Spotlight: Serving the Community
The American Physical Therapy Association’s for the profession of physical therapy is “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience.” This is achieved through advancing the profession, advocating for consumers to have better access to treatment by physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, and raising public awareness about the benefits of physical therapy. Dr. Brian Maloney PT, DPT takes this vision of physical therapy and applies it to the classroom and in his practice.
Dr. Maloney joined the University of North Georgia (国产自拍) in 2021 as an assistant professor. He is dedicated to helping his students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become successful physical therapy practitioners. In his courses, he advocates for knowledge translation, which means to teach and implement highly effective, best practice, and evidenced-based treatments. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Maloney had a diverse experience of practice expertise spanning private practice, outpatient orthopedic and neurologic treatment, home health neurologic focused treatment, and acute inpatient neurologic rehabilitation at the world-renowned Shepherd Center in Atlanta. He still practices at the Shepherd Center per diem. In 2016, Dr. Maloney became a board-certified neurologic certified specialist (NCS) and has a certificate in advanced vestibular rehabilitation.
Through service, Dr. Maloney helps to create better access for those in his local community. He helps in our Student-led Therapy and Rehab Clinic (STAR Clinic), as well as organizing events for students and faculty to participate in that serve surrounding communities. In the classroom, Dr. Maloney discusses the unique challenges of rural physical therapy and those of other communities. At 国产自拍, Dr. Maloney serves as the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) representative for the department of physical therapy. Dr. Maloney is an item writer for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, which helps to drive the profession forward by making sure future NCS recipients are helping to optimize movement with their clients. Nationally, he also serves on the Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy and with APTA Georgia. Dr. Maloney is also a volunteer with the Life Rolls on Foundation. While at the Shepherd Center, Dr. Maloney hosted a pro-bono wheelchair skills clinic for community members, which is still done today.
Professional advocacy is another way in which Brian Maloney contributes to 国产自拍, the PT profession, and his community. Yearly, Dr. Maloney and the 国产自拍 faculty and students go to the Georgia Capitol and speak with representatives in person. In class, Dr. Maloney advocates for his students to join him in writing to their local and national representatives when it is necessary to help to improve healthcare access and quality. Dr. Maloney’s research interests also help reach APTA’s vision statement. Research includes improving knowledge of healthcare disparities and access to physical therapy services. Dr. Maloney is also interested in low-cost neurological interventions for those who have functional loss due to a neurological diagnosis. Specific treatments range from those lacking evidence in scientific literature to emerging low-cost technologies.