Essential Skillset for the Physical Therapist: Medical Screening

Speaker: Brian Young, PT, DSc, OCS, FAAOMPT

Contact Hours: 14

Course Description

Physical therapists are increasingly performing as first contact and early access providers, often within constrained medical systems. It is essential for quality patient care and optimal clinical outcomes that physical therapists are proficient in systematically screening for pathologies that mimic musculoskeletal conditions and to ascertain the influences of comorbidities. Physical therapists must know and implement these skills with all patients throughout a course of care, regardless of whether patients access services via direct access or referral. This course will provide a comprehensive review and update of medical screening principles for the physical therapy practitioner. 

Course Objectives

• Perform a medical screening examination for adolescents through adults, which includes review of systems, constitutional signs, medical history and social history. 
• Formulate appropriate strategies for assessing the various organ systems, including the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary and genitourinary systems. 
• Identify red flags which suggest non-musculoskeletal pathology. 
• Discern signs and symptoms of common pathologies and diseases that often masquerade as musculoskeletal conditions. 
• Assess for signs of depression, fear avoidance, and central sensitization, and integrate results into clinical management decisions. 
• Develop an appropriate objective examination strategy and/or referral recommendation based on your subjective history and medical screening examination. 
• Utilize diagnostic imaging decision rules and clinical practice guidelines to make appropriate patient management decisions. 
  Understand common statistics used for evidence-based diagnostic test interpretation.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Young is a 1996 graduate of Des Moines University’s Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy, and a 2002 graduate of the US Army-Baylor University Doctor of Science Fellowship in Orthopedic and Manual Physical Therapy. He is a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT). Currently, he is an Associate Professor at the US Army-Baylor University Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where his teaching responsibilities include medical screening/primary care, orthopedics, diagnostic imaging and advanced manual therapy interventions. Additionally, he is the Director of the Military Musculoskeletal Residency program, and a faculty member for Evidence in Motion. Dr. Young is actively engaged in clinical research assessing musculoskeletal utilization of Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography for neck and low back disorders, as well as short-term effects of dry needling for mechanical neck pain. He has several research publications and conference presentations. 

Preparing and Advancing Physical Therapy Practice in the Emergency Department Setting

Speaker: Carleen E. Jogodka, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT

Contact Hours: 4

Course Description

Despite increasing publications and presentations on the Emergency Department Physical Therapy (EDPT) practice at local, state, national and international meetings, very few physical therapists have sufficient exposure or understanding of the role PTs play in the emergency department (ED). As a result, there continues to be a shortage of PTs ready to work in this environment without advanced preparation. Despite the many benefits of EDPT to patients and healthcare systems, implementation of this service has been difficult.  Barriers to successful program development include the logistics of how to integrate PT services into the fundamental goals of the ED and ensuring that PTs have the correct skillset to meet those goals.  

This course will review the background, purpose, and function of the EDPT practice, including highlighting differences between this and traditional PT work settings. We will discuss various approaches to starting new programs and share available resources for start-up and existing programs. Common questions related to administrative issues, staffing, and daily practice will be addressed, along with growth of existing programs. We will review and discuss the evolution of the first full-time and longest established EDPT program. 

This session will include a query of attendees to engage in dialogue about what type of services are currently provided, and future goals of providers and their respective programs. Given space and time allowance, hands-on and/or group activity may be included. A literature review of the evidence hierarchy on ED PT practice relates the importance of the future of this practice. Finally, we will explore the many intra- and interdisciplinary research ideas that exist to help improve this critical niche area of physical therapy. 

