Dr. Kristine Josef is a Neurologic Clinical Specialist with experience working in various areas including adult inpatient rehabilitation and acute care. While working in acute care, she was involved in the Early Mobility project in the intensive care unit that resulted in patient decreased length of stay, decreased hospital costs, and increased incidence of patient discharge home vs post-acute facilities. She has given multiple presentations on the topic of delirium. Recently, she co-authored a poster that was presented at the 2017 Combined Sections Meeting in San Antonio, TX that was titled “Delirium in patients with cerebrovascular accident: increasing treatment team awareness.” Her doctorate in physical therapy is from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, which now is Rutgers University. She is a board certified neurologic clinical specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

In this interview, she discusses: distinguishing delirium from encephalopathy; tools for accurate delirium screening and diagnosis in critically ill patients; the role physical therapy plays in dealing with the problem of patients with delirium from the standpoint of diagnosis and treatment; if anything can be done pre-surgically to prevent the occurrence of delirium; aging and co-morbidities in relation to delirium; the role of family members in changing the course of delirium in a patient; and the advantages and disadvantages of using physical restraints to manage behavioral symptoms of hospitalized patients.

Kaitlin Hanley works as a speech-language pathologist in acute care and Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Medical Center and Christina Marino is an occupational therapist who works on that same unit. Kaitlin has cross-covered acute care and acute rehabilitation for her entire career with a focus on functional therapy for enabling patients to return to the community as it pertains to cognitive, speech, and language therapy. She completed her graduate work in Speech Language Pathology at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. Christina has worked in a variety of settings, including Rusk and the Tisch Hospital acute care service at NYU Langone. Along with treating cardiopulmonary patients with cognitive deficits, another specialty includes working with limb loss patients. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are from the University of Scranton.

In this interview, Kaitlin and Christina discuss the kinds of patients they treat and problems regarding how cognitive impairments affect cardiopulmonary patients; occupational therapy and speech-language pathology tools available to arrive at an accurate diagnosis; factors  involved in making a determination of which types of interventions would be most appropriate for patients who may differ by age, frailty, and extent of their problems; activities that are aimed at preventing a recurrence of problems; and areas where further research might provide guidance for making additional improvements in patient care.

Sharon Matsos has been a physical therapist for 11 years and has experience in treating patients with cardiopulmonary diseases in acute care, inpatient, and outpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. She helped develop and implement the diabetes education management program on the HCC-9 unit and is part of the cardiopulmonary strategic planning group, in the clinical subcommittee. Her doctorate in physical therapy is from Stony Brook University. Camille Magsombol currently is involved in the development and promotion of self-management programs for patients with diabetes, low vision, and COPD. She also is part of the cardiopulmonary strategic planning group, in the clinical subcommittee. Her Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy is from the University of the Philippines Manila and her Occupational Therapy doctorate is from Quinnipiac University. Shaparak Shadravan who is called “Shap” is part of the team treating cardiopulmonary and medically complex patients with communication, swallowing, and cognitive impairments. She also participates in the clinical brain injury strategic planning group, with a focus on stroke. Her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Communication Disorders are from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Dr. Greg Sweeney is the Program Manager of the Joan and Joel Smilow Cardiac Prevention & Rehabilitation Center at Rusk Rehabilitation. He has close to 20 years of experience in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, spanning a continuum of care that includes acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, home care, and outpatient settings. He is an American Physical Therapy Association board-certified cardiopulmonary clinical specialist. A Past President of the New York State Chapter of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, he has a strong interest in research related to the population with cardiopulmonary disorders. He has produced several publications, including a book chapter and peer-reviewed journal articles. His bachelor’s degree is from Manhattan College. He has a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Long Island University and his doctorate in physical therapy is from the University of Scranton.  

In this interview, Greg discusses settings where cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is provided, the role of physical therapy in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, types of patients treated, tests involving cardiorespiratory fitness used to aid in a determination of the most effective physical therapy forms of treatment to employ, special challenges involved in treating patients who have implanted left-ventricular assistive devices, responding to situations where a patient may be concerned about the safety of engaging in a program involving physical activity, and key topics in rehabilitation research pertaining to physical therapy aspects of cardiopulmonary care.

