Biography
APTA Board Certification:
Orthopaedic Certified Specialist, 1995, 2005, 2015
Clinical Expertise:
Orthopedic/Sports Physical Therapy
Research/Scholarly Interests:
Assessment and treatment of non-acute low back pain, sensorimotor training, orthopedic tests and measures, athletic performance assessment and performance enhancement.
Healthcare has changed dramatically in my 28+ years of clinical practice and physical therapists today have many added pressures and challenges that include screening for serious medical pathologies, the expectation for rapid improvement with reimbursement of fewer visits, the documentation and reporting of outcome measures, and the requirement to demonstrate value to both the patient and the healthcare system. These demands require today’s physical therapy graduates to have far greater didactic knowledge, increased manual skills, and a thorough understanding of the larger healthcare system.
Therefore, physical therapy faculty must fully understand the knowledge and skills that are needed to successfully navigate the ever-changing healthcare environment and identify novel ways to translate information and skills in the most efficient manner. Additionally, the program administrators and faculty should become role models and mentors who guide the educational process and encourage a collegial partnership between faculty and students. As the program Chairperson, I will do my best to serve as a positive role model and provide leadership and mentorship to students, graduates, and the faculty.
My teaching philosophy is an integration of old fashioned coaching with an understanding and appreciation of contemporary educational practices and pedagogy. When I reflect on the teachers and professors who have had the greatest impact on my life and career, I always identify those individuals who not only shared their knowledge and passion for the subject matter but also guided me (coached me) to explore my own abilities and boundaries. A coach cannot play the game for the athlete, and a professor cannot learn for the student. A student should be inspired, encouraged, and pushed to reach his or her own potential and to achieve things that they otherwise could not on their own. I believe in setting high but achievable standards and openly communicating expectations to the learner. I also believe that learning should be fun and conducted in an open, honest, and comfortable environment where the student and professor have mutual admiration and respect for each other.