Congratulations to Meryl Alappattu, DPT, PhD, a research assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and a clinical research scientist within the Brooks/UF-PHHP Collaboration, who recently received funding from the American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy.
As co-investigator, Dr. Alappattu will work with principal investigators Shana Harrington, PT, PhD, clinical associate professor at University of South Carolina and former K12 Scholar, and Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA, FAPTA, a research assistant professor at West Virginia University, and co-investigator Ashley Perry, PT, DPT, director of the Oncology Patient Navigator Program at Brooks Rehabilitation.
Their study, “Implementation Strategies and Outcomes of a Cancer Rehabilitation Navigation Program,” will develop an implementation toolkit to develop a cancer navigation program across care settings and will assess outcomes of the existing Brooks cancer navigation system.
The results of this project will positively impact the field of physical therapy health services research by providing evidence that supports program development of a non-traditional model of care, moving the field beyond referral-based care and ultimately improving outcomes through proactive physical therapy for individuals going through cancer treatment. This project represents the first extramural funding in cancer rehabilitation affiliated with the Brooks/UF-PHHP Collaboration.
Well-done, Dr. Alappattu and team!