Whether in the nutrition, occupational, physical, respiratory or speech therapy professions, the 2006 Therapy Times
25 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 – which is based strictly on reader nominations – of clinicians demonstrating the drive, character and integrity deserving of the title, "Most Influential."Nutrition TherapyMarilyn K. Tanner-Blasiar, MHS, RD, LD
Marilyn K. Tanner-Blasiar, MHS, RD, LD, was integral in developing
St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s “Head-to-Toe” program, a physician-referred program targeting kids 8-17 years old with weight problems. The popular 10-week program helps teach children nutritional topics such as portion control, food as fuel and weight management.
Tanner-Blasiar is actively involved in conveying nutritional messages when St. Louis Children’s Hospital is involved in education outreach or media requests. In addition, she serves as a spokesperson for the
American Dietetic Association (ADA) and holds a certificate of pediatric weight management from the ADA. She is also a past president of the Missouri Dietetic Association.
In management, Tanner-Blasiar served as the head bionutritionist at the General Clinical Research Centers for
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Currently she is a study coordinator in pediatric diabetes research.
Tanner-Blasiar seeks to make a difference one child at a time by helping them with issues such as diabetes, weight or hypertension management. She has been very vocal about helping kids make life adjustments that lead to healthy lifestyles. Never missing an opportunity to spread her knowledge, she is always giving of her time and expertise to all who need it, including patients, parents, colleagues, students and the general public.
Nominated by: Heidi Suppelsa, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Respiratory Therapy
Dustin Dornbrook, RRTDustin Dornbrook, now a new RRT, is in the midst of surviving personal struggles – such as his wife’s diagnosis with cancer – but all the while, he is following his dream of being a respiratory therapist. After making a major career move from construction, he is now thriving professionally as a respiratory therapist at a northern Ohio-based hospital.
As a 56-year-old respiratory therapy student, Dornbrook was recognized as the "Lakeland Community College 2006 Outstanding Respiratory Therapy Student." In August 2006, Dornbrook passed his national respiratory therapist registry simulations exam and he is now getting acclimated to his new job. His teachers, friends and colleagues all agree that Dornbrook is a sterling example of what a big heart and a big dream can earn.
Nominated by: Susanne Alexander Occupational TherapyKathy Stubblefield, OTR/L Kathy Stubblefield, OTR/L, is the lead occupational therapist on the
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) Neural Engineering Center for Bionic Medicine.
In this role, she has worked with amputee patients who have been fitted with the neural-controlled "
Bionic Arm" technology developed by Todd Kuiken, MD, PhD, director of RIC’s Neural Engineering Center for Bionic Medicine. This allows patients to move the six-motor prosthetic arm simply by thinking about it. This project was awarded the Popular Science "Best of What’s New" award in addition to the
Readers Digest "Best in America" award.
Since 2001, Stubblefield has worked diligently with these patients on tasks and functional exercise to ensure they achieve the best possible results. Her research, titled “Nerve Transfer to Improve Control of Myoelectric Prostheses in Above Elbow Amputations,” presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s annual conference in April 2005, is the only work of its kind being done.
Nominated by: Katie Bernard on behalf of the RICMary Ann Bruce, PhD, OTR/LIn 38 years as an occupational therapist, Mary Ann Bruce, PhD, OTR/L, has contributed to the profession through clinical, management, educator and research roles. Currently at Balance Rehabilitation in Mission Viejo, Calif., Bruce regularly uses client-centered assessments and occupational therapy interventions to support the client’s activity and participation in daily life. Her clinical expertise integrates psychosocial, cognitive and neuroscience principles in occupational therapy in home and community rehabilitation contexts.
An avid supporter of improving educational resources, Bruce has linked her clinical interests and expertise in research, course design and curriculum development for undergraduate and graduate science degree programs at universities in St. Louis; Hamden, Conn.; and San Antonio. Her studies in the relationships between rehabilitation theories and clinical practice have produced five textbooks and supported the development of a laboratory to study an individual’s learning and occupational performance following a brain injury.