Course Objectives

• Understanding the integration of emergency department physical therapy (ED PT) practice
• Encouraging new program development
• Assisting in advancing existing programs to full-time dedicated staffing
• Promoting research activity related to EDPT care

Speaker Biography

Carleen Jogodka, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT is a 2004 doctoral graduate of Regis University in Denver, CO and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota. Since July of 2004, she was drawn from Denver to accept a position as an emergency care provider at the country’s first EDPT program in Tucson, Arizona. She received Orthopaedic Board Certified Specialist certification in 2007 and continued with her education to obtain Fellowship status with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists in July, 2012. Her work in as physical therapist has included clinical research, numerous local and national presentations, clinical and course instruction for multiple universities, co-authored the article, “The Physical Therapist as musculoskeletal specialist in the emergency department”, in Journal of Sports and Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. Carleen has served as a consultant for numerous organizations on a wide variety of aspects related to emergency care physical therapist practice. Aside from her career as a physical therapist, she loves spending time with her husband and daughter, traveling, running, and snow sports whenever given the opportunity. 

Annual Membership Meeting 

Celebrate the accomplishments of our profession, our membership and our outstanding students as we recognize awards winners. Hear updates from Association executives on advancing the profession and the legislative progress. 

Comprehensive, Customized, and Creative Treatment of Persons with Impaired Balance

Speaker: Colin R. Grove, PT, MS, NCS

Contact Hours: 2.5

Course Description

Balance is an important consideration when rehabilitating persons with a variety of conditions. Balance training is long-recognized as integral to clinical practice in orthopedic and sports, geriatrics, and neurological rehabilitation. Helping persons with impaired balance achieve optimal outcomes depends on three key aspects of clinical decision making. Clinicians must be able to accurately diagnose the underlying cause(s) contributing to impaired balance, design individualized interventions, and develop an appropriate plan for progression and follow up. As experts in movement dysfunction, physical therapists and physical therapist assistants must remain mindful that the skill of maintaining balance is multi-dimensional and impaired balance is not a simple impairment, such as impaired range of motion. Rather, impaired balance represents a “super-impairment” for which a variety of underlying body systems may be potentially at fault. Balance problems can result from biomechanical, neuromuscular, sensory, cognitive, or affective impairments. The balance component of a plan of care will differ greatly between patients, often even between those with the same medical diagnosis. Matching intervention strategies to underlying impairments is critical to success and there is strong evidence to support prescription of an individualized intervention program for balance retraining. 

Additionally, research also suggests there are critical thresholds related to exercise dosage and a need for prolonged follow up in certain situations. This educational session will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn how to implement a comprehensive balance assessment, select customized interventions, and exercise creativity to personalize balance rehabilitation for each patient. Strategies for incorporating technologies such as exergaming, virtual reality, and telerehabilitation will be discussed. Case studies and audience engagement will be integrated with didactic material to create an interactive learning environment. Lessons learned will be applicable across the continuum of care. 

Course Objectives

• Implement a comprehensive balance assessment in order to accurately diagnose underlying impairments related to abnormal postural balance and locomotion
• Select appropriate intervention strategies to address specific aspects of impaired balance based on data from a systems approach to assessment
• Integrate patient-specific factors when designing interventions that are personalized for each patient

Speaker Biography

Colin practices in Outpatient Neurological Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics and is the coordinator for the UW Health Dizziness and Balance Rehabilitation Program. Colin holds a BS in physical therapy (Saint Louis University, 1994), an MS in Kinesiology (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Investigation (University of Wisconsin-Madison), as well as a Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (Temple University). He became board-certified as a clinical specialist in neurologic rehabilitation in 2004 and re-certified in 2014. 

Colin presents regularly on topics related to neurologic physical therapy and vestibular and balance rehabilitation at local, state, and national conferences. He is also an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association. Colin is a developer and instructor for several continuing education courses related to vestibular and balance rehabilitation. He serves as a faculty member of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and Meriter Hospital Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program and also provides didactic instruction in Physical Therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Colin’s published research involves the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation for adults, as well as motor skills, attention, and balance control in typically and atypically developing children.

How can We Harness the Adaptive Capacity of the Brain to Improve Rehabilitation Outcomes?

