This interview features a panel of guests from the Rusk Lumbar Spine Symposium. Four of the participants are from the NYU Langone Medical Center. They are: Dr. Michael D’Agati--Clinical Specialist of Physical Therapy, he is the current Chair of the NYU Rusk Physical Therapy Research Committee. Board Certified in Orthopedics, he is pursuing a second doctorate from Rutgers University. Dr. Mia Palazzo-- Program Manager, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Sport Performance Center, is Board Certified in Orthopedics. Her doctorate is from Temple University. Dr. James Koo-- Supervisor of Physical Therapy, also is Board Certified in Orthopedics. His doctorate is from New York University. Dr. William Oswald-- Supervisor of Physical Therapy, received a diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy through the McKenzie Institute International. Guest faculty Dr. Chad Cook-- Program Director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University, is a recent winner of the top educator award for the American Physical Therapy Association. His doctorate is from Texas Tech University.
In Part 1 of this interview was on: why clinician's may not feel confident treating patients with back pain; Dr. Michael D’Agati discussed how low back pain has become a medical disaster; and Dr. Mia Palazzo's comments on how clinical practice guidelines are being translated into improved patient outcomes.
Part 2 consisted of comments by Dr. Chad Cook on how medicine as an art and a science applies to the management of low back pain; comments by Dr. James Koo on how clinicians indicate that 90% of the diagnostic process is from the history; and comments by Dr. William Oswald on the important aspects of a low back pain examination and possible treatment strategies.
Dr. John Patrick Dorangricchia is a staff Physical Therapist at Rusk Rehabilitation. At NYU Langone Medical Center, he has practiced in the Tisch Hospital Acute Bedside Rehabilitation, Outpatient Adult Neurological and Outpatient Vestibular Rehabilitation, and currently works in Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation. His main passion is vestibular therapy and prosthetic gait training. Currently, he is working on a national conference poster presentation BPPV Horizontal Canal Treatment, and sitting for a post-doctoral neurological certified specialist exam in 2018. His bachelor’s degree in Medical Informatics is from Stony Brook University and his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree is from Long Island University.
This interview features both Dr. Mathilde Battsek and Dr. Clodagh Dack.
Dr. Mathilde Battsek works as a physical therapist at Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone Medical Center. She works in the inpatient rehabilitation department as a permanent staff member. Her experience includes serving in acute care on the cardiopulmonary floor, pediatrics floor, the neurology floor, general medicine floor, the ICU and the outpatient neurology department at the ambulatory care center. She has presented at two national physical therapy conferences to discuss NYU patient case studies. She is involved in the Brain Injury strategic plan and is working on a wellness program for patients with Parkinson’s disease. She received her Doctorate of physical therapy from Boston University.
Dr. Clodagh Dack is a Senior Physical Therapist currently working at Rusk. She began working at NYU Medical Center after emigrating from Dublin, Ireland in 2012. She started working in the outpatient Neurology department and has since moved through rotations in acute care, ICU care, and acute rehabilitation. In the acute care setting, she gained experience working specifically in cardiac, neurology, and general medicine units. Since coming to the U.S., she has been involved in treating adults with cystic fibrosis in the acute care and rehabilitation settings, plus the work she does with children. She has presented at poster sessions in 2014 and 2015 at the American Physical Therapy Association National Conference. Her doctorate in physical therapy is from Utica College.
This interview is a 2-part series. In Part 2, topics include dealing with changes in posture and skeletal structural alignment, patient resilience/willingness to participate actively in rehabilitation, and examples of necessary research, such as improving out-of-bed time for patients.
This interview features both Dr. Mathilde Battsek and Dr. Clodagh Dack.
Dr. Mathilde Battsek works as a physical therapist at Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone Medical Center. She works in the inpatient rehabilitation department as a permanent staff member. Her experience includes serving in acute care on the cardiopulmonary floor, pediatrics floor, the neurology floor, general medicine floor, the ICU and the outpatient neurology department at the ambulatory care center. She has presented at two national physical therapy conferences to discuss NYU patient case studies. She is involved in the Brain Injury strategic plan and is working on a wellness program for patients with Parkinson’s disease. She received her Doctorate of physical therapy from Boston University.
