Acute Conversations

Show Notes When does teamwork strengthen patient care—and when can it unintentionally limit it? In this episode of Acute Conversations , hosts Dr. Leo Arguelles and Dr. Daniel Young welcome Haley Bento, PT, DPT, CCS; Harley Kvenvold, occupational therapist; Dr. Kathryn Brito, PT, DPT, CCS; and Brian Hull, PT, DPT, MBA, BCHE, to revisit PT and OT co-treatment in acute care. Building on a previous l...

Show Notes Bridge the Gap 2026 brought the acute care community together in Chicago for three days of practical learning, fresh ideas and the kind of conversations that continue long after the final session. In this special episode, host Dr. Leo Arguelles moves through the conference floor with co-host Dr. Nicole Neveau, speaking with presenters, attendees and organizers about what they are taking...

Show Notes  Pediatric vital signs are more than numbers on a monitor — they are part of a larger clinical picture that includes development, physiology, behavior, medical complexity and careful observation. In this episode of Acute Conversations , host Dr. Leo Arguelles is joined by Ashley Parish, PT, DPT, PhD, CRT, CCS, and Dawn Drumm, PT, DHSc, two contributors to the new Pediatric Vital Signs G...

Episode Description: What happens when burnout becomes a turning point instead of an exit? In this episode of Acute Conversations , Abby Catamas joins co-host Nicole Neveau and host Leo Arguelles for a candid and energizing conversation about identity, advocacy, and growth as a physical therapist assistant in acute care. Abby shares the pivotal moment when she nearly stepped away from the professi...

Show Notes  What does acute care physical therapy look like when you step outside your hospital and into a national conversation? In this special solo-hosted episode, Dr. Leo Arguelles takes listeners on the floor at APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting (CSM), capturing real-time conversations with clinicians, leaders, and innovators across the profession. Through a series of candid, unscripted exchan...

Show Notes  As APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting heads to Anaheim, this special episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how acute care programming comes together — and how clinicians can prepare with purpose. Co-hosts Dr. Leo Arguelles and Dr. Nicole Neveau are joined by James Crick, PT, DPT, PhD , and Jean Woolford, PT, DPT , co-chairs of acute care programming for CSM, to discuss session plann...

Show Notes: How do physical therapists decide who needs therapy today —and how often—when resources are limited and patient needs change by the hour? In this episode of Acute Conversations , hosts Leo Arguelles and Daniel Young sit down with Joshua Johnson , Sandra Passek , and Brittany Lapin to unpack the development and validation of PT-PENCIL , a clinical decision support tool designed to help...

Show Notes S4E1 Burnout isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a lived experience for many clinicians working in hospital settings. In the Season 4 premiere of Acute Conversations , co-hosts Dr. Leo Arguelles and Dr. Danny Young are joined by Kelly Murphy, PT, DPT; Maria Tucker, PT, DPT; and Laura Cataldo, MOT, OT to unpack what burnout really looks like in acute care — and what can actually be done about i...

Show Notes  Specialization can shape a therapist’s confidence, identity, and long-term trajectory — but the pathways to get there aren’t always clear. In this episode of Acute Conversations , co-hosts Dr. Leo Arguelles and Dr. Nicole Neveau sit down with Dr. Leslie Ayres , Rajashree Mondkar , and Dr. Terry Schwing to explore what it really takes to pursue the Cardiovascular & Pulmonary (CCS) s...

How do we measure what truly matters in acute care — and why does it finally feel possible to do it well? In this week’s episode, co-hosts Dr. Nicole Neveau and Dr. Leo Arguelles sit down with Dr. Caitlyn Crandall and Dr. Lindsey Fresenko , two contributors to the new clinical practice guideline, “A Core Set of Outcome Measures to Assess Physical Function for Adults Participating in Physical Thera...

Show Notes: What does it take to move ICU rehab forward — and who’s leading the charge? In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Leo Arguelles and Dr. Daniel Young sit down with Dr. Monica Silva Damasceno (MD Anderson Cancer Center) and Dr. Vinh Tran (University of New Mexico) — two clinicians who shared the stage at CSM’s ICU Rehab panel alongside Dale Needham, Jen Ryan, and Chris Wells. Together, they unpa...

Show Notes Acute care physical therapists have long known that their work is different—fast-paced, data-driven, and grounded in collaboration at the highest level of care. Now, that difference is finally being recognized. In this episode of Acute Conversations , Dr. Jennifer Ryan joins hosts Dr. Leo Arguelles and Dr. Daniel Young to share an inside look at the ongoing effort to establish Acute Car...