Most recently, her interests have been pursued through advanced training in visual-perception dysfunction and low vision, home modification and “drive well” education; programs designed to screen driving skills and risks, as well as develop safe solutions for participation in the community.
Nominated by: Mark Wegener, Balance RehabilitationWaleed Al-Oboudi, MOT, OTR/LWaleed Al-Oboudi, MOT, OTR/L, author and originator of the Neuro-Integrative Functional Rehabilitation and Habilitation (Neuro-IFRAH™) approach has taught nationally, internationally and at the Redondo Beach, Calif.-based
Neuro-IFRAH Center, inspiring entire generations of therapists. In studying this approach, students of all disciplines are able see the true potential for patients affected by stroke or brain injury and are able to bring about positive changes in their patients.
Al-Oboudi has developed an integrative, whole person approach to therapy. His approach includes not just the most effective treatment and management strategies, but also an entire array of orthotics and therapy aids as an adjunct to therapy. In addition to the unique handling aspects of this approach, these orthotics and therapy aids have helped to make huge strides in the recovery for this patient population.
Al-Oboudi has been teaching for more than 20 years and is renowned nationally and internationally for his highly effective and creative clinical skills. Al-Oboudi has had an extraordinary influence in therapy fields overall, inspiring others to encourage innovation. He was also instrumental in advancing not just the discipline of occupational therapy, but also all disciplines and the entire process of rehabilitation.
Nominated by: Ryan V. Carmona, PT, GCS, NCS, Christopher Fritzen, OTR/L, Trudi Maaskant, MPT, Neuro-IFRAH instructor, Maricris Miller, OTR/L, MBA, Charleston Area Medical Center Neuro-IFRAH instructorHeather Stagliano, OTR/LAn 11-year veteran of occupational therapy, Heather Stagliano, OTR/L, advocates for those who have suffered serious burn injuries.
Dedicated to providing the best treatment available for burn injuries, Stagliano works to secure grants to help further occupational therapy services at
Shands’ at the University of Florida (UF) medical center in Gainesville where she is the primary burn occupational therapist.
She has written and received grants from the
Children’s Miracle Network totaling more than $130,000, including a $75,000 non-compete grant to be used through 2010 that provides children’s burn garments at Shands’.
In 2006, she was awarded nearly 5,000 dollars to purchase activity equipment for children; specifically those affected by burn injuries, including a computerized bicycle training system, a computer, a television with video games mounted upside down and other electronic devices.
Currently, she is working on a research study titled “The Use of Clinical Photographs to Increase Compliance with Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Treatment Plans in Burn Patients.”
Stagliano also educates other therapists and nurses about burn care at Shands’ Burn Center at UF as well as Shands’ Rehab Hospital and Brooks Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.
Nominated by: Shands’ OT department 
Wilma Morgan, OTR/L, CLT-LANAAn occupational therapist for more than 30 years and a certified lymphedema therapist for nine years, Wilma Morgan, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, embodies the mission of
Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) in Philadelphia: to reduce the burden of human cancer.
Morgan has been commended by the
Linda Creed Foundation for participation in an open forum conference regarding “Living with Breast Cancer Lymphedema.”
She participated in several conferences, workshops and seminars including the 2006 Fall Breast Conference hosted by the FCCC Partners, the 2006
National Lymphedema Network conference in Tennessee and a continuing nursing education seminar titled “Wound Care Management for Oncology Patients.”
A milestone achievement reflective of Morgan’s dedication to reducing the burden of human cancer is the quarterly lymphedema support group, which is steadily increasing attendance. Morgan also authored a compliance case study for the National Lymphedema Network‘s fall 2006 publication.
A leader in lymphedema therapy, Morgan brings energy and enthusiasm to her colleagues, as well as her patients. She is a highly dedicated therapist who empowers her patients to achieve a higher quality of life.
Nominated by: Margie Pierce, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Kim Eberhardt, MS, OTR/LKim Eberhardt, MS, OTR/L, is a program specialist on the spinal cord injury unit at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). In addition to delivering excellent patient care, Eberhardt, of Grand Rapids, Mich., works with spinal cord injury patients delivering several patient and family education series on topics including traveling with a disability and participating in sports with a disability, which introduce patients to community resources making their discharge and transition easier.
