Profiles In Leadership

Nancy Reese is an advocate for infusing leadership training into Physical Therapy education.  These students have had be such achievers their whole lives to be qualified to get into school and now that they have made it they struggle to change their mindset from achieving steps to success to long term leadership and clinical development through practice, failure and learning over a long period of time.  Bringing leadership training to every phase of physical therapy education from day one hopefully better prepares a professional and not just a clinical technician.  Hear  her approach to teamwork, visionary thinking and using your strengths as a strategy to learn and grow and develop into a leader physical therapist that can influence and contribute to a broader community.  

Ed (Eddie) Anderson was a professional baseball player in the 1950's. He graduated from the University of Montana as one of the most decorated and talented athletes in its history. He is in the University of Montana Grizzly Hall of Fame. Ed was signed by the New York Yankees. After his first year as a professional he was given a high draft notice which forced him into enlisting in the Air Force. His early career was interrupted as he was stationed in Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He tried to re-enter the MLB and after a storybook spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida with a Yankee team of icon and Hall of Fame players and a short stint in the "Bigs" in Yankee Stadium he was sent to the minor leagues where he finished his career. He became a teacher and a coach at the high school and colleague level. He is 87 years old and is my Father.

Kelly Starrett is an innovator, status quo disruptor, and movement expert.  He has worked with the elite forces of the military, Olympic athletes, Tour de France cyclists, athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.  He also works with police departments, school districts, Silicon Valley companies and everyday people.  Through movement we can improve our lives both physically and mentally and live happier, healthier lives.  His Foundation, Stand Up Kids, has put tens of thousands of elementary through high school aged kids into classrooms with stand up desks which through research has shown they learn better, are more engaged and healthier when they get out of sit down desks.  His passion is palpable and his dedication to helping others is admirable.  Hear his approach to leadership and his belief that our world is made better by keeping our bodies moving.

David McHenry is a physical therapist and strength coach for NIKE.  He has trained Mo Farah, Galen Rupp and Matthew Centrowitz just name a few.  He has worked with the most elite runners in the world who have had multiple Olympic and World Championship medals.  David is a Shareholder and Director in Therapeutic Associates the largest privately owned physical therapy company in the nation.  He lives and works in Portland, Oregon. 

Nicole Stout is a nationally and internationally know advocate and leader in Oncology Rehabilitation and disease management. Just feel the passion and tenacity when she describes what he passion is and how she hopes her legacy makes a difference in how we view cancer and how we fight for cures and treatments that enables positive productive lives for survivors. As a scientist and a clinical physical therapist she pushes the boundaries on how we view cancer and how we can have hope for patients and friends and family who battle everyday to overcome what once was considered a death sentence.

T. R. Reid has become one of the nation's best-known reporters through his books and articles, his documentary films, his reporting for the Washington Post, and his light-hearted commentaries on NPR's Morning Edition. T. R. Reid majored in Classics at Princeton University and subsequently worked as a Naval officer during the Vietnam War, a lawyer, a teacher, and assorted other jobs. At The Washington Post, he covered Congress and four presidential campaigns. He served as the paper's bureau chief in Tokyo and London. Reid has reported from 4 dozen countries on five continents. His 2009 book "The Healing of America" became a national best-seller. PBS Frontline made two documentaries, "Sick Around the World" and "India--A Second Opinion" following Reid as he did the reporting for that book. Reid believes we need to as a society to cover everyone citizen with healthcare coverage. Universal healthcare is essential for the future of the United States.

Pepper Burruss spent 42 1/2 years in the NFL as a Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer. He has 2 Super Bowl rings and decades of stories and memories with some of the most acclaimed athletes in professional football history. He shares insights on his journey and lessons in leadership and how he views his career now that he is retired as of July 2019.

