Whether in the nutrition, occupational, physical, respiratory, pediatric, nursing, music, auditory or speech therapy professions, the 2008 Therapy Times most influential therapists have one thing in common: an unbridled passion for therapy and an unquenched dedication to the highest quality of patient care possible. Therapy Times is proud to present this year’s list of clinicians, researchers, and leaders who have demonstrated the drive, character, and integrity deserving of the title, “Most Influential.”


Physical Therapy

Hugh Herr, PhD, MS
Prosthetics meet intelligent design

Associate professor of media arts and sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hugh Herr, PhD, MS, has made quite a name for himself in the field of prosthetic design. In 2008, he has pioneered research directions for biohybrid, “smart” prostheses – devices merging body and machine, thereby improving the lives of amputees and other physically challenged individuals, and amplifying overall endurance and strength.

Himself a bilateral amputee, Herr has utilized cross-bridge models of skeletal muscle to the design and optimization of a novel class of human-powered mechanisms that amplify endurance for cyclic anaerobic activities. In the field of human rehabilitation, Herr's group has developed gait adaptive knee prostheses for transfemoral amputees and variable impedance ankle-foot orthoses for patients suffering from drop foot, a gait disorder caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis.

The co-holder of numerous patents, including the Computer-Controlled Artificial Knee, the Active Ankle-Foot Orthosis, and the Powered Ankle-Foot Prosthesis, Herr has also been the recipient of the 2008 Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy and Employment for his pioneering work. Most recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs has started funding a $7.2-million research project, involving Herr’s group, to develop new technologies for amputees, in particular, biohybrid limbs made up of regrown tissue, extended bone, and implantable neural sensors, as well as robotic limb enhancements.


Richard K. Shields, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Spearheading spinal rehabilitation research

While today it might not be possible to heal spinal cord injuries, the work of Richard K. Shields, PT, PhD, FAPTA, may hold a vital key to the future of complete spinal rehabilitation. Spearheading research into the incredible endurance of the spinal cord activity despite high-impact injuries, Shields has made significant contributions through his translational work in motor control.

As director of the graduate program in physical therapy and rehabilitation science at the Iowa City-based University of Iowa, Shields has developed electrical stimulation techniques to therapeutically stress the paralyzed extremities of individuals with spinal cord injury. His recent studies demonstrate that electrically induced muscular loading hold promise for preventing the decline of bone mineral density after a spinal cord injury – a condition that eventually leads to neurogenic osteoporosis in the paralyzed limbs.

His work, measuring the precise level of stress needed to induce a therapeutic effect on bone, will be pivotal to the advancement of spinal rehabilitation strategies. His research also examines how the neuromuscular system responds to various forms of stress, including fatigue, unexpected perturbations, surgery, joint instability, vibration, and heat. Most recently, the American Physical Therapy Association awarded Shields with the Marian Williams Research Award for his continued work in spinal rehabilitation research.


Occupational Therapy


Charles Christiansen, EdD, OTR/L,FAOTA
Leading a field

As executive director of the Bethesda, Md.-based American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), Charles Christiansen, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, has had a distinguished career of more than 35 years as a researcher, educator, and leader in the field of occupational therapy. Christiansen assumed the post in March 2008, succeeding Martha Kirkland, OTR, who had retired after 23 years of service.

Besides holding administrative and academic appointments at several other universities, Christiansen was the founding editor of the journal OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, now in its 28th year, and is senior editor and contributor to three major textbooks. He is also co-editor of a forthcoming book, Life Balance: Multidisciplinary Theories and Research. An elected member of several honorary and professional societies and the recipient of numerous awards, Christiansen received a Joint Award for Service from the American Occupational Therapy Association and AOTF in 2007.

“I became interested in occupational therapy after researching health professions during an assignment for a high school course in philosophy. I came across a story of a male OT working in mental health,” he recalls. “In fact, there were fewer than 250 men in the field in the entire country at the time I began study.” He feels fortunate to have had a career that has been long and rewarding enough for him to have achieved many of his original professional goals.

“Now,” Christiansen adds, “my goals relate more to helping others develop as leaders, sharing my experiences, and doing what I can to help insure that OT continues to evolve as a profession that assures that the often impersonal world of healthcare doesn’t overlook the more important  personal world of the patient.”


