Jim Smith, PT, DPT, is a Professor of Physical Therapy at Utica College. He is the Past-President of APTA Acute Care and has served in leadership roles in the APTA. His scholarship has focused on physical rehabilitation for those with acute and medically complex problems. His dissemination has included 55 publications (22 peer-reviewed) and more than 100 presentations at rehabilitation and scientific conferences and workshops. He has been the recipient of APTA Acute Care's James Dunleavy Distinguished Service and Lecture Awards.

Traci Norris, PT, DPT, GCS, CEAA is a physical therapist and Rehabilitation Clinical Specialist for Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Practice Change at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri. In this capacity, she is responsible for translating empirical evidence and adopting best practice initiatives at her facility. She has over 18 years of patient care experience and has demonstrated a deep commitment to the clinical and academic needs of the Academy members. She is a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist.

Akanksha Sharma, PT, is a Board-Certified Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy and Certified Lymphedema Therapist with a passion for helping people thrive during and after cancer treatment. She completed her residency at Baylor Scott & White’s Sammons Cancer Center, where she gained hands-on experience working with cancer patients on their recovery journeys. She has presented her researches at various national and international conferences 

When she’s not working, Akanksha loves traveling to new places and spending time with her kids, who keep her on her toes and fill her life with joy.

Tina Patel Gunaldo, PhD, DPT, MHS, is a nationally recognized leader in interprofessional education and collaborative practice. She currently supports health equity and interprofessional collaboration at North Oaks Health System and is the founder of Collaborate for Health, an organization advancing the integration of team science into practice and education. Dr. Gunaldo directed interprofessional education for over a decade at an academic health sciences center, leading initiatives that shaped statewide and national collaboration. She has authored over 40 publications and delivered over 150 presentations at local, national and international conferences. Dr. Gunaldo serves as Co-President of the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative, Founder of the Louisiana Interprofessional Consortium, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice. She is also a co-editor of the textbook Interprofessional Education and Collaboration: An Evidence-Based Approach to Optimizing Health Care.

Jim Smith, PT, DPT, is a Professor of Physical Therapy at Utica College. He is the Past-President of APTA Acute Care and has served in leadership roles in the APTA. His scholarship has focused on physical rehabilitation for those with acute and medically complex problems. His dissemination has included 55 publications (22 peer-reviewed) and more than 100 presentations at rehabilitation and scientific conferences and workshops. He has been the recipient of APTA Acute Care's James Dunleavy Distinguished Service and Lecture Awards.

Traci Norris, PT, DPT, GCS, CEAA is a physical therapist and Rehabilitation Clinical Specialist for Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Practice Change at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri. In this capacity, she is responsible for translating empirical evidence and adopting best practice initiatives at her facility. She has over 18 years of patient care experience and has demonstrated a deep commitment to the clinical and academic needs of the Academy members. She is a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist.

Dr. Rebeca Segraves, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Women’s Health Clinical Specialist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist who has practiced within outpatient, home health, and inpatient settings. She has served diverse populations in critical care, oncology, and inpatient obstetrics across three Level 1 trauma centers. She has extensive experience with optimizing function in the high-risk pregnancy population during long-term hospitalizations and following perinatal loss. In the acute care and home health settings, Dr. Segraves has worked with maternal care teams to maximize early recovery after delivery, including populations at risk for adverse cardiopulmonary events after cesarean delivery and obstetric critical care interventions. She is the founder of Enhanced Recovery After Delivery, an obstetrics clinical pathway that maximizes pregnancy and postpartum outcomes with occupational and physical therapy before and immediately after birth. Her vision is that occupational and physical therapy will be standard of care before and after birth to optimize mental and physical function around the globe.

Dr. Katherine Sylvester, PT, DPT, is a graduate of The Medical College of Georgia’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She spent the first decade of her career in acute care, where she developed a rehab program for neurological patients and secured funding to build a hospital rehab gym. After having her first child, she became passionate about supporting moms at home and created two programs for mothers and a course for healthcare providers. Following her second child and a battle with preeclampsia, she co-created Operation M.I.S.T., a remote monitoring program to combat the maternal health crisis. This initiative combines monitoring, education, collaboration, advocacy, and support to help women thrive. To serve patients who can’t afford PT, Katherine pursued pitch competitions and grants, securing over $150,000 in funding. She is also dedicated to diversifying the profession, mentoring minority students, and addressing healthcare inequities.

