Talking All Things Cardiopulm

Early mobility is not just a catch phrase. It’s activity that can change the trajectory of a patient’s condition, hospital stay and potentially life.

Join me as we welcome Dr. Jenna Hightower, PT, DPT, CCS, critical care physical therapist, and CVP Emerging Leader award recipient.  

In this episode we learn about Jenna’s physical therapy journey and her evolution from an exercise physiologist in outpatient cardiac rehab to PT residency to her love and passion for the ICU setting. 

Jenna learned early in her career that she could make tremendous impact in the ICU despite the level of complexity and ICU acquired weakness. Listen as we discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing, physiologic benefits of in-bed verticalization and early mobility progression. With a little persistence, hard work and communication change can be made.

If you work in acute care, critical care, or are passionate about advancing ICU mobility, this episode is a must-listen!

In this Episode:

• PT residency
• Critical Care Culture
• Bedrest & deconditioning
• Proning & verticalization
• ABCDEF Bundle
• The Ramsey Protocol
• Physiologic benefits of verticalization
• Transition to a non-clinical role

Resources:

VitalGo Website

VitalGo Instagram

Tilt Talk Podcast: Apple.   Spotify     Youtube

Kayli Dayton website

Bio:

Dr. Hightower earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University in 2017. Following this, she completed a Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Critical Care Residency through Mercer University at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital in 2018. 

Dr. Hightower has served as a Critical Care Physical Therapist in multi-specialty intensive care units at both Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Mayo Clinic Florida. Her expertise lies in early mobility interventions within the ICU, particularly for patients on advanced mechanical circulatory support devices such as ECMO, IABP, Impella, and LVAD, as well as those on various forms of mechanical ventilation. She specializes in managing complex cases involving multiple end-organ failure or shock requiring invasive support, with a particular passion for pre- and post-heart and lung transplant care. Dr. Hightower has frequently integrated the use of the Total Lift Bed into her patients' care plans to enhance outcomes, despite the complexity and acuity of their conditions.

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Linked-In: Rachele Burriesci

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In this episode, Dr. Rachele Burriesci, PT, DPT, CCS, GCS sits down with Dr. Aaron Thrush, PT, DPT, MPH, CCS one of the lead authors behind the groundbreaking article “Development and Application of a Novel Framework for Mobility and Rehabilitation Under Support of Extracorporeal Life Support: The M-U-S-E-C-L-S Framework.”  Together, they break down the first ever systems level roadmap designed to guide ICU teams in safely developing, implementing, and sustaining mobility programs for patients supported by ECMO and other mechanical circulatory devices.

In this episode we discuss:

• Team members required for a successful ECMO mobility team
• Including the patient in patient-centered care
• Complementing existing clinical practice guidelines
• Collaboration and communication required to sustain and succeed 
• Developing progressive and inclusive culture
• Equipment needs, staffing considerations, competencies, and policies.

Access article here

Reach out to Aaron Thrush: [email protected]

Aaron Thrush is a board-certified cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialist (USA) with expertise in acute and critical care rehabilitation. He is the Education Specialist and Manager of Inpatient Rehabilitation and Therapy at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he previously led ICU physical therapy. Aaron has published research on lung transplantation, cardiac rehabilitation, stroke recovery, and functional outcome measures, and serves as Director of Research & Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Content Expert for the Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy (USA). An international speaker, he has presented across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

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Linked-In: Rachele Burriesci

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Lucky for us, I was able to get more time with Aaron to discuss his life abroad.  We had some time after discussing his newest publication to dig further into the regular day life in Abu Dhabi and into to another world of culture and cultural competency. 

Join us for an episode of common ground, laughs, food, and culture! 

Stay tuned next week for our publication breakdown of the MUSECLS framework!

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IG: @all_things_cardiopulm

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Website: www.allthingscardiopulm.com

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Linked-In: Rachele Burriesci

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to treat patients internationally as a physical therapist?  Does that opportunity feel just out of reach? Have you considered being more involved in the APTA or the Cardiovascular & Pulmonary (CVP) Academy or other leadership roles and just don’t know where to start?

Join me in welcoming Dr. Aaron Thrush, who shares his inspiring journey from Philly to Abu Dhabi, from the neurologic population to a passion for CVP and from inpatient rehab to the ICU. Dr. Thrush takes us through his evolution from staff clinician to a respected leader in education, research and CVP physical therapy internationally.

 If you’re a physical therapist interested in international practice, career growth, CVP physical therapy, or expanding your professional impact, this conversation is packed with insight and lived experience you won’t want to miss.