Preethy Samuel, OTR, PhD
Bringing hope to the less fortunate

Preethy Samuel, OTR, PhD, has received a 2008 to 2009 Mary E. Switzer Research Fellowship from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, in recognition of her work measuring family quality of life among minority low-income families raising children with disabilities in the Detroit area. The fellowship program was established to support qualified individuals engaging in scientific research related to problems encountered by individuals with disabilities, or for studies to improve the delivery of rehabilitation services to disabled individuals.

Samuel teaches part-time in the occupational therapy program at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Wayne State University in Detroit. She has been practicing as an occupational therapist since 1998, and received her PhD in sociology from Wayne State in 2006. Her research into the varied needs of families raising children with disabilities reflects her training as an occupational therapist and a family sociologist, combined with her expertise in statistical analysis. 

In the future, Samuel hopes to expand her research to compare the outcomes of families of children with autism, including varied age, income, and race groups. She adds, “My dream is to see OTs take on an active role in their local community organizations, to figure out how the children with special needs in their local community can come forward to participate with their typical peers, because of the efforts of a few special people who work on their behalf to accommodate for their special needs, rather than create a special (segregated) camp for them.”



Speech Therapy


Nancy A. Creaghead, PhD, CCC-SLP
Educating the next generation

Nancy A. Creaghead, PhD, CCC-SLP, professor and head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Cincinnati, has significantly influenced the profession of speech-language pathology through her contributions in the area of child language and literacy and her leadership in various associations. Creaghead also spearheads an academic program that is “a model for clinical training and research excellence in our discipline,” according to Wayne Secord, PhD, of Columbus-based Ohio State University.

Furthermore, Creaghead is one of the first board-recognized specialists in child language. Her research has focused on a range of child language issues: pragmatics, communication scripts, school discourse, literacy, treatment efficacy, and collaborative classroom service delivery. Creaghead’s scholarly efforts include 43 publications, 135 papers and presentations, and more than 250 invited lectures and workshops.

Colleagues praise Creaghead for two efforts, in particular: In “Contrasting Perspectives,” an article in Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools on the volatile subject of controversial language interventions, Creaghead “called for a fair appraisal of the approaches, set a high ethical standard, and asked us to consider how each intervention could advance the field,” says Judy Montgomery, PhD, CCC-SLP of Orange, Calif.-based Chapman University. Creaghead received a 1999 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Editors’ Award for the article.

In addition, as ASHA vice president for professional practices in speech-language pathology, Creaghead initiated the development of Roles and Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists with Respect to Reading and Writing in Children and Adolescents, a 2000 document that “is a testament to her superb collaborative skills,” Montgomery says.



Laurence Leonard, PhD, CCC-SLP
Keeping it grammatically correct

Laurence Leonard, PhD, CCC-SLP, a Rachel E. Stark Distinguished Professor at West Lafayette, Ind.-based Purdue University, is a speech-language pathologist with primary interests in normal and disordered child language. His teaching responsibilities have included courses and seminars in normal and disordered language development. Leonard has also served as a thesis and dissertation adviser to graduate students working in these specific areas.

Leonard’s publications include a number of articles, chapters in edited volumes, and a book, Speed of Processing, Working Memory, and Language Impairment in Children. In addition, his recent research has focused on the early phonological, lexical, and morphosyntactic development of children with specific language impairment (SLI). He also studies SLI across different languages in hopes of discovering the source of the children’s grammatical difficulties. Through this crosslinguistic perspective, the research team hopes to discover the common denominator – the core of the severe grammatical difficulty.

Thus far, studies of English have been supplemented by investigations of Italian, Hebrew, Swedish, Spanish, and, most recently, Cantonese. In addition, Leonard conducts research on the effectiveness of language treatment procedures. The aim of Leonard’s studies, which are designed to uncover the nature of language disorders in children, is to lead to more effective intervention approaches and uncover new methods of early identification for children with speech disorders.


