Can you have it all? A financially sustainable clinical center providing outcomes-based patient care, authentic academic partnership, and professional leadership
Purpose: This session will provide specific examples of clinical practice development, clinician and faculty collaboration, clinical education partnership, and a unified academic vision without compromising fiscal viability. The attendee will be provided with conceptual ideas to bring back to their academic institutions and/or clinical practices to build a long-term, sustainable collaboration that fosters professional growth and leadership for all stakeholders including students, clinical and research faculty, and clinical staff.Methods and/or Description of Project: The Boston University Physical Therapy Center (BUPTC) is an entrepreneurial clinic established in 1991, partnered with the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, that currently provides physical therapy services to BU students, faculty, and staff in addition to the local community. Over the past 10 years, the Center has been dedicated to the elevation of clinical practice in physical therapy, promotion of clinical education, and gathering/disseminating clinical outcomes. Strategies for growth and development of the clinic have included thoughtful hiring practices, development of a unified clinical philosophy, and partnerships with academic faculty for teaching, co-treating, and reciprocal educational development. Essential to the operations of the Center is a staff well-informed of roles and responsibilities in patient care, teaching, and professional development. Quality improvement processes are clearly outlined, staff and student expectations are accurately communicated, and all stakeholders understand their unique contributions and value to the organization.Results/Outcomes: BUPTC has transformed from a practice initially disconnected from academia to a currently integrated center of excellence. The Center mirrors the academic mission and provides quality clinical care to the University and general community, while remaining a positive work environment and standalone revenue-generating clinic. As a result of this transformation, tangible outcomes include increased staffing on multiple levels, with opportunities ranging from work-study jobs for DPT students gaining practical experience, to employment for licensed physical therapists advancing their careers in an enriching environment. Accordingly, there has been an exponential increase in entry-level student clinical placements at a time when partnerships are recognized as imperative to sustain quality DPT education. This partnership is well-structured to provide quality clinical experiences for various learners, including but not limited to the student who requires remediation experience to one who may benefit from higher levels of complexity and challenge. The close relationship between BUPTC and the academic program also generates opportunities for increased collaborative scholarly dissemination at regional and national conferences and in publication, for faculty, clinical staff, and students. Improvements in practice have developed from regional and national partnerships with other physical therapy clinics to share systematic outcomes data. Most importantly, this advances the field of physical therapy, while also creating additional opportunities for collaboration and dissemination. Continuing education has flourished via the symbiotic relationship with BU, as all clinic physical therapists are credentialed clinical instructors, and most have participated and/or teach in BU's Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy. Several staff PTs at BUPTC have faculty appointments at BU and participate in program assessment and development. The reciprocal relationship between the University and BUPTC continually generates opportunities for professional development and leadership for all stakeholders.Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Our Leadership Landscape: Perspectives from the Ground Level to 30,000 Feet: In complex and evolving healthcare and education environments, BUPTC demonstrates an exemplary entrepeneurial business model for providing excellent care without dependence on external funding. BUPTC provides leadership "from the ground up." At the clinic, all staff role model leadership for PT students and patients on a daily basis via delivery of extraordinary care, utilization of evidence-based principles, and intentional demonstration of core values. At a University level, the BUPTC staff instruct in the classroom and lab settings, many have faculty appointments, and are valued and respected leaders in the Boston University community. On a regional and national level, BUPTC has partnered with other clinics, breaking down barriers of competition to collect shared outcomes data to optimize patient care. As a result of these partnerships with clinics and academia, BUPTC staff and students are well-positioned to be leaders in physical therapy, This sustainable partnership can serve as a realistic model for other clinics and programs in physical therapy.References: Applebaum D, Portney LG, Kolosky L, McSorley O, Olimpio D, Pelletier D, Zupkus M. Building Physical Therapist Education Networks. J Phys Ther Educ. 2014;28: 30-38 Jensen GM, Nordstrom T, Mostrom E, Hack, LM, Gwyer J. National Study of Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapist Education, Part 1—Design, Method, and Results. Phys Ther. 2017;97:857–874. Jensen GM, Nordstrom T, Mostrom E, Gwyer J, Mostrom E. National Study of Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapist Education: Part 2—A Call to Reform. Phys Ther. 2017;97:875–888. Recker-Hughes C, Brooks G, Mowder-Tinney J, Pivko S. Clinical Instructors’ Perspectives on Professional Development Opportunities: Availability, Preferences, Barriers, and Supports.J Phys Ther Educ. 2010; 24(2):19. Recker-Hughes C, Wetherbee E, Buccieri K, FitzpatrickTimmerberg J, Stolfi AM. Essential Characteristics of Quality Clinical Education Experiences: Standards to Facilitate Student Learning. J Phys Ther Educ. 2014; 28: 48-55.Course Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: identify strategies for aligning clinical and academic vision and mission understand the benefits and challenges of collaboration between freestanding clinics and physical therapy programs identify opportunities for scholarly collaboration between clinics and academic programs discuss benefits of academic and clinical partnerships in physical therapy clinical educationInstructional Methods: Lecture Panel Discussion including perspectives from student, staff, and clinical/research faculty Question and Answers from audienceTentative Outline/Schedule: 5 min: introduction of the stakeholders/presenters 15 min: history of BUPTC including growth and development 15 min: best clinical practices including quality improvement, expectations, communication, and daily operations 15 min: reciprocal relationship between practice and teaching 15 min: partnership in clinical education 5 min: future goals for sustainability 20 min panel with questions and answers