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.

Abigail Catamas is a licensed PTA with extensive experience in patient care, delegation strategies, and professional advocacy. Currently, she serves as a Co-Facilitator for the Employee Engagement Committee at VUMC, Allied Health Clinical Champion for EPIC, and resides on the Interview Committee for the Acute Rehabilitation Department at VUMC. Abigail has a professional background in acute care physical therapy, working five years in the acute care setting with various exposures to different service lines including Covid ICU, Trauma ICU, Neurology ICU, Hematology/Oncology, Stem Cell Transplant, Cardiovascular ICU, and Transplant floors. Her career started amid a global pandemic in the hospital setting at Loma Linda University Medical Center before her career offered an opportunity to move to Nashville, TN and work at VUMC. She has worked on CQIs that focused on obtaining DME and appropriate hospital equipment for patients of shorter stature and assessing stress, burnout, and fatigue within the VUMC acute rehab department. Abigail has also directed and assisted with the development of a patient educational handout for patients who are newly diagnosed with Spinal Cord Injuries. Currently, Abigail has been elected to serve on APTA’s Acute Care Academy as the PTA Member at Large for a three-year term. 

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.

Galen Schram, PT, DPT received his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Columbia University. He is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy and a faculty member of the Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program at Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health. He has nine years of experience working in the hospital setting, and his clinical areas of interest include hematology/oncology and solid organ transplant. He received his Certificate of Professional Achievement in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University and has published narrative pieces in The Bellevue Literary Review and Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine. Speaking Experience: keynote speaker at Columbia University's DPT program white coat ceremony (2021), APTA Combined Sections Meeting programming presenter in San Diego, California (2022) and Houston, Texas (2025), 3rd Annual NYU Oncology Rehabilitation Summit on the topic of exercise and HSCT in acute care (2023)

Emma Kiernan, MS, OTR/L received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Scranton. She is a faculty member of the Occupational Therapy Program at Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health. She has 1.5 years of experience in the acute care setting, with clinical interests in neurology and hematology/oncology. She currently leads the occupational therapy education groups for the oncology population in acute 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.