Dr. Clodagh Dack is a Senior Physical Therapist currently working at Rusk. She began working at NYU Medical Center after emigrating from Dublin, Ireland in 2012. She started working in the outpatient Neurology department and has since moved through rotations in acute care, ICU care, and acute rehabilitation. In the acute care setting, she gained experience working specifically in cardiac, neurology, and general medicine units. Since coming to the U.S., she has been involved in treating adults with cystic fibrosis in the acute care and rehabilitation settings, plus the work she does with children. She has presented at poster sessions in 2014 and 2015 at the American Physical Therapy Association National Conference. Her doctorate in physical therapy is from Utica College.
This interview is a 2-part series. In Part 1, the pair discussed the role of physical therapists in treating cystic fibrosis patients, the use of clinical assessment tools to improve patients' physical activity, and activities to enhance bone health.
This interview is with two individuals: Dr. Harry Pino is Senior Exercise Physiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center Musculoskeletal Care and Sports Performance Center and Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Gauri Dhamnaskar is Senior Physical Therapist at the Center for Musculoskeletal Care.
Dr. Pino is a board certified exercise physiologist and a certified U.S. Track and Field Level 1 Coach. He has over 25 years of experience in performance testing and designing training programs for cyclists, runners, and triathletes. He has worked with Olympic athletes from Puerto Rico, the USA, and England and is well known for leadership in the field of Sports Science and for performance testing of teams, including the New York Jets, the NY Knickerbockers, the NY Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He has lectured and published peer-reviewed articles, is on several national boards, and is past-president of the Massachusetts Association of Clinical Exercise Physiologists. He was inducted in the Sports Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico in December 2016.
Gauri Dhamnaskar has been a practicing Physical Therapist for eight years. She works with other colleagues at the 'Running Lab at NYULMC' where they analyze the biomechanics, strength and flexibility of runner clients and prepare comprehensive reports. She has worked with cricket and badminton players in India and since then in the United States where she specializes in athletes in sports, such as running, swimming, basketball. and soccer. Her master’s degree in musculoskeletal physical therapy is from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. She has made presentations on common injuries in running and how to prevent them.
In this interview, the pair discuss the benefits and risks of strenuous exercise, the use of biomarkers to identify stresses and strains, and how to prevent and treat various kinds of injuries associated with lengthy periods of strenuous exercise, such as running in marathons. They also discuss current research activities.
Dr. Barbara Siminovich-Blok is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rusk Rehabilitation. Her research interests include: integrative research in rehabilitation medicine, how traditional modalities and modern science collaborate to enhance patient outcomes, physiological stress markers to analyze the effectiveness of Integrative Modalities, and retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of integrative health therapies at NYU Langone. Dr. Siminovich-Blok appeared on a previous episode of the podcast on October 26, 2015.
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 a Speech-Language Pathologist by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
Tami Altschuler is a Clinical Specialist in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center. As part of the Rusk Rehabilitation team, her focus is on patient-provider communication. Her work was recognized in February 2016 in the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She also has presented nationally and internationally on this topic. Tami has authored a grant proposal and was awarded funding to establish an inpatient augmentative and alternative communication program in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). She completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at Long Island University – CW Post. In this interview, Tami discusses augmentative and alternative communication with patients, why such a unit was established in the pediatric intensive care unit, the kinds of patients who benefit from this form of intervention, factors that can impede communication between clinicians and patients, and the importance of the environment in which communication occurs.