Speaker: Michael R Borich, DPT, PhD

Contact Hours: 2.5

Course Description

Persistent disability is associated with many neurologic conditions despite intensive rehabilitation efforts. It is now known that the brain possesses the capacity to adapt both structure and function in response to experience. Evidence demonstrates that this adaptive, or neuroplastic, capacity is also present in the context of neurologic disorders or after neural injury. Sophisticated techniques are now available to both quantify and modify processes of neural plasticity in the human brain. An improved understanding of the processes underlying experience-dependent neural plasticity has important rehabilitation implications. The primary objective of this course will be to synthesize major research discoveries that underpin the current conceptualization of neuroplasticity of the healthy adult human brain and the brain after injury using stroke as a model. Opportunities for harnessing this capacity to in an effort to improve rehabilitation outcomes will be highlighted. 

Course Objectives

• Describe at least two common neuroimaging techniques used to evaluate experience-dependent change in the human brain
• Provide at least two examples of contemporary research evidence suggesting neuroplastic change is associated with recovery of function after stroke
• Identify specific opportunities to exploit the adaptive capacity of the brain to improve rehabilitation outcomes in stroke and other neurologic conditions

Speaker Biography

Dr. Michael Borich is an assistant professor in the Division of Physical Therapy in the Emory University School of Medicine. He has secondary appointments in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, a joint Emory/Georgia Tech department and the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech. Dr. Borich is keenly interested in understanding and harnessing the plastic capacity of the human nervous system in health and disease in an effort to improve rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with neurologic injury and disease. Dr. Borich received his bachelor’s degree in physiology and his doctor of physical therapy both from the University of Minnesota. After finishing his PhD training in rehabilitation science and neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, he competed his postdoctoral research training in the Brain Behaviour Laboratory at the University of British Columbia. He joined the Division of Physical Therapy at Emory in 2014. His previous clinical experience centers on rehabilitation from acute neurologic insult and major multiple trauma. Dr. Borich currently directs the Neural Plasticity Research Lab at Emory. His research team utilizes multimodal neuroimaging and neurostimulation techniques to characterize and modulate brain activity to promote the recovery of function following neurologic insult.      

Throwing Mechanics and a Comprehensive Treatment Approach for Overhead Athletes

Speakers: Adam Barta, Owner/Coach-MN Blizzard; Steve Kraushaar, DPT, CKTP; DJ Lahti, DPT, CMTPT; Maurie Steinley, PT, DSc, SCS

Contact Hours: 2.5

Course Description

This course will address various aspects of overhead athletic injuries. There will be discussion and instruction in treatments to some commonly overlooked areas when rehabilitating overhead athletes. The effect of biomechanical pitching faults on injury will be discussed. Integrating into this portion, the importance of a team approach and accessing other professionals (health care and others) will be highlighted. While this course will primarily be discussing throwing, concepts will be applicable to most overhead athletic activities. 

Course Objectives

• Discuss effect of scapula, thoracic spine, and core and hip function on proper throwing mechanics
• Apply assessment and treatment techniques to scapula, thoracic spine, core, and hip as they relate to overhead athletic activities
• Discuss when appropriate to refer to or involve other professionals – health care or others
• Describe common pitching faults that may contribute to injury

Speaker Biographies

Adam Barta is the owner and head coach of the Minnesota Blizzard, the most successful travelling and club baseball program in Minnesota. Adam has coached at the collegiate level and is a Hall of Fame inductee at the College of St. Scholastica.

Steve Kraushaar DPT, CKTP has 5+ years of experience in the outpatient orthopedic setting with most time spent treating UE injuries. He is certified in Kinesiotaping and Dry Needling. Steve was a 4 year member of the College of St Scholastica Baseball team and has used this background to treat overhead athletes. 

DJ Lahti, DPT, CMTPT, attended The College of St. Scholastica for his undergraduate studies and Doctorate of Physical Therapy.  He currently works for Viverant in Duluth with a specific emphasis on rehabbing shoulder injuries and the athletic population.  While in undergrad, he participated in 4 years of baseball and he continues to work with the CSS baseball team as a consultant for baseball injuries and in development of baseball specific workouts.  DJ also has worked as an adjunct professor at The College of St. Scholastica for the last 7 years. 

