Life Care Center Of Hixson Physical Therapist Earns Certification In Geriatrics

Kat Rollins, a physical therapist at Life Care Center of Hixson, has earned a clinical specialization in geriatrics.

Ms. Rollins received her certification in the specialty from the American Physical Therapy Association in late June. 

Though Ms. Rollins already has a doctorate in physical therapy she said she pursued the specialization “to continue to learn and grow as a skilled physical therapist and promote optimal patient care within the geriatric population.”

The APTA has established several requirements for therapists to be eligible to sit for the certification exam. The therapist must have a current license to practice physical therapy in the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands and demonstrate 2,000 hours of clinical practice in his or her specialty area (25 percent of that time must have occurred within the past three years). 

The exam consists of 200 questions, “designed to objectively measure the application of advanced knowledge and skills required of physical therapy clinical specialists,” according to the APTA.

Ms. Rollins joins two other doctors of physical therapy at Life Care Center of Hixson in becoming certified in a specialty. Josh Haislip, assistant director of rehab, is also certified in a geriatric specialty, and Leanne Salt-Carbone is a clinical specialist in orthopedics. Both of the others earned their certification in 2014.

Ms. Salt-Carbone said she pursued her certification “to further my clinical decision-making skills and knowledge as a clinician in order to more effectively treat and assist my patients to achieve their goals and maximum potential.”

For more information about the clinical specialties available at Life Care Center of Hixson, call 423-842-0049.

Located at 5798 Hixson Home Place, Life Care Center of Hixson is one of 25 rehab and skilled nursing centers in Tennessee managed or operated by Life Care Centers of America.