Dr. Siobhan O’Donnell is the Physical Therapy Assistant Unit Supervisor for Pediatrics at Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone Medical Center and Dr. Daniella Klein is a Senior Physical Therapist in the pediatric acute care setting. Dr. O’Donnell currently is working with the pediatric rehabilitation team at Tisch on the Early Mobilization Project in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Her prior experience includes being a physical therapist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC with specialties including care of burn and trauma patients and also working at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside, NY. She has spoken nationally at the American Burn Association annual conference regarding burn survivor support in the pediatric population, and also in the United Arab Emirates. She obtained her ABPTS Board Certification in Pediatric Physical Therapy in 2016. A graduate of Columbia University, her doctorate in physical therapy is from Northwestern University.
Dr. Klein has been working at NYU Langone Medical Center for the past seven-and-one-half years. She has spent her career working in all areas of the acute care setting with both adult and pediatric patients with her primary focus in pediatric intensive care. She has worked on multiple performance improvement projects and most recently has been involved in the early mobilization initiative in the pediatric ICU. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Columbia University and has her certification in Neurologic Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
In this interview, Dr. Klein and O'Donnell discuss early mobilization in pediatric intensive care, services provided by physical therapists in that setting, reasons why some patients might be excluded from receiving this kind of intervention, the importance of working with parents of children in the ICU, and how children and adults compare in that setting.
Dr. Lauren Simon is a Senior Physical Therapist at Rusk Rehabilitation in Pediatric Acute Care. She has worked at NYU Langone Medical Center for three-and-one-half years. Most of her experience as a physical therapist has been in intensive care units ranging from adult surgical to pediatric cardiothoracic. She currently works as the primary physical therapist in the neonatal intensive care unit as part of a developmental care team consisting of medical and rehabilitation professionals who work together with families and caregivers to promote development of the infants on the unit. Recently she received ABPTS Board Certification in Neurological Rehabilitation. An honors graduate, she has a doctorate in Physical Therapy from Quinnipiac University. In this interview, she discusses the nature of physical therapy interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit, neurobehavioral cues by infants that aid in determining the nature of treatment, working with parents of infants, and potential research questions to be addressed as a means of advancing the knowledge base.
Dr. William Oswald is a Physical Therapy Supervisor and faculty member at the Center for Musculoskeletal Care at NYU Langone Medical Center. He is a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist through the American Physical Therapy Association. In 2013, Dr. Oswald received a diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy through the McKenzie Institute International. He is an adjunct professor at Touro College Physical Therapy program and a Continuing Education Instructor. Dr. Oswald has co-authored studies on back pain in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy and the Pain Journal. He graduated from New York Institute of Technology with a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy in 2001 and received his doctoral degree in 2006.
Dr. Joseph Ricker is the Director of Psychology for Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Medical Center and a Professor in the departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Psychiatry, and Radiology at NYU. He has a program of research examining the correlates and outcomes of cognitive impairment, recovery, and rehabilitation following human traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis). Beginning in the 1990s, he was among the first investigators in the world to apply functional imaging in the investigation of cognition after TBI in humans. Over the past 12 years, he has been the Principal Investigator of four NIH-funded projects that have examined human brain injury. He is the author of 72 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 21 book chapters, editor or co-editor of 4 books, and has authored dozens of abstracts and other professional publications. He serves or has served as a member of the editorial boards of 5 peer-reviewed journals. His PhD in Clinical Psychology is from Wayne State University in Detroit and he completed postdoctoral residency training in both Clinical Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan.
Dr. Steven Flanagan is a nationally renowned expert in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine, and the Medical Director of the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center.
He was formerly the Vice Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine where he was a faculty member from 1992 to 2008. He was also the Medical Director of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program which encompassed the physical, cognitive and emotional aftermaths of brain injuries. Under Flanagan's leadership, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research designated the program a TBI Model System recognizing it as a national leader in brain injury medical research and patient care.
He holds a major TBI grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; is chairman of the Brain Injury Special Interest Group of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R); and is a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Brain Trauma Foundation.
In 2008, the Brain Injury Association of New York State honored Flanagan with the "Champion of Hope Award" for his work in the field of traumatic brain injury.
He received his B.S. from Fairfield University in 1984 and his M.D. from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1988. He completed his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1992.