Nutrition Therapy


Janet Bond Brill, PhD, RD, LDN
The people's dietitian

Janet Bond Brill, PHD, RD, LDN is a nationally recognized diet, nutrition, and fitness author, speaker, and media spokesperson. In addition, Brill is an adjunct professor at both the University of Miami and Florida International University, also in Miami, where she teaches graduate- and undergraduate-level courses in nutrition, health, and fitness.

In her first book, Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in 4 Weeks – Without Prescription Drugs (Three Rivers Press, 2006), Brill offers a sound, science-based diet and exercise program that can be just as effective as statin medication in lowering “bad” cholesterol, by as much as 47 percent in four weeks.

“I hope to get the message across that heart disease – our nation’s leading cause of death – is almost entirely preventable through simple lifestyle changes,” she says. “I encourage everyone to take action by finding the time today to make a few simple heart-healthy lifestyle changes that are no more dangerous or expensive than eating a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or taking a 30-minute walk, habits that can have a profound effect on health and ensure that they will be here tomorrow.”

Further demonstrating Brill’s commitment to the dietetics profession, she has also served as a nutrition consultant for leading firms, such as American Express and Proctor & Gamble, and has conducted health seminars for various Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, Brill is the nutrition expert for the nationally televised show “The Balancing Act” on the Lifetime channel.


Martin M. Yadrick, MS, MBA, RD, FADA
Nutrition's main man

Currently serving as the 2008 to 2009 president of the American Dietetic Association, Martin M. Yadrick, MS, MBA, RD, FADA, bears a strong distinction: He’s the first male to ever hold the post. In addition, he is director of nutrition informatics at Computrition Inc., a Chatsworth, Calif.-based provider of integrated software solutions for the healthcare and hospitality industries.

Yadrick has more than 26 years of experience in clinical nutrition, client and practitioner education, and administration. Furthermore, he has worked at Computrition since 1993. Yadrick had previously been a clinical dietitian in a cardiac rehabilitation program, and an instructor and administrative officer in the department of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

“I’ve always been interested in disease prevention and wellness, and especially how food and nutrition can play such a critical role in maintaining health,” he says. “My sister is also a registered dietitian and university professor; she is eight years older so her career definitely helped me be aware of nutrition and dietetics as a profession.”

Yadrick adds, “My personal goals reflect those of the American Dietetic Association. ADA recently embarked on a new strategic plan, and our vision is ‘Optimize the nation’s health through food and nutrition.’ One of our three major goals is: ‘ADA improves the health of Americans.’  With a new U.S. president and the inevitable reform in the nation’s healthcare system, we want to make sure that prevention and the critical role that nutrition and medical nutrition therapy play in keeping the nation healthy are at the forefront of these reforms.”


Respiratory Therapy


Neil R. MacIntyre, MD, FAARC
A breath of fresh air

Neil R. MacIntyre, MD, FAARC, who is the medical director of respiratory care services at Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Hospital, stood out from the crowd this year when he was selected to receive the American Association for Respiratory Care’s (AARC) highest honor – the Jimmy A. Young Medal.

At AARC’s 53rd Annual International Respiratory Congress at Orlando, Fla., MacIntyre was presented with the award, which is chosen yearly to honor an individual who has exceeded all expectations for meritorious service to the AARC and advancement of the respiratory care profession. With special interests in the study of pulmonary function testing, pulmonary rehabilitation, and mechanical ventilation, MacIntyre is known in the community for his research work and for writing many influential papers.

“Combined with his contributions to the literature in mechanical ventilation, aerosol therapy, pulmonary function, and consensus documents, Dr. MacIntyre is easily one of the most accomplished clinical scientists to receive the award,” says Richard Branson, MSc, RRT, FAARC. Furthermore, MacIntyre is an associate editor for the AARC’s science journal, Respiratory Care, and will be giving a course on nomenclature and respiratory mechanics during the upcoming AARC annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif.


John W. Walsh
A champion for COPD research

As a champion for the early testing for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a personal witness to the maladies of chronic lung disease, one of respiratory therapy’s most influential people is John W. Walsh. As president of the COPD Foundation, Walsh has used his role to become the voice for COPD. At last year’s AARC meeting in Orlando, Fla., Walsh gave a keynote address in which he shared his personal experiences with chronic lung disease and the work he and his Foundation are doing to promote early testing for COPD.