Dr. Jenna Segraves, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist in Physical Therapy and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Graceland University. Her clinical practice involves a wide variety of settings and populations including outpatient orthopedics, outpatient neurology, lymphedema management, pelvic health, acute care with a focus on neuro/trauma diagnoses, critical care, the emergency department, and inpatient obstetrics. For the acute care obstetric population, she evaluates and treats individuals within 24 hours following delivery. Dr. Segraves is passionate about expanding physical and occupational therapy services to optimize function in the immediate postpartum phase of recovery.

Christiane Perme, PT, FCCM, is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy and the founder of Perme ICU Rehab Seminars, INC. She also serves as a Rehab Education Specialist at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she has dedicated more than 30 years of her career as a physical therapist exclusively in the ICU. She holds the prestigious title of Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, the first and only physical therapist in the world to receive such recognition.

Mrs. Perme specializes in early mobility in the ICU, focusing particularly on patients requiring mechanical ventilation. With 25 published articles and contributions to 10 book chapters, she is recognized as a leading authority in her field. Her expertise is emphasized by her authorship of the "Perme ICU Mobility Score" and the "Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency".

As a world-renowned speaker, Mrs. Perme has presented hundreds of courses and lectures in different countries, including the United States, Peru, Ukraine, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Nigeria, Netherlands, Canada, and Spain.

Jonathan Sutter, PT, DPT, CCS, has been a physical therapist in the acute care setting for 28 years. He has practiced at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois for the past 23 years. He is board certified in cardiopulmonary physical therapy and has developed a more recent interest in vestibular rehabilitation. He has taught continuing education locally and regionally, and presented at CSM (2018) for the acute care section. He was a guest lecturer at Bradley University DPT program on topics relevant to acute care PT. He and his wife Jill have three adult children and enjoy spending time together in their "empty nest" phase of life, staying active and investing their lives in their family and church community.

Barbara Finley Schiavone, MPT, is the Senior Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh PA.  She has 26 years of experience working with acute/ICU patient populations including advanced heart and lung failure.  She has participated in quality improvement projects including enhancing mobility efforts in MICU.  She has also served as an Adjunct Faculty member University of Pittsburgh, School of Physical Therapy and lecturer at Duquesne University School of Physical Therapy.

Jessica Sorge, OTR/L, is a Supervisor within the Rehabilitation Institute where she oversees the Cardiac therapy team and is an Occupational Therapist by trade at UPMC Presbyterian hospital, Pittsburgh PA.  She has 19 years of experience working with the acute/ICU patient populations in addition to IPR. She is a contributor on the hospital's VAD/Heart Tx champions team. In addition to onsite education, Jess has presented at POTA and AOTA conferences on working with critically ill and ECMO patients. 

Erin Thomas, PT, DPT, Clinical Associate Professor, co-assistant Director of Clinical Education within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), division of Physical Therapy, at The Ohio State University. She is a founding member of the Eclipse Group (Education for Clinical Interprofessional Simulation Excellence) and serves as the Interprofessional Program Liaison for the physical therapy division. She serves on the university wide BUCKIPE calendar workgroup as co-head representative for all programs within SHRS. She serves on the SHRS Interprofessional Education Committee that is responsible for development and strategic planning for interprofessional activities within SHRS. Dr. Thomas is primary author of an article related to an interprofessional simulation for occupational and physical therapy students. She has presented nationally and internationally on interprofessional education and simulation. She has served on the ACAPT board of the Simulation in Physical Education Consortium that is developed an interprofessional simulation training certification course targeted for rehab professionals as well as currently serving as the secretary for the APTA Acute Care Academy.  

Dr. James P. Crick, Jr., PT, DPT, PhD, is a clinician-scientist with broad health services research interests including understanding variations in healthcare service delivery, enhancing health outcomes through quality improvement, and optimizing peri-hospital care, including hospital care and post-discharge transitional care, for older adults. Dr. Crick received his PhD from The Ohio State University in 2024 and his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Bellarmine University in 2015.

Catherine Quatman-Yates, PT, DPT, PhD is an assistant professor at The Ohio State University with clinical expertise in sports and orthopedic injuries in the pediatric population. She has extensive experience in concussion/mild traumatic brain injury rehabilitation clinical research and health services knowledge translation and implementation research for a variety of patient populations. Dr. Quatman-Yates is the lead author on the now published Clinical Practice Guidelines for Physical Therapy Evaluation and Treatment After Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and teaches the evidence-based practice courses for a variety of health and rehabilitation science professions at The Ohio State University. Her work has been funded by a variety of funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health, several foundations, and philanthropic donations. She has over 40 peer-reviewed publications and has presented her work in over 70 national and international venues. Dr. Quatman-Yates has received a number of awards related to her research including the Excellence in Research Award and New Horizon Award from the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy and the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy’s Toby Long Award.