This interview was conducted with both Liz Donroe and Kristin Kvaternik. They both are Senior Placement and Rehabilitation Counselors in Rusk’s Vocational Rehabilitation Department.
With over 12 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation, Liz has expertise in counseling individuals with complex medical conditions, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury, and amputation in returning to work. Her focus is on career counseling, work readiness, job placement, and employment retention. She served on NYU Langone Medical Center’s Accessibility Committee and has participated on multiple disability-related panels. She holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Hofstra University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.
With more than 19 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation, Kristin has expertise in counseling individuals with complex medical conditions in returning to work. Her focus is on vocational counseling, work readiness, job placement and employment retention. She frequently presents to various disability-related organizations. She has a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from New York University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).
Both individuals are active members of the NYC Placement Consortium Network and were co-presenters at the 2016 National Rehabilitation Association Conference.
Dr. Alex Moroz is a certified physician acupuncturist and the Director of the Integrative Sports Medicine Program at Rusk Rehabilitation. He serves as Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Vice Chair for Rusk Rehabilitation Education and Training, and Director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program. The program includes an 18 month track for PM&R Residents in collaboration with the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, leading them to becoming certified physician acupuncturists. His work focuses on the treatment of a wide range of injuries and health problems that relate to pain. He is certified by the American Board of PM&R for both Sports Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. His medical degree is from New York University and he did his residency training at NYU Rusk Institute.
Dr. Naomi Gerber is a Research Professor and Investigator at the Center for the Study of Chronic Illness and Disability in the College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University. At the university, Dr. Gerber is co-director of the Laboratory for the Study and Simulation of Human Movement. She also serves as Director of Research for the Department of Medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia and the Outcomes Program at the Center for Integrated Research there. Her research investigates causes of functional loss and disability in chronic illness. Specifically, she studies human movement and the mechanisms and treatment of fatigue. Her work has been funded by federal agencies, along with the National Science Foundation and other foundations. She has authored or co-authored more than 125 peer reviewed publications, numerous chapters, and had served on the editorial board of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation until 2012. A member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Award of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAMPR). From 1975 to 2005 she was the Chief of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health. Her medical degree is from the Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Naomi Gerber is a Research Professor and Investigator at the Center for the Study of Chronic Illness and Disability in the College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University. At the university, Dr. Gerber is co-director of the Laboratory for the Study and Simulation of Human Movement. She also serves as Director of Research for the Department of Medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia and the Outcomes Program at the Center for Integrated Research there. Her research investigates causes of functional loss and disability in chronic illness. Specifically, she studies human movement and the mechanisms and treatment of fatigue. Her work has been funded by federal agencies, along with the National Science Foundation and other foundations. She has authored or co-authored more than 125 peer reviewed publications, numerous chapters, and had served on the editorial board of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation until 2012. A member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Award of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAMPR). From 1975 to 2005 she was the Chief of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health. Her medical degree is from the Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Naomi Gerber is a Research Professor and Investigator at the Center for the Study of Chronic Illness and Disability in the College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University. At the university, Dr. Gerber is co-director of the Laboratory for the Study and Simulation of Human Movement. She also serves as Director of Research for the Department of Medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia and the Outcomes Program at the Center for Integrated Research there. Her research investigates causes of functional loss and disability in chronic illness. Specifically, she studies human movement and the mechanisms and treatment of fatigue. Her work has been funded by federal agencies, along with the National Science Foundation and other foundations. She has authored or co-authored more than 125 peer reviewed publications, numerous chapters, and had served on the editorial board of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation until 2012. A member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Award of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAMPR). From 1975 to 2005 she was the Chief of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health. Her medical degree is from the Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Neera Kapoor is a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU-Langone Medical Center's RUSK Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. Her work at Rusk involves providing clinical care for outpatients and inpatients, as well as participating in clinical research in the area of sensorimotor vision function and acquired brain injury. Formerly, she was an Associate Clinical Professor at SUNY-College of Optometry for 21 years and is the former Chief of Vision Rehabilitation Services at SUNY-College of Optometry’s University Eye Center (UEC) in New York City. Dr. Kapoor has co-authored 30 peer-reviewed articles, 9 textbook chapters, and 25 poster presentations, as well as having lectured regionally, nationally, and internationally, regarding vision and acquired brain injury.
