Show Notes
In this episode, Will Riddick talks with Patty Young, national program manager of the VA Amputation System of Care, discussing how the VA delivers coordinated, lifelong care for individuals with limb loss. She explains how the system uses interdisciplinary teams, standardized training, and strong communication networks to ensure consistent, high-quality care across the country, from pre-amputation through long-term community reintegration. Will and Patty talk about how to integrate these same practices outside of the Amputation System of Care.
More from Beyond the Limb
In this episode of Beyond the Limb, Will Riddick is joined by Tracy Rauk, a physical therapist and Amputation Rehabilitation Coordinator within the Veterans Affairs Amputation System of Care, to discuss care coordination for people with limb loss and limb difference. They explore strategies for building interdisciplinary teams, collaborating with community providers, addressing gaps in rehabilitation services, and connecting patients with resources like the Amputee Coalition and adaptive recreation programs. Tracy shares practical advice for physical therapists working with this population and highlights the importance of looking beyond functional goals to help patients reconnect with their communities, rediscover meaningful roles, and live well after amputation. If you have a show idea or would like to be a guest on the show, follow this link to let me know: https://forms.gle/HzJngs4vL3rBrB1H7
In this episode of Beyond the Limb, Will Riddick talks with physical therapist and postdoctoral scholar Paige Paulus about the Suitcase Packing Activity (SPA), a functional outcome measure for individuals with upper limb loss and limb difference. They discuss how the SPA was developed, what it measures, how patients adapt tasks in their own unique ways, and what clinicians can learn by watching those strategies. Will and Paige also explore prosthetic use, patient-reported outcomes, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the future of outcome measurement in upper limb rehabilitation. Paulus P, Childers WL, Pontillo M. The Suitcase Packing Activity: A Novel Outcome Measure for Individuals With Upper Limb Loss. Am J Occup Ther. 2026;80(5):795-803. doi:10.1177/19437676261464069 Access the journal article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/19437676261464069
In this episode of Beyond the Limb, Will Riddick sits down with Andrea Crunkhorn, Chief of Clinical Affairs for the Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence (EACE), to discuss the evolution of amputation care and the work being done to advance rehabilitation for service members, veterans, and the broader limb loss community. Andrea shares her journey into amputation care, the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and resources, and the importance of advanced education and clinical competency. For more information on EACE, visit their site: https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Centers-of-Excellence/EACE
In this episode of Beyond the Limb, Will Riddick sits down with Mary Jane Cole, a physiotherapist with decades of experience in limb absence rehabilitation, education, research, and professional leadership. Mary Jane shares the history and evolution of the British Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Limb Absence Rehabilitation (BACPAR), including how it has supported clinicians through education, peer networking, clinical guidelines, research, leadership opportunities, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The conversation also explores the importance of professional identity and specialty recognition, the challenges of working in isolation, and what clinicians in the United States might learn from BACPAR's experience. For more information on BACPAR visit their site: https://www.bacpar.org/
What happens when physical therapists and prosthetists truly work as one team? In this episode of Beyond the Limb, host Will Riddick is joined by prosthetist and researcher Kiley Armstrong to explore the power of interprofessional collaboration in limb loss rehabilitation. Together, they discuss the unique expertise each profession brings to patient care, common communication barriers, strategies for building stronger clinical partnerships, and practical ways to coordinate care throughout the rehabilitation journey. From shared outcome measures and interdisciplinary clinics to real-world examples of successful teamwork, this conversation highlights how collaboration leads to more efficient rehabilitation, improved prosthetic outcomes, and ultimately better lives for people with limb loss.