Eberhardt is the chair of the wheelchair division of the Chicago Marathon and the vice president of the
Spinal Cord Injury Association, dedicating her time to advancing resources and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Kim has been at RIC for six years and is a clinical instructor at the
University of Illinois at Chicago in the department of occupational therapy. She is a published author in several articles about home modifications for people with spinal cord injuries.
Nominated by: Katie Bernard on behalf of the RICLori Tolen, OTR/L Lori Tolen, OTR/L, director of the Comprehensive Therapy Center within
Kennedy Krieger Institute‘s daycare for children with special needs, is recognized as a top clinical specialist in identifying and providing therapy for children with sensory integration dysfunction.
Certified to administer the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test, Tolen is able to pinpoint areas of difficulty for children with sensory processing difficulties. Once identified, Tolen is committed to finding strategies and techniques to facilitate a better quality of life both at home and school. For many of these children and their parents, this comes after an emotionally exhaustive search for insight and answers.
Tolen is a mentor to other therapists regarding sensory issues and is committed to increasing awareness and understanding about sensory integration by guest lecturing for medical and physical therapy students. She has innovative ideas to secure service delivery, such as seeking grant funded projects and collaborating with local schools. Under her leadership, therapists are given opportunities for professional growth both in clinical skills as well as program development.
In her diverse roles as clinician and director, Tolen is able to develop skills in the children she treats and oversee the professional goals of the staff.
Nominated by: Kennedy Krieger Institute Janet S. Berthiaume, OTR, CDRS, FNORASince joining the Royal Oak, Mich.-based
Beaumont Rehab Services as an occupational therapist in 1991, Janet S. Berthiaume, OTR, CDRS, FNORA, has made significant and continued contributions to the field of vision in occupational therapy. Berthiaume has been involved in various activities in the community as a professional and has presented many topics on vision and driver rehabilitation. She has been active in many projects to help the local community. She has been instrumental in organizing a variety of services through her association with the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association.
In regards to her skills as an occupational therapist, Berthiaume has proved to be one of the best in the class. Her zest to learn from her mentors is an unparalleled complement to her ability to project the knowledge into clinical practice.
Berthiaume has been honored with outstanding awards for her contribution in the field of vision rehabilitation and has contributed articles to several publications. She has willingly taken on extensive activities to benefit the community. Berthiaume exemplifies what a therapist should be. She is compassionate to patients, has excellent treatment skills and has an outstanding personality.
Nominated by: Manjula Amarnath, MS, OTR, vision supervisor at William Beaumont Hospital 
Catherine Verrier Piersol, MS, OTR/LCatherine Verrier Piersol, MS, OTR/L, has distinguished herself as a top educator, scholar and administrator, as well as a practitioner specializing in geriatric care and dementia. At
Philadelphia University, Piersol was instrumental in developing a unique collaboration between occupational therapy and industrial design programs. Each year, students in these two fields design products to meet their clients’ individual needs for daily tasks. Many of these products continue to be utilized by clients to enhance their lives.
Some notable products include a device that allows a stroke victim to bait a fishing hook using only the left hand and a shoe-tying station that enabled a 10-year-old with a learning disability to tie her shoes. We believe this is the only program of its kind and draws perfectly on the expertise of students in both fields, fostering partnerships that promote the design and manufacture of products that enable a person’s independent function. Piersol presented nationwide on this successful collaboration and hopes that this model will be utilized in other teaching programs.
Piersol also participates in research at the Center for Applied Research in Aging and Health at
Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, focusing on dementia care and caregiver training, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute on Mental Health and Pennsylvania’s Department of Health. She has authored several dozen professional papers and presented at approximately 50 professional meetings. Her contributions have earned her a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Occupational Information Network (2006) and an OT Award of Recognition from the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (1999).