Dr. Elizabeth Sandel serves as Medical Director at Paradigm Management Services in Walnut Creek, California. She has held a variety of clinical, faculty, and administrative positions in health systems over the last three decades, including the University of Pennsylvania and Kaiser Permanente. Her research on brain injury and stroke outcomes has been supported with funding from the National Institutes of Health and other entities. She served on the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Board of Governors for 8 years and as president from 2009-2010. She has been a member of the editorial board of the journal PM&R since its inception in 2009. She is Academy liaison to the National Quality Forum, chair of the Performance Metrics Committee, and a member of the Evidence-Based Practice Committee. She launched Playback/PM&R, a community oral history project, involving interviews with 80 physiatrists over the last 5 years. Holder of a faculty appointment at the University of California at Davis Health System, her medical degree is from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, which now is called Drexel College of Medicine.
Dr. Elizabeth Sandel serves as Medical Director at Paradigm Management Services in Walnut Creek, California. She has held a variety of clinical, faculty, and administrative positions in health systems over the last three decades, including the University of Pennsylvania and Kaiser Permanente. Her research on brain injury and stroke outcomes has been supported with funding from the National Institutes of Health and other entities. She served on the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Board of Governors for 8 years and as president from 2009-2010. She has been a member of the editorial board of the journal PM&R since its inception in 2009. She is Academy liaison to the National Quality Forum, chair of the Performance Metrics Committee, and a member of the Evidence-Based Practice Committee. She launched Playback/PM&R, a community oral history project, involving interviews with 80 physiatrists over the last 5 years. Holder of a faculty appointment at the University of California at Davis Health System, her medical degree is from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, which now is called Drexel College of Medicine.
Dr. Elizabeth Sandel serves as Medical Director at Paradigm Management Services in Walnut Creek, California. She has held a variety of clinical, faculty, and administrative positions in health systems over the last three decades, including the University of Pennsylvania and Kaiser Permanente. Her research on brain injury and stroke outcomes has been supported with funding from the National Institutes of Health and other entities. She served on the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Board of Governors for 8 years and as president from 2009-2010. She has been a member of the editorial board of the journal PM&R since its inception in 2009. She is Academy liaison to the National Quality Forum, chair of the Performance Metrics Committee, and a member of the Evidence-Based Practice Committee. She launched Playback/PM&R, a community oral history project, involving interviews with 80 physiatrists over the last 5 years. Holder of a faculty appointment at the University of California at Davis Health System, her medical degree is from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, which now is called Drexel College of Medicine.
Dr. Christine Lee is a senior psychologist at Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Medical Center and a clinical instructor of rehabilitation medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. She provides neuropsychological evaluations in neurorehabilitaiton services for individuals with concussion and other types of neurological conditions. She was chosen as a leadership fellow for the Asian American Psychological Association for the 2014-2016 period. This lecture is en titled: Feasibility of Group Intervention for Concussed Patients in the Early Stage of Recovery.
Olga Hincapie is a senior physical therapist and hand therapist at the center for musculoskeletal care. In this lecture for the 2nd Annual Rusk Reseach Symposium, she discusses proprioception retraining for a patient with chronic wrist pain secondary to ligament injury with no structural instability.
Preeti Raghavan, MD directs the Motor Recovery Research Laboratory, whose mission is to develop innovative strategies to restore hand function after stroke and other neuromuscular disorders. She and her multidisciplinary team investigate how brain injury affects motor skills and how sensorimotor integration can be used to enhance motor learning and control. In this interview, Dr. Raghavan provides an in-depth look at her leading research in stroke rehabilitation, employing strategies to engage patients in their care and in utilizing the unaffected arm to promote plasticity and affected arm recovery.