Dave Chase has been called a Hope Merchant. He has taken his experience of a high level Microsoft Executive and an CEO of a startup he sold to WebMD and has been on a crusade to expose how broken the US healthcare system is. He feels it has all but crippled the middle class in America and if we don't get it under control it will consume over 50% of the income of Millennials and future generations. He is an author, public speaker and soon to be an executive producer of a movie that will provide the stories and facts to show the American people how bad our healthcare system is and what we can do to improve it. Listen to a visionary who believes we can do so much better.

Larry Benz is the President and CEO of Confluent Health. He has over 35 years experience in growing physical therapy and healthcare companies with a focus on developing the best clinicians and leaders in the profession. Larry served in the US Army as a Captain in the Army Medical Specialists Corps and received the Meritorious Service Medal. He was in the mountains of Colorado in a cabin in the woods as we chatted over the phone and discussed his leadership philosophy. He also has a leadership podcast so we interviewed each other and this discussion will be released on this podcast as well as through EIM.

Image you have reached most of your professional goals, you've done most things right and you are ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Then a routine MD visit delivers you news that will change your life. Stage IV pancreatic cancer is a devastating challenge to overcome and conquer, yet you must stay positive and not only fight the fight but support those who love you. Listen to how this loved father, husband, business owner and friend to many navigates what lies ahead. Raw, authentic, heartbreaking and hopeful all in the same story. He was willing to be vulnerable so we can all learn and appreciate all we have.

Every profession needs innovators. Those who have ideas and have been told they that can't do that they forge on and create new ways of doing things. Mike Eisenhart looks at the physical therapy profession from a 30,000 foot visionary view and sees PT's contributing so much more than just injury rehab. He feels physical therapy is positioned perfectly to change the lives of the greater population through prevention, education and exercise. Hear his ideas and how through leadership we can change the world.

Most agree we learn more from our failures than our successes. What if your failure is so catastrophic that you lose the 150 year old family business worth $2.25 Billion! This is exactly what happened to Warwick Fairfax at age 29! How do you recover from that and find meaning and purpose in the ashes left behind. Listen to this fascinating story of growing up with wealth and celebrity and losing it all while at the helm of an icon business as the next generation CEO who lost it all.

Mia Gonzales Dean is a healthcare executive and a physical therapist. She has lead a division in the Penn Medicine system that was the size of a company on its own. This department had a budget of $67 Million and 700+ employees. She now is an executive with Sodexo. Hear her journey through healthcare and her people first style of leadership.

Dr. Anthony Delitto is the Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. He has co-authored over 120 peer-reviewed research papers and is an icon in the research and orthopedic sections in APTA.

Lisa Saladin is an impressive leader who has risen to the position of Provost at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is regarded by many in the American Physical Therapy Association as one of the best leaders in the organizations history. She is the epitome of class and a leader to celebrate and emulate.

Kevin Eastman was the assistant basketball coach of the Boston Celtics under Doc Rivers. Together they won the NBA Championship in 2008. Coach Eastman has also been a Division 1 basketball coach and also coached with the LA Clippers. He now consults with businesses and sports teams and is a keynote speaker at conferences and leadership events. He has worked with the elite athletes in the basketball world. He is the author of "Why the Best are the Best", available from Amazon.com and other book outlets.

Senator Tom Daschle was majority leader of the US Senate during some of the most turbulent times in recent history including the attack on 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the anthrax attack to his Senate office, impeachment of a President just to name a few. This interview relives some of those difficult times and discusses how they have shaped our current environment.

Justin Moore is the CEO of the American Physical Therapy Association. He has been in this position for 3 years and is changing the culture to be more collaborative and team oriented. Also he is managing and leading a move of the association headquarters over the next 3 years. His insights and vision are impressive and he is a great example of an authentic leader.

Daniel Pink is a New York Times Books #1 Best Selling author and a guru on what motivates and people and how businesses should manage their employees with the proper incentives for success. He has written 6 books and is considered one of the top minds in the country on business cultures and what makes people thrive.

Roger is a healthcare administrator/executive who believes in improving the health of communities not just individuals. He has experience in home health and geriatric populations. He has also been an APTA Board Member for a decade. He has given so much to the profession of physical therapy.