in patients.

She grew up in California but has called Northern Nevada home for the past 16 years. Kim and her husband have four children and one dog. On her days off, she enjoys spending time outdoors exploring the area with her husband and children.

Marissa Rama, MOT, OTR/L, CLT, MHA

Marissa Rama graduated from Loma Linda University with a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. She also holds a master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Loma Linda University.

Marissa began her career as a registered occupational therapist at Kingman Regional Medical Center in Arizona, where she worked with an interdisciplinary team to develop treatment plans for patients. She later moved to HCR ManorCare in Sparks, as the director of rehabilitation. Prior to joining Northern Nevada Medical Center, Marissa was director of rehabilitation services for Northern Nevada State Veterans Home. In this role, she was responsible for clinical oversight of the facility and management of regulatory requirements for all rehab patients.