Course Title: Benefits of a Physical Therapist in the Emergency Department presented by Christina Pedini, MSPT, GCS

Course Description:
Physical Therapists in the Emergency Department are becoming increasingly recognized as beneficial to promote improved patient outcomes and appropriate, more efficient throughput. Data has been challenging to gather to support these claims and justification for dedicated positions has been a challenge. This talk will share the justification for successful approval of the position as well as report on preliminary data collected after a year with a dedicated physical therapist in this role at a moderate sized community hospital.

Contact Hour Approval: 1 General contact hour

More About the Speaker:
Christina Pedini, MSPT, GCS, has been a physical therapist since 1995 in various settings including acute hospital, subacute rehab and outpatient rehab. She is currently the Director of Rehabilitation at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health where she oversees Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and Harford Memorial Hospital as well as three outpatient locations. Christina has a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College. She is a board certified specialist in the field of geriatrics and her areas of clinical interest include stroke, balance, cancer rehabilitation and total joint replacement. She has presented at state and national physical therapy conferences for the APTA. She has experience in developing computerized documentation systems for rehab staff, promotes evidence based practice and the use of standardized tools across rehab settings. She actively presents on community-based falls reduction programs through education and screenings, and has participated as a grant reviewer for CMS and community benefit. She is part of the University of Maryland Rehab Network leadership, which collaborates among all hospitals in the University of Maryland System. She is on the board of the Harford Geriatric Assistance and Information Network and the Community Partnership Board of the United Way.