Walsh was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, the genetic form of COPD, in 1989. In addition to serving as president of the COPD Foundation, he is the cofounder, president, and CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation and regularly testifies before Congress and advisory groups as a patient advocate.

Walsh and his organizations have worked closely with the AARC over the past year in the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute’s “Learn More Breathe Better” campaign, the first-ever national campaign to raise awareness of COPD. Most recently, he joined AARC Executive Director Sam Giordano, MBA, RRT, FAARC, in lobbying Congress with Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, a patient advocate for the “Learn More Breathe Better” campaign, urging that pulmonary rehabilitation be established as a Medicare benefit.

 
Nursing

Linda Gorman, RN, MN, CNS-BC, CHPN, OCN
A pioneer in palliative care

A palliative care clinical nurse specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Linda Gorman, RN, MN, CNS-BC, CHPN, OCN, is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top nurses in end-of-life therapy. In 2008, NurseWeek honored her with a California Excellence Award in clinical care for her vast achievements in the field.

According to the publication, “Gorman’s passion for supporting dying patients began 30 years ago when she was a diploma nurse doing psychosocial work and mental health oncology. She recently trained a cadre of ‘end-of-life-champions’ – nursing unit leaders at Cedars who advise RNs on palliative care.” Gorman serves on a variety of committees at Cedars, including the Education Council, Bioethics, and the Nursing Research Council.

She has also published extensively on the subject of palliative care and has contributed to a number of works, including Psychosocial Nursing Along the Cancer Continuum (Oncology Nursing Society, 2006) and Psychosocial Nursing for General Patient Care (F. A. Davis Company, 2002). In addition to her tenure at Cedars, Gorman holds the positions of assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angles School of Nursing and the California State University, Los Angeles. Furthermore, she has served as a former board member and past president of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.



Maryann F. Fralic, DrPH, RN, FAAN
Maintaining a higher standard

Maryann F. Fralic, DrPH, RN, FAAN, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) in Baltimore, has greatly impacted her field through her research on emerging topics in nursing education. This year, Fralic established the Executive Mentorship Program at Johns Hopkins, which combines the best practices of nursing administration and business management to provide top Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students with advanced educational opportunities.

“Linkages with distinguished mentors are the essence of the program,” Fralic says. “The learning experiences derived from these relationships will guide these emerging leaders in the development of their own executive leadership skills and their future career endeavors. The experience offers today’s leaders avenues not only to share expertise, but most importantly to engage and positively influence the professional healthcare leaders of tomorrow.” Each year, JHUSON will bestow $5,000 in expense reimbursements upon the three DNP students selected for the program.

In addition to her work with the JHUSON Executive Mentorship Program, Fralic is a highly in-demand lecturer and mentor. She also serves as a senior consultant for the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program and an executive adviser for the Washington, D.C.-based Nursing Executive Center of the Advisory Board Company. Furthermore, she is a former associate dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and previously served as the vice president of nursing at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
 

Music Therapy

Rick Soshensky, MA, MT-BC, NRMT, CBIS
Evoking self-awareness through the arts

As a board-certified music therapist with 16 years of experience, Rick Soshensky, MA, MT-BC, NRMT, CBIS, has had more than his share of experience in working with developmental disabilities, emotional/behavioral disturbances, and traumatic brain injury. As director of the Fine & Performing Arts Department of the Northeast Center for Special Care (NCSC) in Lake Katrine, N.Y., Soshensky is putting that familiarity to good use.

At NCSC, serving adults with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, Soshensky has combined a variety of clinical arts theoretical perspectives into a single effective model. Utilizing artistic production, such as recording original music, writing poetry, fine art exhibitions, and public performances, Soshensky’s program evokes creativity from the most primitive and emotional regions of the brain, so that even individuals with extremely damaged cognition, communication, and social ability can surmount these barriers through the arts.

In this program, individuals begin to make the psychosocial shift from disability to ability. In clinical examinations of their songs, poems, visual artwork, as well as numerous personal interviews and written reflections, participants were less likely to regard themselves as disabled, but instead view themselves as active, creative individuals. Deficits in motivation, social integration, and self-awareness were also not evident in the artistic pieces.