Maurie Steinley, PT, DSc, SCS Maurie has 26+ years of experience in orthopedic/sports medicine settings and is a board certified Sports Clinical Specialist. A large percentage of his patient load for the past 15 years has been shoulder/upper extremity patients. Maurie also spent 6 years as PT program faculty teaching orthopedics.

Behavioral Implications of Cognitive, Visual and Perceptual Deficits in Acute Rehabilitation

Speaker: Sharon L Kimble, PT, DPT, GCS, NCS and Katelyn Brady, OTD, OTR/L

Contact Hours: 1.5

Course Description

This course will provide an overview of cognitive, visual, and perceptual function in adults as seen through behaviors exhibited in typical physical therapy interactions. Case examples will be provided via video and participants will discuss their observations. This program is the culmination of a two year project with students on the acute rehab unit. 

Course Objectives

• Define components of cognitive, visual, and perceptual deficits 
• Describe common deficits observed within the context of physical therapy intervention
• Apply cognitive, visual,and perceptual deficit vocabulary to case examples

Speaker Biography

Sharon Kimble, PT, graduated from the Chicago Medical School in 1987 and has since earned a transitional DPT degree from the College of Saint Catherine. She has worked previously at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and has been with Fairview Rehab Services on the Acute Rehab Unit since 2006. She has advanced certification in both geriatrics and neurology from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Sharon is on the admissions committee for the University of Minnesota PT Geriatric Residency and on the Saint Catherine University Clinical Advisory Committee. In 2015 she was accepted into Fairview’s C-CAP program for her work developing student internships in the Fairview system.

Katelyn Brady, OTD, OTR/L, graduated from Creighton University in 2011 with a doctorate in occupational therapy and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor's in Psychology in 2008. She previously worked at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, NE with focus on acute care in a level I trauma center. After relocating to Minnesota, she is now with Fairview Health Services in the Acute Rehab Unit.

Helping Families Promote Qualities of Resilience in Children

Speaker: Corri Stuyvenberg, PT

Contact Hours: 1.5

Course Description

This course will provide four key factors that make children resilient to adversity and how physical therapists can promote resilience for the clients or students in their practice. Along with factors of resilience, the course will explore the basic tenants of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, how adversity affects the developing brain, factors of resilience, and strategies to integrate the factors of resilience into a physical therapist’s work with families and children.

Course Objectives

• Understand the Adverse Childhood Experiences study and how it relates to families that they serve 
• Explain the effect childhood stress has on the developing brain 
• Define resilience and effectively foster the development of the four factors that influence resilience in the families that they serve 
• Identify executive functions and how parents influence their development 
• Explain the need for parents to be their child’s “regulatory partners” 
• Define reflective practice and the importance of participating in reflective practice when addressing a family’s needs

Speaker Biography

Corri Stuyvenberg is an Early Intervention Physical Therapist with Minneapolis Public Schools. She currently provides Family-Centered Care for infants, toddlers, and their families in their homes, primarily in North and North East Minneapolis. In addition to 20 years of Pediatric Physical Therapy Experience, she has a Master of Arts in Developmental Disabilities from St. Mary's University of Minnesota and is scheduled to complete a Certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from the University of Minnesota in April of 2016. Corri is applying to the Transitional Pediatric Doctor of Physical Therapy at Rocky Mountain University in Provo, Utah, in the Fall of 2016.

Research Platform Presentations 

Contact Hours: No CEUs are awarded for this session

Course Description

This session provides a great opportunity to recognize and focus attention on some of the excellent research being conducted by students at the DPT Programs in the state: College of St. Scholastica, Concordia - St. Paul, Mayo Clinic Program in Physical Therapy, St. Catherine University, and University of Minnesota. One student or student group from each DPT program will present research selected by their faculty based on both quality and clinical relevance.