Mary Fischer is a clinical specialist in acute care at NYU Langone Medical Center. She is a board-certified Geriatric clinical specialist with over 25 years of experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, and home care therapy. Along with making presentations on geriatric topics at multiple Physical Therapy Conferences and the American Delirium Society Conference, in October 2016, Rusk Rehabilitation hosted a day-long event called: "Comprehensive Examination and Treatment of the Patient with Delirium: An Interprofessional and Evidence Based Approach" in which she was a content planner and faculty member. Some of her other important activities include serving as the principle investigator for a research project on fall risk assessment in acute care and being a member of the post-operative delirium prevention committee. She has a master’s degree in physical therapy from Columbia University and a doctorate from Stony Brook University. Prior Rusk podcast interviews that she participated in with Dr. Kristine Josef were posted on iTunes on May 18 and May 25, 2016. In Part 2, the discussion includes how delirium can be triggered in the intensive care setting by sleep deprivation/disturbance, non-pharmacological interventions to treat delirium, long-term consequences such as mental health problems, the role of falls in causing delirium, and future activities involving delirium in which she plans to engage.

Mary Fischer is a clinical specialist in acute care at NYU Langone Medical Center. She is a board-certified Geriatric clinical specialist with over 25 years of experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, and home care therapy. Along with making presentations on geriatric topics at multiple Physical Therapy Conferences and the American Delirium Society Conference, in October 2016, Rusk Rehabilitation hosted a day-long event called: "Comprehensive Examination and Treatment of the Patient with Delirium: An Interprofessional and Evidence Based Approach" in which she was a content planner and faculty member. Some of her other important activities include serving as the principle investigator for a research project on fall risk assessment in acute care and being a member of the post-operative delirium prevention committee. She has a master’s degree in physical therapy from Columbia University and a doctorate from Stony Brook University. Prior Rusk podcast interviews that she participated in with Dr. Kristine Josef were posted on iTunes on May 18 and May 25, 2016. In Part 1, the discussion includes symptoms of delirium, length of delirium episodes, predisposing/precipitating risks for the onset of delirium, and how physical therapists are involved in recognizing and preventing delirium.

Dr. Jonathan Finnoff is the medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and the Program Director for the Mayo Clinic Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship in Minneapolis, MN. His clinical interests are broad and include multiple sports medicine topics. He has published over 70 articles in peer reviewed journals, authored multiple book chapters, and co-edited the book, Sports Medicine: Study Guide and Review for Boards. He serves as a Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. He has been a team physician for the United States Ski Team and also is a team physician for the Timberwolves NBA basketball team, and Lynx WNBA basketball team. A member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Board of Governors and the Board of Directors for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, his medical degree is from the University of New England. He did his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Utah and completed a Sports Medicine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Finnoff is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Jonathan Finnoff is the medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and the Program Director for the Mayo Clinic Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship in Minneapolis, MN. His clinical interests are broad and include multiple sports medicine topics. He has published over 70 articles in peer reviewed journals, authored multiple book chapters, and co-edited the book, Sports Medicine: Study Guide and Review for Boards. He serves as a Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. He has been a team physician for the United States Ski Team and also is a team physician for the Timberwolves NBA basketball team, and Lynx WNBA basketball team. A member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Board of Governors and the Board of Directors for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, his medical degree is from the University of New England. He did his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Utah and completed a Sports Medicine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Finnoff is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Effects of Technology Based Cognitive Intervention in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Adults.

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation.

Gerald Voelbel, PhD is an associate professor of cognitive neuroscience in the Department of Occupational Therapy and Director of the  Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Program. His main research interests  focus on the neuropsychological deficits in neurological and psychiatric populations. An area of significant importance for Dr. Voelbel is the development of cognitive remediation techniques to improve cognitive deficits such as processing speed, executive function, and working memory in individuals with traumatic brain injuries. An additional area of interest for Dr. Voelbel is the use of structural and functional imaging methods to identify biomarkers of cognitive deficits in concussions and in more severe traumatic brain injuries. At Rusk, he is an adjunct assistant professor. His PhD in psychology is from Rutgers University. He did his postdoctoral work at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the Kessler Foundation Research Center. 