Jenny Plume, MT-BC
Making sweet music

Since taking her post at the Nashville, Tenn.-based Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University in early 2007, Jenny Plume, MT-BC, has singlehandedly revolutionized the hospital’s music therapy program. Working with rehabilitation services to help patients reach their goals, assist in self-expression, and aid in relaxation and pain management, Plume has founded innovative programs to maximize the efforts of the small music therapy department.

Plume began by organizing the “Band in a Bag” Program, funded by the Fidelity company, in which patients who are not able to receive a personal visit from Plume are given several instruments in a gift bag and an interactive CD recorded by Plume, providing a chance for patients to familiarize themselves with an instrument and express themselves. Also, to bridge the gaps between the thriving local musical community and the hospital, Plume has orchestrated “Music Days” – in which local, national, and international musicians are invited to play and interact with patients and families.

These performances are also broadcast on TV for patients not able to leave their room. Garnering national attention from admiring country music stars, Dierks Bentley and the duo Big and Rich, public awareness of Plume’s efforts and the benefits of music therapy have increased drastically. Plume is currently working to produce a CD featuring songs written by patients recorded in a studio with a professional band and well-known artists from the community.


Pediatric Therapy


Joyce Lee, MD, MPH
Calling attention to an overlooked epidemic

A pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Joyce Lee, MD, MPH, has certainly made a name for herself in the pediatrics field. Examining the growing epidemic of pediatric obesity – and its link to the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes – Lee concluded that there are not enough pediatric endocrinologists to care for this population. What’s more, for every 290 children with diabetes, there’s only one specialist to treat them.

A member of the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at C.S. Mott’s, Lee and her colleagues utilized data from the American Board of Pediatrics and the National Survey of Children’s Health to analyze the discrepancies between the number of obese and diabetic children and pediatric endocrinologists in certain regions. Some of the most surprising findings? Although 16.5 percent of U.S. children between the ages 6 to 19 are obese, two states – Wyoming and Montana – contain no board-certified pediatric endocrinologists. Also, the ratio of obese children to pediatric endocrinologists in Mississippi is 99,000 to 1.

“The epidemic of childhood obesity has undoubtedly created new challenges for our healthcare, and we need to reassess the current system to ensure children with diabetes or at risk for diabetes receive appropriate care,” Lee concludes. “Ultimately, the pediatric endocrine workforce shortage raises the question of how healthcare delivery for U.S. children with diabetes and children at risk for diabetes should ideally be organized.”



Moya Kinnealey, PhD, OTR/L & Beth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP
A sensational collaboration

As the nation’s fastest-growing developmental disability, autism has confounded both healthcare experts and families grappling with its devastation. Fortunately, researchers like Moya Kinnealey PhD, OTR/L and Beth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, are exploring alternative treatments to improve patient outcomes and increase autistic children’s quality of life. Members of the occupational therapy department at Temple University’s College of Health Professions in Philadelphia, they recently tested sensory integration treatments on children with autism spectrum disorders.

Much to their delight, Kinnealey and Pfeiffer found that autistic children who received sensory integration therapy showcased fewer autistic mannerisms than their autistic peers. Additionally, children who underwent this treatment also exhibited growth in social-emotional areas, sensory processing/regulation, and functional motor skills. “The pilot study provided a foundation for how we should design randomized control trials for sensory integration interventions with larger sample sizes,” Pfeiffer says.

She continues, “Specifically, [the research] identified issues with measurement, such as the sensitivity of evaluation tools, to measure changes in this population.” An expert in the field, Pfeiffer is certified in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests and has completed pediatric neurodevelopmental therapy training. In addition, she’s currently involved in both qualitative and quantitative research examining the impact on participation and quality of life of sensory modulation and affective disorders on individuals with Asperger syndrome.

Furthermore, Kinnealey’s clinical work with children spans a variety of settings and ages with a particular emphasis on young children. Throughout her career, she has focused her research on the effectiveness of intervention using a sensory integration approach. And, to further demonstrate her achievements, Kinnealey received the “Academic Educator of the Year Award” from the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association at the 23rd Annual Conference in Pittsburgh.


— Therapy Times