07/02/2025
Introducing our new Physical Therapist
Dr. Derek George, PT, DPT
Derek was born and raised in the Canal Zone, Republic of Panama. His father was an engineer for the Panama Canal Commission, and his mother was a teacher for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. After completing junior college there, Derek moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to continue his education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed graduate school in 1998 and, following in the footsteps of many family members who served, joined the U.S. Army via Direct Commission in 1999.
Derek served as an Active Duty Army Physical Therapist with assignments at Fort Campbell, Fort Sill, Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, and Fort Jackson, among others. He also deployed twice to combat zones in Kuwait and Iraq, delivering physical therapy care to soldiers in Forward Operating environments. Following his final deployment, he earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2007. Derek retired honorably in 2015 at the rank of Major, after nearly 16 years of service, while stationed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
Continuing his dedication to military healthcare, Derek served as a contractor physical therapist at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (Lackland AFB) and at Westover Medical Home (BAMC). He later worked for the Veterans Health Administration in Tennessee before returning to Texas in 2019 to serve at the Naval Health Clinic in Corpus Christi. In 2021, he was appointed Physical Therapy Department Head at the same facility, completing his federal term appointment in June 2025.
He shares life with his wonderful wife of nearly 30 years, Barbara George, a dental hygienist at Bee Center for Dentistry. They have two daughters: one a recent Welding Technology graduate from Del Mar College, and the other a graphic designer working for the U.S. Army in Louisiana.
Derek has extensive experience treating orthopedic, post-surgical, acute care, and chronic pain patients of all ages and backgrounds. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he describes himself as easygoing and personable. He truly enjoys getting to know his patients and being a part of their recovery journey. His goal is to make each person feel heard, supported, and confident as they work together toward better movement and less pain. Derek looks forward to continuing to provide personalized, down-to-earth care that helps people get back to doing what they love.
Doctorate of Physical Therapy, A.T. Still University, Mesa, Arizona, 2007
Master of Science in Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1998
Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1995
Associate of Science in Business Data Processing, Panama Canal College, Republic of Panama, 1991