Nominated by: Jeffrey Senese, vice president for academic affairs, Philadelphia UniversitySpeech Therapy
John C. HarrisonJohn C. Harrison, a speech therapy expert based in the United Kingdom, is no stranger to the problems of stuttering. He showed a marked disfluency at the age of three and two years later underwent therapy at the National Hospital for Speech and Hearing Disorders in New York City. However, this and later efforts at therapy during his school years were not successful and he struggled with stuttering throughout college and well into adulthood.
Harrison’s involvement in a variety of personal growth programs over three decades have given him unique insight into the nature and dynamics of the stuttering person. Today, he is fully recovered and no longer deals with a stuttering problem.
One of the earliest members of the National Stuttering Project, now the National Stuttering Association (NSA), he was an 18-year member of the board of directors and previously served as the NSA’s associate director. Harrison has run workshops for the stuttering and the professional communities in more than 20 cities across the U.S., Canada, Ireland, the U.K., Sweden, Germany and Australia.
The author of
How to Conquer Your Fears of Speaking Before People, (National Stuttering Association, 2000), Harrison has been published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders and has presented at American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and California Speech-Language-Hearing Association conventions. Over the years, Harrison has been developing his skills as a public speaker and regularly talks to civic groups in the San Francisco area.
Nominated by: Janet Y. Skotko, MEd, CCC/SLP 
Laurie Jacobs, MA, CCC-SLPLaurie Jacobs, MA, CCC-SLP, is co-founder of the Leesburg, Va.-based
Social Skill Builder, a company launched in 1999 to provide computer-based tools for teaching social skills to children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Jacobs, with Jennifer, her sister and co-founder, develops software products based on the unique needs of her ASD clients. In 2006, their “School Rules!” software was selected as an iParenting Media Award Winner.
Jacobs is a clinically certified member of ASHA who has presented at major conferences and authored several articles for professional journals on the topic of social skills in children with ASD. She has received the Council of Exceptional Children’s Practitioner Presentation Award and the Exceptional Parent Award for published knowledge and experience in the field. Jacobs was recently featured on the Fox 59 Morning News in Indianapolis, providing tips for parents of children with ASD.
Jacobs, who has been treating children with autism for 15 years, is also the owner of the Leesburg, Va.-based Community Speech Language Services, an independent speech pathology practice she started in 1997 to treat pediatric and adolescent language disorders including autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and Down syndrome.
Nominated by: Eileen Masciale on behalf of Social Skill Builder
Ann W. Kummer, PhD, CCC-SLPAnn W. Kummer, PhD, CCC-SLP, senior director of speech pathology at
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has led the speech pathology program at Cincinnati Children’s to be one of the largest and most respected in the country.
Elected fellow of ASHA in 2002, Kummer specializes in speech and resonance disorders related to cleft palate, craniofacial anomalies and velopharyngeal dysfunction. She is a member of the
Craniofacial Anomaly Team at Cincinnati Children’s and at Shriners Hospital and also serves at the Velopharyngeal Dysfunction Clinic.
Kummer works to individualize treatment protocols for children who have a history of cleft lip and palate. She follows through with care, instructing patients’ hometown SLP in speech therapy techniques appropriate for their particular difficulty.
The author of the text,
Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies: The Effects on Speech and Resonance (Thomson Delmar Learning, 2001), Kummer is also co-author of the SNAP test that is incorporated in Nasometer equipment.
Nominated by: Diane Geiger, CCC, PhD, and Bridgett C. Pauly, CCC, SLP/AAdeline R. Schultz, Med, CCC-SLP/L, BRS-S
Adeline R. Schultz, Med, CCC-SLP/L, BRS-S, created speech language pathology programs at Moss Rehabilitation Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, both in Philadelphia, and has been a champion for swallowing to be part of speech therapy since beginning work in the field in the 1970s.
Schultz, who specialized in adult rehabilitation at Moss Rehabilitation Hospital, served as Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s former chief of speech-language pathology for 25 years. She also worked with children with cerebral palsy at the Home of the Merciful Savior in West Philadelphia. Currently, Schultz conducts clinical work full-time with outpatients, specializing in neurologically based speech, language and swallowing problems and management of medically and behaviorally based voice problems.
