The American Physical Therapy Association of Michigan (APTA MI) has recently launched a new grad mentorship program led by member Jessica Vogt and other dedicated volunteers from the Membership Committee. This program aims to support new physical therapy graduates as they transition from student to practitioner and begin their careers in the field...

Flint is my home and every Friday, I have the wonderful opportunity to make a difference in so many lives. Many individuals know me by my nickname HEART, which stands for Health Equity, Action, Research and Teaching. I am a student and faculty-run collaborative pro-bono health clinic based in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Michigan-Flint. This is my story...

Imagine starting your journey to become a licensed physical therapist, filled with anticipation for the road ahead. Now, envision reaching that destination a whole year earlier, saving time, money, and diving into your career sooner than what was thought possible. This is not just a dream—it's a reality at the University of Michigan-Flint...

Living with Parkinson’s disease is a significant challenge, even with access to expert medical care. However, this challenge is amplified for those in rural Michigan, where specialized services are often scarce. Dr. Jamie Haines, an associate professor at Central Michigan University's Doctor of Physical Therapy program, is committed to addressing this disparity...

Over three years have passed since the first COVID-19 infections were detected in Michigan. After several waves, the medical community has improved testing, treatment, and mitigation of acute infections. Long-term complications of the disease continue to be felt by the medical community and, more importantly, patients themselves. Physical therapists are an important member of a Long COVID treatment team, however; many Long COVID patients respond poorly to typical PT programs of increasing activity and exercise. Physical therapists must be aware of the unique requirements of patients within this population in order to become effective at managing the symptoms of Long COVID.

The question was… How can we support leading PT students? Then, how can we support licensed physical therapists in Michigan that lead in the clinic AND in the community? How can we lift others up? Our question all started with a canoe race. In 2008, a friend Brandon Gerardy (U of M DPT ’08) and I were racing the AuSable River Canoe Marathon. This is a 120 mile overnight canoe race in Northern Michigan that starts at 9pm in Grayling and ends in Oscoda the next afternoon. While preparing to race, I had a patient Josh who was born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy who I was treating in PT. At the time, Josh was preparing to attend college at KVCC. We thought… What if we raise $1 per mile as we race and use the money to help Josh pay for college? Josh was preparing to pursue an Associate’s degree at KVCC with a concentration in Video Game Design. So, we started a “Paddling For Josh” fundraiser with our racing. Our 120 mile canoe race was successful and Josh began college. We were paying for his books, transportation, and tuition with donations. Then, from 2008 to 2017, Josh continued…