Meet Dr. Fruth
Stacie Fruth, PT, DHSc, OCS is a professor and founding chair of the physical therapy department and program director of the doctor of physical therapy program at Western Michigan University. Prior to coming to WMU, Stacie was an associate professor in the Krannert School of Physical Therapy at the University of Indianapolis, serving as chair and program director her final 2 years. Dr. Fruth was awarded the University Teacher of the Year award in 2009 and the University Faculty Achievement award in 2013. She also served on the Executive Committee of the faculty senate for four years, two of which she served as faculty senate president (2013 – 2015).
Dr. Fruth is the author of the textbook Fundamentals of the Physical Therapy Examination: Patient Interview and Tests & Measures, which is currently being used by approximately 20% of DPT programs nationwide. She is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist whose areas of expertise include musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain management. Dr. Fruth has conducted numerous research studies specific to physical therapy practice in the emergency department, all of which have been presented at national and international professional conferences. Her most recent publication on this topic is in Physical Therapy, the profession’s top-tier peer-reviewed journal. While not yet practicing clinically since moving to Michigan, Dr. Fruth’s areas of clinical interest include the emergency department setting as well as pro bono practice.
Describe how you became involved in Emergency Department Physical Therapist Practice.
I first became interested while lying in the ED after being hit by a car (ACL tear, tibial plateau fracture, RC tear, facial lacerations, and wicked road rash) and wondering why PTs weren’t in this setting for folks like me (at the time, I had been a PT for about 3 years). I tried to pursue the option in the hospital I was working in at the time, but got no support to even explore the idea…from anyone above me. Fast forward 4 or 5 years to when I started my doc program and I ran into Michael Brickens (one of the very few PTs in the nation practicing in an ED at that time) who happened to be practicing in a local trauma I hospital. I focused all my doctoral research on PT practice in the ED (ran a pilot study comparing standard care vs. standard care + PT management for patients in the ED for whiplash following a MVC as well as a survey study assessing the opinions of PT in the ED from staff MDs, residents, and NPs. Shortly thereafter, I started working PRN in the ED in that same hospital and continued that until I moved away from Indianapolis. Most of my research since becoming a DPT faculty member has had some EPT focus.
Describe your practice setting and ED PT model.
I was PRN/per diem in a trauma I hospital in downtown Indianapolis (Methodist Hospital, part of the IU Health system). There were 2 full time PTs in the ED (each working 3 12-hour shifts per week) and a few other PRN PTs to cover weekends.
Why do you think this is a valuable practice area?
Whew…too many reasons to type! Basically, there’s a huge void of PT presence in a setting that is so very appropriate for the wide variety of examination, evaluation, intervention, and management skills that PTs possess.
What was the biggest adjustment for you in practicing in the ED?
For me (mostly due to practicing PRN) the hardest thing was the continual reminders I had to give the docs about who I was. Some of the docs/nurses/other did recognize me, but because I worked sporadically and wasn’t part of a regular team, I felt pretty anonymous sometimes. It never took long on any given day to remind folks who I was and what patients I could manage, but it was something I had to work at.
Do you have an area of specialty?
Not really – I just enjoy putting puzzle pieces together so I like challenge and complexity. I’m also comfortable with challenging psychosocial components that patients might have, so I think that helps quite a bit in the ED environment.
What barriers did you have to overcome personally and within your facility to practice successfully in this environment?
I had to beef up my skills in several areas to be comfortable “doing it all.” Wound care is not a strong area for me, so I found myself calling colleagues for guidance when I had a patient with a wound (I worked mostly weekends, so the normal PT wound team wasn’t there). Similar with splinting fractures – I had the standard ones down, but had to look up info if something was ordered that I wasn’t quite familiar with.
What is your philosophy about what makes an ideal ED PT?
Mostly, I believe that a PT has to be quite flexible/adaptable, curious (about conditions/diagnoses as well as the people who present with them), confident (in skills, knowledge, and ability to piece lots of info together in a short time), comfortable with the wide array of psychosocial components that come with many patients, and assertive.
What was your biggest win in the ED?
While I had a number of pretty cool wins specific to patients, I’d like to consider the research I’ve done to be my biggest win. Conducting quality research in this setting is NOT easy… particularly if you’re not part of an established research team (even harder when you’re not practicing in that ED full time). In addition, most of the research projects I’ve completed have involved various DPT student groups as co-investigators (which I feel is important in helping students understand the full research process (everything it takes to get a study from start to finish and, hopefully, disseminated). Most of the studies I’ve completed have been presented at CSM (posters, platforms, and education sessions) and some have gone to an international stage. Since moving from Indy and starting a DPT program, all of my research has been on hold, but I’m slowly coming out of the CAPTE cave and restarting my research engine.
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