Chairperson and a founder of the Pennsylvania Speech Language and Hearing Association Committee on Dysphasia (or swallowing), Schultz helped develop the classification of swallowing therapy within ASHA. She has also presented at regional and national conferences and teaches the dysphasia management course at
Temple University’s graduate program in speech-language pathology.
Nominated by: Jeff Baxt, Thomas Jefferson University HospitalPhysical Therapy Barbara Connolly, EdD, PT, FAPTA As an internationally known professor of physical therapy, Barbara Connolly, EdD, PT, FAPTA, regularly reaches out beyond the classroom to effect change in the Mid-South region.
Connolly, professor of physical therapy and chair of the department of physical therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences at the
University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, Tenn., has initiated several advanced-degree programs for previously credentialed practitioners, such as the transitional doctor of physical therapy degree. She has also advanced the degrees offered at the UTHSC from the bachelor of science to a master’s degree and most recently added a doctor of physical therapy degree.
A founding member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) section of pediatrics, Connolly represented the APTA at the 1985 World Rehabilitation Fund (part of the World Health Organization). In recognition of her role as an outstanding mentor for professional and pre-professional students, Connolly received the 2001 Jeanne Fisher Distinguished Mentorship Award from APTA. As a result of her efforts to establish the first Minority Affairs and Recruitment Advisory Committee for the UTHSC College of Allied Health Sciences, the physical therapy department received the 2000 APTA Diversity Award. In addition, she has been a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA for the past four years.
Nominated by: Anne Manning, communications specialist, UTHSCSarah Stickles, MPTAs a leader with Shands’ Hospital at UF’s spinal cord community, Sarah Stickles, MPT, is also a member of the hospital’s Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Committee.
Her passion in the area of brain and spinal cord injuries has led her to become a research physical therapist with the Brain Rehabilitation Research Center at the Gainesville-based VA Medical Center, where she is currently studying the effects of locomotor training on patients with cerebral vascular accident or stroke.
Locomotor training has proved to be a breakthrough therapy for patients with these types of injuries and Stickles is working to further understand this training to provide a new dimension to Shands’ therapy services.
An advocate for evidence-based practice, Stickles’ desire to help educate others is evident in the multiple continuing education lectures she has given throughout the state of Florida to educate her peers, as well as PT and OT students, about locomotor training and ongoing research to determine its efficacy.
Nominated by: Amy Franceschi, PT, inpatient clinical coordinator, Shands Hospital at UF
Jennifer Miros, MPT As a pediatric physical therapist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, one of the key responsibilities for Jennifer Miros, MPT, includes managing “Camp Independence,” the first and only sports camp in the nation designed specifically for children with cerebral palsy.
Miros helped established the first camp in 2003 and continues to lead a team of fellow therapists and volunteers to help hundreds of campers increase their activity level, aerobic fitness and gain strength and balance while having fun with friends. Camp activities include basketball, martial arts, ice-skating, hockey, rock wall climbing, dance, swimming, soccer, adaptive cycle riding and volleyball. Miros’ mantra of “everybody plays” and her “can-do” attitude have made her a terrific leader for hospital colleagues, volunteers and especially the kids at Camp Independence.
Her abstract titled,
Pilot Study: Effects of a Fitness Class on Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy was accepted for a demonstration poster at American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine’s annual meeting in September 2006 and for the APTA’s combined sections meeting in February 2007.
Part of Miros’ position at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the Cerebral Palsy Sports and Rehabilitation Center involves planning and directing community sports activities for young people with cerebral palsy. The year-round classes include dance, swim, fitness and basketball.
Nominated by: Heidi Suppelsa, St. Louis Children’s Hospital 
Robert DuVall, PT, DHSc, MMSc, ATC, OCS, FAAOMPT, MTC, PCC, CSCSIn private practice since 1984, Robert DuVall, PT, DHSc, MMSc, ATC, OCS, FAAOMPT, MTC, PCC, CSCS, is founder and president of
Sports Medicine of Atlanta, where he serves as director of the Orthopedic Primary Care Residency and APTA-credentialed manual therapy fellowship program.
