February 16, 2022
At the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combine Sections Meeting on Feb. 4 in San Antonio, Dr. Chris Wilson, an associate professor of physical therapy at Oakland University, received two awards — The President’s Award and The Debbra Flomenhoft Humanitarian Award — from the Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy, an organization dedicated to the advancement of physical therapist practice in the area of cancer and oncologic diagnoses.
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“Both these awards are so meaningful to me because it is an area of practice I feel passionate about,” Wilson said. “For my efforts to advance the role of the physical therapist in cancer care to be recognized like this means that we are working to improve patient access and quality of rehabilitation care for those with this often-devastating illness.
“Cancer and its treatments can cause many changes to our bodies, but I’m so glad to know that physical therapists will be well-trained and ready to help people with cancer return to function during their cancer journey,” he added.
The President’s Award is a special recognition by the president of APTA Oncology, Laura Sheridan, presented to Wilson in honor of his professional service to APTA Oncology. An inscription on the award reads: “For being a great champion of the Academy and its members through your advocacy ensuring APTA Oncology always has a seat at the table.”
“I have served over the past decade in a number of roles including as vice president of the Academy for four years,” Wilson said. “I have also served as the chair of the Hospice and Palliative Care Special Interest Group and have written questions for the specialty examination for physical therapists to become board certified specialists.”
The Debbra Flomenhoft Humanitarian Award was established by the Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy to recognize those persons whose work has resulted in the advancement of the practice of compassionate oncology rehabilitation, heightened the understanding of cancer illness, and psychosocial rehabilitation issues and demonstrated patient advocacy.
“Over the past decade, I have been able to help the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) to establish key policies and procedures, as well as research publications and books on this area on physical therapy,” Wilson said.
In 2011, Wilson was the primary author and sponsor of the APTA’s position on the role of the physical therapist in hospice and palliative care. He has had over a dozen peer-reviewed publications on the topic of rehabilitation and palliative care and has written a textbook entitled, Physical Activity and Rehabilitation in Life Threatening Illness, which was published by Routledge in 2021.
“This was a very under-emphasized and under-utilized role for physical therapists, as most people do not consider how physical therapists should be involved with someone with a life limiting condition,” he said.
To learn more Human Movement Science and the Physical Therapy program at Oakland University, visit www.oakland.edu/shs/human-movement.
For more information about the American Physical Therapy Association, visit www.apta.org.
About Dr. Chris Wilson
Chris Wilson is an associate professor in the Human Movement Science department in the School of Health Sciences at Oakland University. He is the director of clinical education for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. He also has an appointment on the faculty of the Beaumont Health Oncology Residents for Physical Therapists, an organization which he founded as the program director in 2018.