Introducing the Oncology Section's newest board member, our new Chair of the Hospice and Palliative Care Special Interest Group:  Richard Briggs PT, MA

Passion
Rich loves providing care to people experiencing life limiting conditions.  There is always something that the physical therapist in the hospice or palliative care environment can do to provide comfort, maximize mobility and improve quality of life. While it may take a different form than our traditional education has taught us, the benefits of our professional expertise and personal presence are invaluable.  His work in the physical therapy and hospice fields for the last 20 years has been dedicated to the development and advancement of this specialized area of practice.

 Education

Rich received his B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1977.  It was during this time that a volunteer internship at the Broome County Residential Center for Developmental Disabilities made clear that the combination of knowledge of medical and physical systems and personal human interactions would lead to a career in physical therapy.  Rich attended Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy and received his M.A. degree in 1980.  His specialization was in Educational Development.  Presciently he heard Elizabeth Kubler Ross speak and collaborated on a project interviewing couples who had experienced the after effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment on their relationship.  Hospice as a medical care model was not yet developed at this time.

Professional

Rich began his career at Peralta Hospital in Oakland, California doing acute care at the bedside and in the outpatient setting.  Two years later he worked for Fairmont Rehabilitation Center on the inpatient unit as part of the comprehensive interdisciplinary team. This model of care would be key to his later practice.  Rich then discovered Home Health at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Martinez, California. Being able to spend time in each client's natural living environment made tailoring the physical therapy care plan both meaningful and effective. 

In 1985 Rich relocated and was hired at the newly formed Enloe Medical Center HomeCare as the first physical therapist on staff. Initially responsible for patient care as well as program development, the agency grew steadily.  In 1987, the all volunteer hospice program merged with the Medicare certified home health agency, and skilled services were provided to those clients at the end of life.  Using the interdisciplinary team model, Rich has been able to develop various practice patterns to utilize the skills of a physical therapist to promote the hospice goals of safe and comfortable dying at home. The psychosocial and spiritual aspects of this care are paramount, as it is recognized that dying is naturally a spiritual process, rather than a medical one.  Rich currently continues his clinical practice there as a hospice physical therapist.

Rich also provides consulting for program development through Hospice Physical Therapy Associates, and has a book manuscript in progress with the working title, Will you walk me to my grave?

Affiliations

Rich has been a member of the APTA since 1996, participating in the Oncology, Home Health and Geriatrics sections.  He has written articles on Hospice and about Palliative Care Models of Practice for Rehabilitation Oncology and the Home Health Section Quarterly.  His other professional affiliation is with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).  The last six years he has chaired the Allied Therapist section of their National Council of Hospice and Palliative care Professionals.  This position has afforded Rich the opportunity to educate and promote awareness of the role of physical therapy in end of life care, through presentations at clinical and management conferences nationwide.  He was the primary author of the chapter on physical therapy in NHPCO's Complementary Therapies in End-of-life Care.

Most recently Rich spearheaded the formation of the Oncology section's Hospice and Palliative Care Special Interest Group in 2006.  With over 30 members, this group has a web site up (http://www.oncologypt.org/sigs/hospice.cfm ) and a number of exciting projects underway.

Favorite Quote

Badness you can get easily, in quantity: the road is smooth and lies close by.  But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it, and rough at first.  But when you come to the top it is easy, even though it is hard.

                                                          Hesiod, 8th Century B.C.

Personal

Rich lives in rural Northern California with his wife and son.  He has enjoyed high performance exercise over the years including modern dance, an Ironman distance triathlon, transcontinental tandem bicycling, and cross country ski snow camping adventures.  His other interests include choral singing and the ongoing rehabilitation of a 93 year old home.

Email

Rich continues to focus his professional energies on encouraging physical therapists to work together in creating a body of knowledge through collaboration and research in establishing best practices for end of life care.  He can be reached at:  HospicePT@aol.com

• July 2009: Mary Ann Calys, PT
• March 2009: Loraine Lovejoy-Evans, MPT, DPT, CLT-Földi
• November 2008: Leslie J. Waltke, PT
• September 2008: Rick W. Wilson, PT, PhD
• June 2008: Julie A. Hobbs, PT, DPT, Ph.D., CHES
• May 2007: Kathleen Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD
• November 2007: Nicole L. Stout Gergich MPT, CLT-LANA
• September 2007: Michaele R. Smith, PT, MEd
• April 2007: Richard Briggs PT, MA
• February 2007: Lesli R Bell, PT, CLT-LANA
• November 2006: Nancy Roberge, PT, DPT, M.Ed
• October 2006: Karen Rushby, PT, MScHA, CLT