A primary care physical therapy practitioner, Duvall has clinically coordinated care for more than 15,000 direct access patients. He is ABPTS board certified as an orthopedic clinical specialist and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. DuVall has obtained an athletic training certification, a manual therapy certification and was the first physical therapist certified in primary care by the
University of St. Augustine in Georgia.
A clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Northeastern, Gannon and Shenandoah Universities, DuVall teaches differential diagnostics and direct access physical therapy courses.
Published in the June 2004
Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, DuVall’s doctoral research was a practice analysis from which essential clinical competencies were identified to scientifically define direct access physical therapy.
DuVall has also authored three monographs on autonomous practice, direct access, pharmacology, differential diagnosis and medical screening for the APTA’s 2004 orthopedic section’s home study course. He has also officially covered the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympic Games as a physical therapist.
Nominated by: Sports Medicine of AtlantaEric Heiden, MDAn orthopedic surgeon who helped establish the sports medicine program at the
University of California at Davis, Eric Heiden, MD, leads a surgical team at Intermountain Healthcare’s Orthopedic Special Hospital (TOSH) in Murray, Utah, considered one of the best in the nation.
The medical director of TOSH’s Orthopedic Special Hospital, Heiden is a graduate of Stanford Medical School. He has also served as team physician for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs, as well as several national and Olympic speed skating teams, including the U.S. contingent that competed in the recent 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino.
He himself is a five-time Olympic Gold medalist, and his record-setting performance in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid is considered one of the greatest feats in Olympic history. In his second athletic career, cycling, he won the 1985 U.S. Pro Championships and was a member of the first U.S. team to compete in the Tour de France.
Nominated by: Intermountain Healthcare
Michelle D. Saunders, PT, MSPTAfter earning her Masters degree from Mt. Pleasant-based
Central Michigan University in 2000, Michelle D. Saunders, PT, MSPT, director of North Oakland Medical Centers (NOMAC) Euro-Peds, in Pontiac, Mich., immediately found her niche at NOMC Euro-Peds in the cutting edge physical therapy field of intensive pediatric PT.
Her technical skills, dedication and passion for children and for this emerging field of PT contributed to her 2003 promotion, becoming the youngest director of a departmental hospital at North Oakland Medical Centers, the non-profit hospital where the clinic is located.
Saunders has also been instrumental in promoting research on “suit therapy,” a tool sometimes used in an intensive PT session, in conjunction with Oakland University, based in Rochester, Mich. Since the inception of the clinic, several major insurance carriers are now more likely to cover intensive PT, largely due to Saunders’ determination. For families without insurance, she has worked closely with the North Oakland Foundation to keep alive a special grant program called “Adopt A Euro-Kid.”
In a potentially high-burnout field – where therapists work with one child up to 40 hours throughout two weeks and scheduling is unusually challenging – Saunders has fostered exceptional care and quality from her therapy teams and staff. Her goals for the clinic always remain in sight: exceptional patient care, the highest quality training, education and affordable treatment for those children who are in need.
Nominated by: Anne MancourDeanne Fay, PT, MS, PCS
As a pediatric clinical specialist, teacher, parent and community volunteer, Deanne Fay, PT, MS, PCS, has touched the lives of clients, students and the community with her knowledge and selfless giving of time and talents.
Fay also teaches pediatrics and gait to physical therapy students at
A. T. Still University in Mesa, Ariz. In her free time, Fay supports sports for the physically disabled. Through this work, she has influenced the involvement of many physical therapists that now volunteer across the United States.
Fay has served with Mesa Association for Sports for the Disabled for more than 15 years in the roles of coach, classifier and board of director member. She has served as classifier at 30 different regional and national competitions from California to Connecticut and coordinates workshops for physical and occupational student volunteers to help with practices and local competitions.