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IG: @all_things_cardiopulm

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Linked-In: Rachele Burriesci

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Returning to the mic after a summer hiatus, Rachele recaps summer fun, garden woes, new collaborations and the joy of being in the room. 

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One word. Legacy. 

When one looks back on their career they might question: did I do enough, did I make a difference, did I leave a legacy?  There is no question in mind that Ken is a person that has left his mark on the respiratory muscle training world, with his passion for understanding and innovation to create the devices he needed to accomplish his goals, he has left us not only with a superior device to assess and train the respiratory muscles, but also a protocol to effectively make a difference.  

30 years of research, trial and error and digging into root causes, Ken is a major reason why we know IMT is an effective training modality across the spectrum: from weaning off vents, to patients with COPD, pneumoconiosis, SCI, to training world class athletes on the pitch.

Not only did he help us understand how to assess and train respiratory muscles he also developed the device to do just that. Through multiple iterations and developments over 30 years we now have the PrO2 and the novel TIRE protocol. 

Join me in this episode as we hear Ken take us through his life’s work and learn from his vast knowledge and experience.

Trial the PrO2 at the Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy Fall Conference Sept 13 @ the exhibitor table! 

Get 20% off + no shipping.

If you won’t be heading to the fall conference I have a coupon code just for you:

Code: ALLTHINGS15 to save 15% on your PrO2 device!

https://www.pro2health.com/products-list

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Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common finding in the acute care setting. So, the question is, are there any hard and fast rules surrounding orthostatic hypotension?  Are there cut-offs for activity / exercise?

The quick answer is: it’s complicated and it depends. It requires knowledge, experience and clinical judgement every step of the way. Each case, each patient may have different symptoms and different levels of blood pressure dropping at different points in time.

One clear point is assessing vital sign response to position changes and activity are paramount. Assessing your patient and recognizing subtle changes are equally important. And lastly, trusting your gut/intuition has a role as well.

Join me as we discuss the definitions of OH, common symptoms and real case examples. 

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Happy 100th episode of Talking All Things Cardiopulm!  

My mission from day one was to bring Cardiopulm to the forefront of conversation, to give clinicians tools to use in their own practice and to help bridge the gap between research and the clinician.

I created this podcast, because I felt like it needed to exist. I hope to continue going for as long as I can, to provide value and resources for you.  

If you want to support Talking All Things Cardiopulm, share an episode with a colleague, repost it on your favorite social media platform and/or write a great review!

I appreciate you being here, for listening, for the support and for wanting to be a part of the Cardiopulm conversation!

SIGN UP for the Innovative Treatments, Effortless Documentation Summit

• 💥 Event Dates: May 6–8 (Live Pre-Party: May 5 @ 8 PM EST)
• 🎯 Audience: PTs, OTs, and students focused on adult rehab
• 🧠 What’s Included: 20+ PT and OT expert-led sessions, documentation strategies, treatment ideas
• ⏰ Free Access: 24 hour access to the pre-recordings that day with a free ticket
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Documentation continues to be one of the biggest frustrations across physical therapy. Despite the many changes in technology over the past 20 years, it can still feel time consuming and an overall arduous task.

Shifting our perspective to an opportunity to showcase our clinical expertise and reasoning can be helpful.  I like to look at documentation like an ESPN snapshot.  Point out the highlights, the major turning points during the session, the gains, the losses and the why. Tell the story instead of clicking the box.

Looking to enhance your documentation skills? Join me and other experts at the Innovative Treatments Effortless Documentation Summit hosted by the Note Ninjas on May 6-8. This free virtual event offers valuable treatment strategies along with the option to earn 20 contact hours for PTs and OTs. 

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What makes an expert an expert? Is it their experience? Is it their knowledge? Is it their ability to teach/mentor?  I can argue that it’s a compilation of all of the above.  But do experts know everything? Is it even possible?

 I think the question is a set up for the most obvious answer. But maybe it’s not that obvious? A recent conversation spurred this discussion. Join me as tackle this question and take on a soap box or two

I'm so excited to share this 3-day event hosted by my friends The Note Ninjas.

The Innovative Treatments, Effortless Documentation Summit is coming May 6–8… and it's FREE!

They’ve brought together a powerhouse lineup of experts to help you:
  ✅ Streamline documentation
  ✅ Discover fresh treatment ideas
  ✅ Avoid burnout
  ✅ And reignite your passion for clinical care

Grab your free ticket here 

*Upgrade to the Clinician Power Pass to earn 20 contact hours (OT) or 20 PT CEUs, plus some awesome bonuses!

🎁Plus, there's a Facebook group with prizes, community, and more!

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