Exercise Prescription for the Management of Cancer Related Fatigue

Speaker: Jenny Bradt, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA

Contact Hours: 1.5

Course Description

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing, persistent subjective sense of physical, emotional, and/or cognitive tiredness or exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual function. CRF is the most commonly reported cancer symptom, occurring in up to 90% of cancer patients treated with radiation and up to 80% of patients treated with chemotherapy. Exercise has been shown to be the most effective treatment for CRF at every point during cancer survivorship. The session will focus on current clinical practice guidelines to help the therapist design safe and effective exercise programs for cancer survivors. Cancer-specific precautions will be reviewed as well as guidelines for exercise intensity. The role of all providers in survivorship care will be reviewed as a multi-disciplinary approach is essential for successful treatment of CRF.

Course Objectives

• Describe physical therapy interventions recommended by current clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue
• Create an exercise program for the patient suffering from cancer-related fatigue along the continuum of cancer survivorship care
• Recognize potential contraindications and precautions for exercise in the cancer patient

Speaker Biography

Jenny Bradt is a physical therapist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She graduated from the Mayo School of Physical Therapy in 1993. She received her CLT training from Lerner Lymphedema Services in 1995 and recently earned her DPT degree from the College of St. Scholastica. The focus of her clinical practice for the past 20 years has been the evaluation and treatment of lymphatic disorders as well as cancer rehabilitation. She is currently the Clinical Lead of the lymphedema practice and has been an instructor at the Mayo School of Health-Related Sciences since 2002. She is a member of the oncology and acute care sections of the APTA.

Pharmacological Management and Mobilization of Patients with Venous Thrombosis

Speakers: Josh Breeding (JB), Pharm.D, BCPS and Linda M. Tripp, DPT

Contact Hours: 1.5

Course Description

This course will focus on anticoagulation in patients with venous thromboembolism. The most common anticoagulant medications and their common side-effects that may have a bearing on physical therapy will be discussed. Anticoagulation assays will be reviewed along with current evidence and recommendations regarding mobilizing patients with venous thromboembolism.

Course Objectives

• Define Hemostasis Recognize the types of Venous Thromboembolism 
• Identify common Anticoagulants & Assays Ascertain when Goal Anticoagulation reached 
• Analyze factors influencing the decision to Mobilize Apply learning to case study

Speaker Biographies

Josh Breeding (JB), Pharm.D, BCPS, completed his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Gustavus Adolphus College and his doctor of pharmacy at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. JB did his pharmacy residency at UMMC in 1998 and then took a position as the cardiac pharmacy clinical specialist. For the last 8 years, he has worked as a pharmacy team leader for the cardiac, neuro and transplant areas at UMMC. He is also Chair of the Fairview System Anticoagulation Subcommittee. Dr. Breeding is passionate about teaching and has spent the majority of his career teaching pharmacists, prescribers, nurses and patients the basics of cardiac medicine. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University Of Minnesota and in 2013, was awarded the College of Pharmacy’s “Preceptor of the Year” award for the state of Minnesota. 

Linda M. Tripp graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in Biology and Spanish in 2002. She completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the College of St. Catherine in 2007. Since then, she has been working with inpatient adults at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, East Bank. Linda became a clinical specialist in Oncology/Hematology in 2015. She has presented on developing a therapy program for patients with Blood and Marrow Transplants with Eva Gold at CSM 2010, on Compression and Post-thrombotic Syndrome at MN Lymphedema Roundtable in 2015 and on Pathologic Fracture at MN APTA 2015 Spring Conference.

Updates from the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy with MN Board of Physical Therapy Members

Speaker: Steven J Scherger, PT, Cert. MDT, VP - Board of PT; Erin DeTomaso, Executive Director - MN Board of PT; and Mollie Brucher, Assistant Executive Director

Contact Hours: 1.5

Course Description

Join us for a conversation with the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy and Board Members.  Find out about recent updates, upcoming changes and have your questions answered.