A Strong Passion for Physical Therapy and Springfield College

By: Damon Markiewicz

From a young age, alumna Jennifer L. Stoskus '08, G'09, PT, DPT, AVPT, NCS, realized she had a strong passion to become a Physical Therapist (PT). Her dedication to the Physical Therapy profession has remained constant throughout her academic and professional journey. Since her time at Springfield College, she has gone on to achieve a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (Temple University DPT ’12), Board Certification in Neurologic Physical Therapy (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties NCS) and certification as Advanced Vestibular Physical Therapist from the University of Pittsburgh (AVPT ’24). Stoskus has also blended an impressive career of both clinical and non-clinical experiences that have demonstrated her belief in using technology when working with patients. In addition, she continues to help educate others on the positive impact that technology can have on clinicians, and their patients through her current research as The Technology Enabled Healthcare Provider (Tech4HCP.org).

Transitioning into non-clinical work with technology companies, while remaining connected to clinical work, has broadened Stoskus’ resume. She has become an important educator and consultant for technology companies looking to expand their footprint within clinical settings. As a licensed PT who remains dedicated to finding the best treatment for all patients, Stoskus has witnessed first-hand the impact that technology can have on getting the positive results patients need.

“Making the transition into working with technology companies was a natural fit for me because I was using technology a lot in my physical therapy work,” explained Stoskus, who has never stopped working in a clinical setting. “While working as a full-time PT, I was able to build up a strong network of contacts who sell and service technology. As time went on, I started to have opportunities presented to me that focused on helping educate organizations with how to use the technology in clinical settings.”

One of Stoskus’ first opportunities came in 2016 with Natus Medical Incorporated, where she served as a Clinical Education Specialist with a focus on balance and mobility. As part of this role, Stoskus would provide clinical education and development for the NeuroCom Balance Manager Systems, focusing on clinical support and sales enhancement for the NeuroCom product line.

“At the time that new opportunities were becoming available, I was looking for a change and striving to do something different in addition to clinical practice,” explained Stoskus. “I really liked teaching my patients what they were experiencing and what the results meant. Being a part of these companies was an easy transition because I already had decided that this was something that I enjoyed doing.”

Stoskus went on to add, “As a full-time educator at Natus, it really broadened my professional network because I was traveling and teaching across the entire eastern half of the United States. I was meeting with clinicians, different organizations, people in academics, people in research. This type of networking within my profession allowed me to develop my own career path, one that continues to be very rewarding.” 

Career networking has allowed Stoskus to find new opportunities as she continues a balance as a clinician, researcher, and educator. In 2019, Stoskus would become Executive Director of US Clinical Affairs for Virtualis, VR (Montpellier, France), followed by the same role at NeckCare (Reykjavik, Iceland) in 2022. As part of her expanded growth within the technology industry, Stoskus has dedicated herself to the advancement of provider knowledge, shared learning, and professional development for rehabilitation professionals. In short, Stoskus’ focus is on helping therapists implement innovative tools in their practice, which can only help the care provided to others.

And as Stoskus continued to work with clinicians and researchers during her travels, she started to realize they were asking her questions that she was also curious about, and that inspired her to continue her education at an even higher level.

“As I was working with people in academics, working with researchers, and working with clinicians, I started to realize they would be asking me similar questions, and that was a big reason I decided to enroll in the PhD program at Seton Hall University (NJ),” explained Stoskus. “I decided that I needed to become a researcher too, to get the training that is needed to answer these questions.”

A commitment to continuous learning remains a focus for Stoskus, and that can be traced back to her days on Alden Street. From as early as middle school, she felt a calling to be a Physical Therapist, and she wasn’t afraid of the hard work it would take to achieve this goal. 

“When exploring colleges, I noticed Springfield College offered an accelerated five-year master’s degree PT program,” described Stoskus. “That accelerated focus stuck out to me because I wanted to choose the program that would allow me to become a PT the fastest.”

Once enrolled, Stoskus would embrace the intimacy of the Springfield College Physical Therapy program. She would start to build life-long mentorships with faculty while also experiencing a well-rounded education that would prepare her for professional success.

“Something that really helped me as a student was how the PT program set up the clinical rotations,” said Stoskus. “My experiences in those rotations were in non-traditional settings, and the uniqueness of my clinical affiliations gave me really unique skills sets that helped me professionally. As an example, my acute care rotation wasn’t just in a hospital doing general PT. I was in a hospital with a rotation on the burn unit floor, and also the kidney transplant floor. Those are really narrowed in focuses within acute care. My outpatient rotation was working with patients who had temporomandibular (TMJ) dysfunction and also post-mastectomy scar mobilization PT. These opportunities really set me up to broaden my view of what physical therapy could be.”

The culture of the Physical Therapy program really had a positive impact on Stoskus’ student-experience. She was able to maximize her academic growth because she was surrounded by supportive peers and faculty members who all demonstrated the same commitment to our Humanics mission. And that hasn’t changed in all of the passing years since Stoskus’ graduation.

“I was back on campus in 2023, and I was honored to receive the Gertrude Lamb Award and speak at the Doctor of Physical Therapy recognition ceremony,” said Stoskus. “As part of that ceremony, I was able to bring my husband to campus for the first time. It was special to have him come to campus with me and experience the feeling you get on campus. I had a great experience at Springfield College. I stayed active being a member of the women’s cross-country team, the S.A.V.E. (Stop All Violence Everywhere) club, and participated in the Leadership Training Conference (LTC). In addition to all the clubs and PT classes, I also worked hard to earn a dance minor during undergrad and later developed a dance rehabilitation program in my early years in the clinic before specializing in vestibular, concussion, and other balance disorders.”

And staying connected with the Springfield College community is very important to Stoskus. While attending national PT conferences, and through the assistance of social media, she is able to maintain strong relationships with faculty, staff, and the next generation of PT professionals.

“The faculty at Springfield College have been so important to me, and I continue to lean on them as mentors, and they have also become friends,” concluded Stoskus. “The SC PT alumni have a social media group that makes it fun to stay connected. Springfield College is a special place, and I love being a part of the SC PT family.”