Fay provides weekly fitness classes for students with mental and physical disabilities at a local high school, receiving the Ray Rafford Community Service Award from Mesa Public Schools for her dedication in this arena, in addition to conducting a motor skills class for children with physical disabilities at a gymnastics center.
Nominated by: Suzanne R. Brown, PT, MPH, chair, physical therapy, A. T. Still University, Arizona School of Health SciencesMichael J. Mulrenan, MSPT, OMT, FAAOMPTAfter being laid off from a staff physical therapy position the week of September 11, 2001, Michael J. Mulrenan, MSPT, OMT, FAAOMPT, chose to pursue his dream of opening his own PT Practice.
On September 26, 2001, in a 400-sq.-ft office space, he opened a physical therapy practice in Woburn, Mass., in a market that was saturated with private practices and two major hospitals.
Mulrenan’s and his staff’s commitment to becoming the best clinicians they possibly could be has enabled them to not only compete in a highly saturated market, but also to directly compete and survive the effect of a large physician-owned PT practice clinic only two miles away. In five years, Mulrenan Physical Therapy has grown into a three-clinic organization.
Mulrenan has taught continuing education courses to practicing physical therapists in areas of manual therapy and medical exercise therapy. He is a member of the APTA and a section member of the private practice section and orthopedic section.
What is Mulrenan’s position on being successful? “Strive to become the best you can be in your profession with high regard to ethics and, ultimately, your clients will benefit with a superior product. This will transcend into superior customer service.”
Nominated by: Jim Farrell
Justin Keller, PT, MPT, OCS, CSCS With an MPT from
Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and seven years of experience, Justin Keller, PT, MPT, OCS, CSCS, leads the physical therapy team at Spine Team Texas as they explore non-surgical and minimally invasive procedures as preferred treatment methods.
Dedicated to contributing to the resources available to his fellow physical therapists, Keller is a partner in Physical Therapy Performance Resource, an organization providing continuing education to physical therapists in several southwestern states. Additionally, Keller often makes professional presentations; most recently he presented a lecture entitled “Rehabilitation of Cervical Spine Injuries in the Athlete” at the Sports Medicine Symposium in April 2006. Keller is also a member of the North American Spine Society.
Focusing on orthopedic spine rehabilitation, Keller has contributed to the development of post-operative protocols for spinal surgeries. He recently seized the opportunity to contribute to a book being written about artificial disc replacement as Spine Team Texas performed one of these groundbreaking surgeries in November 2005. Furthermore, Keller regularly “exceeds expectations” related to Press Ganey patient-satisfaction surveys.
Nominated by: Dawn McKenzie on behalf of Spine Team Texas Andrea Sanfield, PTAndrea Sanfield, PT, has done extensive work in the areas of pelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction and pre/post natal exercise. A 1971 graduate of the Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan physical therapy program, she developed and instituted the prenatal exercise program at the Royal Oak, Md.-based Beaumont Hospital in 1985 and continued to coordinate this program until 1997.
She also began the high risk pregnancy exercise program in 1989 and organized the OB-GYN study section for the Detroit metro area in November 1987. Stanfield has served as the midwest regional representative of the Women’s Health Section from 1993 to 2000 and as the Michigan representative for the women’s health section of the APTA for the past 13 years. She is also a founding member of the Michigan Women’s Health Study Group.
Her additional presentations include “High Risk Exercise Program and Prenatal Exercise” to the nursing department of Beaumont Hospital in 1990 and 1991 and a platform presentation at the MPTA Fall Conference in 1988 on “The Role of the Physical Therapist in Obstetrics/Gynecology.” Currently, Sanfield is involved as a clinician in a National Institutes of Health research study for the Urological Pelvic Pain Network. She continues to work part-time at Beaumont Hospital treating patients with pelvic floor dysfunction, incontinence and pregnancy-related pain.
Nominated by: Linda M. Isbell, PT, supervisor, outpatient physical therapy Beaumont Health Center
What influences you? Click here to visit the Therapy Times forum, post your response and see what other therapists are saying.
Compiled by Kate DeBevois, Therapy Times staff writer. Questions or comments can be directed to editorial@TherapyTimes.com.