Show Notes  In this episode of Acute Conversations , we welcome Dr. Nicole Neveau, PT, DPT, NCS — Director of Rehabilitation Services at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital and our newest co-host. Nicole shares her path into acute care, from unfolding paper charts as a new grad to leading a team of more than 100 therapists. She reflects on lessons learned in trauma and neuro ICUs, the importa...

Show Notes What inspires someone to change the course of their career — and, ultimately, their profession? In this episode of Acute Conversations , we introduce our newest co-host, Dr. Daniel (Danny) Young, PT, DPT, PhD . Danny shares the moment a chance encounter sparked his passion for physical therapy, his early experiences pioneering ICU mobility at Creighton, and his transition into academia...

Show Notes Ethel Frese, PT, DPT, MHS, CCS, FAPTA is one of the most respected voices in acute and cardiopulmonary physical therapy. In this episode, she shares the pearls that will energize your practice and growth —from building stronger patient connections to fostering collaboration with the healthcare team. Whether you’re new to acute care or a seasoned clinician, her insights will challenge, i...

Show Notes What does it mean to practice “informative care” in the hospital setting—and how can rehab providers help patients undergoing cancer treatment stay strong throughout their hospitalization? In this episode, we speak with Galen Schram, PT, DPT, a board-certified clinical specialist in oncologic physical therapy and faculty member of the Acute Care PT Residency Program at NYU Langone Healt...

Show Notes What happens when acute care PTs create space to support, challenge, and elevate each other? In this episode, hosts Nicole Neveau and Leo Arguelles speak with Tricia Healy, PT, DPT and Kim Levenhagen, PT, DPT about the Aspire & Achieve mentorship program—its origins, its impact, and the intentional matchmaking that has helped over 65 mentor-mentee pairs grow together. They explore l...

Show Notes 2025 What do you really learn in acute care—and what does it feel like to use what you’ve learned in the classroom? In this episode, we speak with Mika Mendoza, a recent UIC DPT graduate, who reflects on the clinical rotation that changed her perspective on physical therapy. From managing a complex discharge for a newly blind patient to navigating transplant floors and collaborating wit...

Show Notes: 🎙 Episode Description: What’s it really like stepping into acute care as a DPT student? In this episode, we hear honest, eye-opening reflections from Fiona Kearns and Hannah Brandt, two near-graduates from UIC who just wrapped up a transformational clinical rotation. They share what surprised them, challenged them, and ultimately shaped their career paths. PLUS—meet our new co-host, Dr...

Show Notes Today’s Guests: Jamie Dyson PT, DPT jamiedyson224@gmail.com Constanza Aranda PT, DPT, MSPH carandadpt@gmail.com Guest Quotes: 3:34 Connie “ And that was when I said, wow, like, it would be so cool one day to be able to present in a such a big stage like CSM. And Jamie being the mentor that he is, he said, noted a little mental note and he said, I think we have just written our first goa...

What happens when physical therapy enters the high-risk pregnancy unit? Erin Locati, PT, DPT, joins us to break down how acute care therapists can make a meaningful impact on maternal health—far beyond what most expect. In this episode, Erin shares her unique path from chemical engineering to acute care PT, and how her own pregnancies shaped her clinical mission. We explore the misconceptions arou...

Show Notes 2025   Thanks to the numerous speakers that participated in this special recorded episode at CSM 2025 in Houston. Connect with our host and the podcast! Leo Arguelles (LEE-O R-GWELL-IS) largue2@uic.edu   Twitter @LeoArguellesPT Interested in being a future guest? Apply to become our new co-host Join our team: Assistant Producer APTA Acute Care: Website Awards Journal Access Twitter  @Ac...

Guests: Kelly Xie, SPT Northwestern University – DPT 2nd year student zepei.xie@northwestern.edu https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-xie1/ IG: @kellyyxie Magon Liu, SPT 3rd year DPT student from Samuel Merritt University magon.liu@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/magoffnoton/ Links: https://www.aptaacutecare.org/page/Students https://groups.io/g/aptaacutecarestudents Guest Quotes:  You know...

Show Notes  Guests: Alfredo Guadalupe, SPT 1st year DPT student from the University of Connecticut, and student leader of the east region for APTA Acute Care alfredo.guadalupe@uconn.edu Jama Bradfield, SPTA PTA Program: Ivy Tech- Muncie jbradfield4@ivytech.edu IG: @jamashea Links: Guest Quotes:  You know that you’re in Acute care lab in PT school when: Fred “You can feel Dr. Smith staring at...

Show Notes Guests: James P. Crick, Jr., PT, DPT, PhD Co-Chair, CSM Education Programming, APTA Acute Care Links: CSM 2025 APTA Acute Care Brochure APTA CSM Program Portal APTA CSM Events App Guest Quotes: “CSM isn’t just about education—it’s about collaboration and connection. This is where careers change, research starts, and lifelong mentorships form.” – James Crick “If you’re...