James Smith

Assistant Professor-in-Residence

Kinesiology

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Biography

Jim Smith is the founding director of the Connecticut Community College’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program and a Professor Emeritus at Utica University. His expertise is managing patients who are critically ill, those who are hospitalized and those recovering from critical illness. Notable publications include Home and Community-based Physical Therapist Management of Adults with Post-intensive Care Syndrome (2020) and Physical Impairments Associated with Post-intensive Care Syndrome: Systematic Review Based on the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework (2018), both published in Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation.
Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Northeastern University (Boston, MA), a Master of Arts in Neuroscience / Psychology from the University of Hartford (Hartford, CT) and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Simmons University (Boston, MA). Jim has received the American Physical Therapy Association’s Lucy Blair Service Award and the FA Davis Award for Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant Educator; APTA New York’s Dr. Marilyn Moffat Distinguished Service Award; and the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy’s James Dunleavy Distinguished Service Award and Lecture Award. He is active in leadership roles with the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy and the American Physical Therapy Association.

Research Interests
Long COVID
Post-intensive care syndrome
Care transitions following hospitalization / discharge planning

Research summary
My research team that was investigating post-intensive care syndrome pivoted our focus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now we are working to understand the impact that COVID-19 has on the capacity for physical activity and participation. Additionally, I am the methodologist on another team that is investigating physical problems during hospitalization that are associated with higher rates of rehospitalization. As Co-Chair of the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy’s Clinical Practice Guideline Committee I provide consultation to teams that are doing synthesis research on topics addressing acute care physical therapy.

Teaching Responsibilities
PT 5450 Fundamentals of Physical Therapy Examination

Recent Publications
Smith JM, Arsenault R, Berry-Sullivan S, Lavier S, Longo K, Petersen B, Tansley T. COVID-19 infection is associated with loss of muscle strength: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Acute Care Physical Therapy. 2023, accepted.

Lopker M, DeLorm P, Gilroy NL, Norris TL, Smith EM, Smith J, Tompkins J, Miller KL. Physical therapists: The missing link to safe care transitions from the acute care setting. Journal of Acute Care Physical Therapy. 2022; 13(4):182-189. DOI: 10.1097/JAT.0000000000000192

Iton I, Phillips M, Reardon K, Scarpinella K, Woodcock E, Smith JM. Action observation training reduces freezing of gait among individuals with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2022 Jan 03;20(1), Article 6, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ijahsp/vol20/iss1/6, DOI 10.46743/1540-580X/2022.2073.

Barbagelata K, Eadi J, McNamara M, Sayles M, Smith JM. Aquatic therapy reduces pain and fatigue in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review. Rehabilitation Oncology: 2021;39: 35–41. doi: 10.1097/01.REO.0000000000000247.

Smith EMT, Lee ACW, Smith JM, Thiele A, Zeleznik H, Ohtake PJ. COVID-19 and post-intensive care syndrome: Community-based care for ICU survivors. Home Health Care Management & Practice. 2021;33(2):117-124. doi:10.1177/1084822320974956.

Smith JM, Lee AC, Zeleznik H, Coffey Scott J, Fatima A, Needham DM, Ohtake PJ. Home and community-based physical therapist management of adults with post-intensive care syndrome. Physical Therapy. 2020;100(7):1062–1073. DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzaa059. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/100/7/1062/5818366