Graduate Certificate in Health Focused Patient/Client Management for Physical and Occupational Therapists

Contact Information
Program Coordinator: Cecilia Graham, PT, PhD
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 205-934-5949
Fax: 205-975-7787
Web site: http://www.uab.edu/shp/pt/ptotcert
Mailing address:
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Department of Physical Therapy
1720 2nd Avenue South
SHPB 337
Birmingham, AL 35294-1212

Program Information

The UAB Graduate Certificate in Health Focused Patient/Client Management for Physical and Occupational Therapists is designed to prepare PTs and OTs for expanding roles in the areas of prevention, health promotion, and wellness. Health Focused Patient/Client Management is the integration of health promotion and education methods in OT and PT practice to create a holistic approach to enhance patient/client wellness and quality of life. The ultimate goal of the certificate is to enable graduates to develop and implement clinical and community programs to address lifestyle and behavior factors that underlie many chronic diseases.  Emphasis will be placed on program development for persons with disabilities. The concepts addressed in the certificate program are applicable across the patient/client lifespan and in a variety of practice settings.

Credentials Conferred

The Graduate Certificate in Health Focused Patient/Client Management for Physical and Occupational Therapists awarded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Length of Study

The certificate requires 5 semesters to complete; students take 1 course per semester.

Program Entrance Date

A new cohort of students is admitted in January of each year.

Program Faculty

Diane Clark, PT, DScPT, MBA, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Kathleen Foley, PhD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy
Cecilia Graham, PT, PhD, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
Elizabeth Kitchin, PhD, RD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Sciences
Donald Lein, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
John McCarthy, PT, PhD, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
David Morris, PT, PhD, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
Mary Warren, PhD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
Laura Vogtle, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy

Admission Requirements

Admissions requirements include completion of a degree in physical or occupational therapy and current licensure as a physical or occupational therapist in the United States or foreign equivalent. Students from countries where English is not the official and primary language must also take and receive an acceptable score on the TOEFL or IELTS.

Degree Requirements

15 credit hours (5 required courses)

Course Descriptions

PTC 780 Health Focused Care in Physical and Occupational Therapy (3 credits) - Provides an overview of health promotion principles as part of contemporary health care, especially rehabilitation services, including evidence for the most prevalent preventable chronic diseases/conditions and the health behaviors that contribute to these conditions. Health focused care competencies, including conducting health needs assessments, accessing health information/data, and exploring factors that influence learning will be addressed. Competencies related to selecting, designing, implementing and evaluating health education strategies and interventions will also be explored.  Specific constructs of health behavior theories will be examined. Emphasis will be placed on applications of these theories to analyze unhealthy behaviors and/or assist patients/clients and community groups to adopt healthy behaviors through direct health promotion interventions, consultation, or referral to other health care providers.

PTC 781 Health Focused Patient/Client Communication and Advocacy (3 credits) – Communication and advocacy strategies, methods and techniques that empower individuals and communities to improve their health.  Promoting patient autonomy, enhancing health literacy, and using strategies such as motivational interviewing will be considered as integral parts of physical and occupational therapy models of care to facilitate dialogue toward healthy behavior choice. E-health applications and telemedicine will be introduced. Best practices for consultation/referral processes to optimize health outcomes will be discussed. Strategies to influence policy to promote health will also be considered.

PTC 782 Health Focused Patient/Client Management I (3 credits) – This first of two application courses will examine how PTs and OTs should address physical activity/fitness, nutrition optimization, and weight management using a health focused care  model for individuals and community groups.  Issues addressed include screening, best practices for interventions, patient education resources, and consultation/referral sources to optimize health outcomes. 

 PTC 783 Health Focused Patient/Client Management II (3 credits) – This second of two Health Focused Management courses will examine smoking cessation, alcohol moderation, sleep health, and stress management using a health focused care  model for individuals and community groups.  Issues addressed include screening, best practices for interventions, patient education resources, and consultation/referral sources to optimize health outcomes.

PTC 784 Health Focused Care – Synthesis Project (3 credits) - This course will enable PTs and OTs to design a health focused program in the clinical and community setting.  The course will address managing fiscal resources, obtaining acceptance and support for programs, human resource management, risk management, legal and ethical issues, and facilitating partnerships in support of health promotion. The course will include a comprehensive final presentation using an online format.  The presentation will address concepts presented throughout the curriculum and the application of these concepts to patients/clients in a specific clinical setting