Course Description:

PTs are industry leaders and experts in movement, body mechanics, and injury and disability prevention. Similarly, healthcare safety professionals, such as those in Ergonomics and Employee Health, work to promote safe work environments and reduce the rate and severity of work-related injuries. PTs have the ideal background and clinical expertise to contribute to these safety and injury prevention programs.

In this presentation, the speaker will share her experiences as a SPHM coordinator in the Ergonomics Division of a large, university health system. At the end of the presentation, attendees will understand both established and emerging evidence in support of SPHM programs as well as the risks of manual patient handling that lead to work-related injuries. Attendees will also learn how to integrate principles of SPHM into PT practice and identify opportunities to combine other healthcare patient safety initiatives including fall prevention and early mobility programs with SPHM. The speaker will address the expanding need for healthcare safety professionals and will share recommendations on how to develop a business case for SPHM programs. Finally, opportunities for PTs to use their clinical expertise as leaders and advocates in SPHM programs and other opportunities outside of clinical work will be discussed.