In this episode recorded live at CSM, we sit down with returning guest Drew Wilcox, a Physical Therapist Assistant, educator, and researcher, to tackle one of the biggest issues in the profession: the broken pathway from PTA to DPT.

Drew shares a powerful vision for the future of physical therapy education — one that removes unnecessary barriers, reduces cost, and creates a unified pathway for clinicians to grow.

We discuss:

• Why PTA and DPT education are still siloed
• The real barriers preventing PTAs from advancing
• How AI is changing education and curriculum design
• The lack of PTA-specific research in key areas
• Why PTAs should get credit for prior learning
• A new “highway model” for career progression

This episode is essential listening for Physical Therapist Assistants, PTA students, and clinicians looking to expand their impact and career opportunities.

Website: https://www.ptapluspodcast.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ptapluspodcast/videos

Instagram (show): https://www.instagram.com/pta_plus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/PTA-Podcast-100093326902910/

LinkedIn (Katie Sutton): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-sutton-0725

Special Thanks to:

Thanks to US Physical Therapy for hosting PTA+ at CSM.

MedBridge users: Visit ptapluspodcast.com for your exclusive discount code: PTAPLUS

In this episode of the PTA+ Podcast, we explore how AI and Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) are transforming the role of the Physical Therapist Assistant.

Host Katie Sutton sits down with Ellen Morello, U.S. General Manager at EverEx, to unpack how hybrid care models are expanding access, reducing burnout, and creating new opportunities for PTAs.

You’ll learn:

• What RTM actually looks like in daily practice
• How PTAs contribute to patient outcomes in hybrid care
• Why AI is becoming a critical clinical tool
• The skills needed to transition into remote PTA roles
• What the next 5–10 years of physical therapy could look like

Guest Information:

Ellen Morello

U.S. General Manager, EverX

Leader in digital health, AI, and remote therapeutic monitoring

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-morello/

Subcribe and Follow PTA+:

Website: https://www.ptapluspodcast.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ptapluspodcast/videos

Instagram (show): https://www.instagram.com/pta_plus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/PTA-Podcast-100093326902910/

LinkedIn (Katie Sutton): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-sutton-0725

MedBridge users: Visit ptapluspodcast.com for your exclusive discount code: PTAPLUS

In this episode of the PTA+ Podcast, Katie interviews Valerie Bueschlein, a Physical Therapist Assistant working in outpatient neurological rehabilitation who also serves as a spinal cord injury caregiver and patient advocate.

Valerie shares the deeply personal story of her husband’s catastrophic injury and how it reshaped her understanding of rehabilitation, caregiving, and advocacy.

Through that experience she learned that injuries affect far more than the patient — they impact caregivers, families, and entire communities.

That perspective led her to co-create the “You’re Not Alone Podcast: Understanding Life With a Disability,” a platform that allows people recovering from neurological injury to share their stories and support others navigating a new normal.

In this episode we explore:

• The caregiver perspective in rehabilitation
• Why PTAs must understand life outside the clinic
• The creation of the You're Not Alone Podcast
• Giving a voice to people living with disability
• The importance of community support after injury

This conversation is an important reminder for Physical Therapist Assistants and rehab clinicians that true patient-centered care includes caregivers, families, and lived experience.

Website: https://www.ptapluspodcast.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ptapluspodcast/videos

Instagram (show): https://www.instagram.com/pta_plus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/PTA-Podcast-100093326902910/

LinkedIn (Katie Sutton): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-sutton-0725

Special Thanks to:

Thanks to US Physical Therapy for hosting PTA+ at CSM.

MedBridge users: Visit ptapluspodcast.com for your exclusive discount code: PTAPLUS