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Rusk Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Postdoctoral Fellowship

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation.

Joseph Rath, PhD is Associate Director for Psychology Research at Rusk Rehabilitation, Training Director of the Rusk Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Research, and clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at NYU School of Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Rath explains the clinical applications of problem-solving research in neuropsychological rehabilitation and the valuable work he is doing for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Illness.

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Characteristics of Firearm Brain Injury Survivors in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database: A Comparison of Assault and Self-Inflicted Injury Survivors. 

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation.

Valerie Ellois, PhD, is a second-year ARRT psychology postdoctoral fellow in rehabilitation research. Her research interests include problematic substance use, emotional dysregulation, suicidality, and health disparities in acquired brain injury. She has presented at several national conferences and has held leadership roles within Division of Rehabilitation Psychology and the APA. She is a recipient of the APA Division of Rehab Psychology Research Travel Award for the research she is presenting. 

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is:Camp High 5: A Modified Constraint Induced Movement (mCIMT) Therapy & Bimanual Training (HABIT) Day Camp for Children with Hemiplegia.

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation.

Lori Belfiore Ragni has been a pediatric occupational therapist at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases since 2011, and is currently a Clinical Specialist in the Rusk Pediatric Occupational Therapy Department. Lori will be starting a part-time PhD program at NYU in the Rehabilitation Sciences program this fall. 

Melissa Schaeffer graduated from Boston University in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy, and from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy with a concentration in Pediatric Science in 2015. In 2017, Melissa received her board certification in pediatrics from the American Occupational Therapy Association and has been working at Rusk in the pediatric department for eight years and is currently the assistant supervisor of the pediatric department. 

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Clusters of Vulnerable Group Membership in Acute TBI Rehabilitation.

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation. 

Dr. N. Erkut Kucukboyaci is a postdoctoral fellow at Rusk Rehabilitation. Prior to this position. he was a predoctoral intern in clinical psychology. He also worked as a research assistant and doctoral student at the UCSD Multimodal Imaging Lab, authoring his dissertation on Postoperative Changes in the Uncinate Fasciculus in Patients with Refractory Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. After graduating from Harvard with a BA in Economics, Dr. Kucukboyaci worked at NYU Langone and earned his MA in Psychology (neuroscience). 

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Addressing Post-Deployment Cognitive Dysfunction to Reduce Disability.

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation. 

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Training Adults with Acquired Brain Injury How to Help-Seek When Wayfinding: An Understudied Critical Life Skill. 

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation. 

Young Susan Cho is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. Her current research, which is funded by the Evelyn Bullock Fund, focuses on training adults with acquired brain injury on how to improve navigation skills and seek help when lost in the community. She completed her doctoral dissertation on this topic at the Rusk Institute and the pilot investigation has been published in the journal Brain Impairment. Her publications have appeared in several journals and she has made presentations at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University, a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Connecticut, and a doctorate in Communication Disorders & Sciences from the University of Oregon. She is certified as aSpeech-Language Pathologist by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

This interview is a live presentation that was presented at the 3rd Annual Rusk Research Symposium during the summer. The title of the talk is: Early Rehabilitation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project

Please excuse any quality issues during this live presentation. 

Jodi Herbsman is the Program Manager of Acute Care Therapy Services at Rusk Rehabilitation NYU Langone Medical Center where she manages the daily operations of Physical and Occupational therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and Psychology services. Her position entails providing support, guidance, and supervision to acute care managers and assisting them with management of operational issues as needed. She also has responsibility for managing Productivity/Statistics in coordination with Clinical Directors. Her bachelor’s degree is from the University of Michigan. Her master’s degree in physical therapy is from New York Medical College and she obtained a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Scranton.