The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) is the largest physical therapy conference of the year, and presents the perfect opportunity for faculty from the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program to share their research and exhibit their expertise.
Several faculty members presented at this year’s APTA CSM, which took place in Houston, Texas on February 13-15, 2025. Three faculty members within the GW DPT program were selected to lead education sessions that consisted of a presentation and discussion on their area of expertise.
Stephanie Hiser, PT, DPT, PhD, an assistant professor, conducted an education session titled “PICS: Managing ICU Survivors Across the Continuum of Care.” Hiser presented on the impact of PICS, or post-intensive care syndrome; the long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional effects of time spent in the intensive-care unit (ICU).
Hiser explained that “while advances in critical care medicine have improved survivorship, we are seeing long-term implications for patients treated in the ICU”. Hiser taught attendees at the conference ways to identify at-risk individuals, and what interventions can be implemented to improve their long-term outcomes.
“The more we talk about it, the more awareness there is. Not only for physicians, but also the general community. This will allow patients to be advocates for themselves in their treatment following an ICU stay,” Hiser said.
Hiser was thrilled to present and was even more pleased that the education session was well-attended, and produced a productive discussion among attendees. “It is very exciting that I am gaining more national and international recognition as a leading expert in this field,” Hiser noted. Going forward, Hiser hopes to lead more education sessions at future CSM dates as her research progresses.
“My current research is focused on getting a better understanding of how to prescribe exercise for patients in the ICU. I hope my research can provide more concrete details for how to mobilize ICU patients to obtain the best possible patient outcomes,” Hiser stated.
David Scalzitti, PhD, PT, an associate professor in the GW DPT program, led an education session titled “Research Funding Symposium: A Conversation with Funding Agencies”. Scalzitti has been a part of this ongoing annual presentation at CSM for about 15 years.
“This session gives a spotlight to different funding agencies and foundations looking to support physical therapy research and provides them with a platform to interact with novice and expert researchers,” Scalzitti explained. The session, which had around 100 attendees, included presentations from four different funders, a panel discussion, and 1-on-1 conversations. Going forward, Scalzitti says, “I hope to continue participating in this session in the years to come as the profession navigates opportunities for research that exist with the changing landscape.”
Along with Hiser and Scalzitti, Jon Umlauf, PT, DPT, DSC–who recently joined the faculty as an associate professor in the GW DPT program–led two education sessions focused on the emerging utilization of musculoskeletal ultrasound for physical therapists.
Several other faculty members presented posters at the conference, sharing their research with attendees. This included an opportunity for Clara Honigberg, a second-year DPT student, to present her research alongside GW DPT faculty.
“I had the privilege of being an author on a scoping review selected for a poster at CSM this year,” Honigberg said. “During the presentation, my co-author and I shared our research, answered questions, and offered our take-aways from the process as a whole. We had several individuals come seek out our poster because they had personal or clinical experience with our population of focus,” Honigberg continued.
In addition to having the opportunity to share their research, Honigberg and the other faculty presenters were able to explore the conference and engage with other professionals. Honigberg remarked that “it was inspiring to see other peoples’ posters and listen to experts present their wealth of knowledge in niche pockets of physical therapy. For anyone interested, I highly recommend attending CSM if you have the opportunity!”