The Ivy Rehab Pelvic Health Residency is an intensive one-year, full-time clinically-based program created to promote the professional development of clinicians in the field of Pelvic Health Therapy. Experienced Pelvic Health clinicians will serve as faculty to guide, instruct, and mentor each participant in the development of advanced knowledge and clinical expertise for the duration of the program.
The program will also prepare each clinician for their Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification (PRPC) through Herman and Wallace Institute. Each participant is expected to complete all residency program requirements and commit to developing this service line to serve the pelvic health needs of their community. Operational support and guidance will be provided as part of the program, and will enable and empower each participant to successfully implement a Pelvic Health service line into their clinic.
What is the Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification?
The Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification designates a provider as an expert in Pelvic Rehabilitation. A pelvic rehab practitioner evaluates and treats individuals with, but not limited to pelvic pain, bowel and bladder issues, prolapse, and diastasis recti. The credentials of “PRPC” distinguish an individual as an expert in pelvic rehabilitation, and is awarded to those who successfully take the certification exam. There are minimum requirements to apply for the exam, including 2,000 hours of practice treating pelvic health conditions and related conditions.
Ivy Pelvic Health Residency Curriculum
The Pelvic Health Residency Program provides a structured and consistent didactic curriculum that is designed to for all levels of PTs, PTAs, and OTs to become advanced practitioners in Pelvic Health rehabilitation. The clinical focus of the curriculum will be on clinical reasoning, advancing evaluation and treatment skills while incorporating the most recent evidence-based practices. The implementation of foundational and advanced coursework through Herman and Wallace is utilized. The operational components of the program focus on effective marketing, efficiency with scheduling, billing and coding, and documentation. This program utilizes a blended model of delivery for our didactic curriculum that includes online self-study modules, live online learning, journal club and case review, independent study, and hybrid in-person weekend courses that are to be completed over the course of this comprehensive 12-month specialization program.
Each specialist is teamed up with a qualified mentor to complete at least 40 hours of virtual 1:1, virtual group mentorship, and in-person mentoring over the course of the specialization year. The mentors will provide support, education, coaching, and guidance to the advancing Pelvic Health clinician. Mentorship is a cornerstone of the Pelvic Health Specialization and all other residency programs Ivy offers. The time the mentor and clinician spend together is a valuable component that truly helps the clinician develop into a specialist and an advanced practitioner.
As a part of the program mission, we strive to create well-rounded therapists who focus on advancement through evidence-based clinical reasoning, development of advanced-level clinical skills, as well as being mindful and focusing on creating a strong therapeutic alliance with patients. The program additionally supports the advancement of clinicians by providing leadership skills and opportunities to continually move the profession forward.
Admissions Qualifications
- Graduation from an accredited Occupational, Physical Therapy, or Physical Therapy Assistant Program
- Active PT, OT, PTA licensure in current state of practice
- Employed as a full time Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant by Ivy Rehab Network at the time of program start date.
- Membership to the APTA and the Pelvic Health Section
- Commitment to successfully completing all program requirements
- Commitment to taking PRPC exam at earliest eligibility
Start date for the program: July 2, 2023
Application deadline for the participants: April 30, 2023
Article By: Maricel Briones, DPT, CMTPT, OCS
Maricel Briones is a Partner and Area Director of Ivy Rehab, located in Town Center area of Virginia Beach, VA. She specializes in orthopedics and pelvic health. She is currently a co-leader of the Ivy Rehab Pelvic Health Clinical Team. Maricel is a Senior Teacher Assistant for the Herman & Wallace Institute for pelvic Rehab. She is also an Adjunct Professor for the Old Dominion University DPT Program.
