Stacie Fruth, PT, DHS, OCS

Stacie Fruth is an associate professor in the professional program and a Board Certified Orthopaedic Specialist. She teaches Clinical Skills I and II (documentation, patient examination, interventions, manual therapy) and Clinical Skills Assessment, which culminates in a comprehensive practical examination the students must pass at the end of the first year. She also coordinates two comprehensive written examinations which students must pass at the end of the first and second year. Stacie is the manager of physical therapy services at the University of Indianapolis-sponsored Sutphin Center for Clinical Care, a teaching clinic that serves un- and under-insured patients with a wide variety of diagnoses. She also practices in the Methodist Hospital emergency department. Stacie is a member of APTA, INAPTA, and the APTA Education and Health Policy and Administration sections. Her clinical interests include PT in the emergency department, sports medicine, orthopaedics, and biopsychosocial conditions. Congratulations to Stacie for being the 2009 University of Indianapolis Teacher of the Year!

Although service (particularly international) is Stacie’s passion, she has published a variety of research studies, including a case report on a patient with rib pain, the prevalence and impact of amenorrhea in high-level athletes, the cardiovascular benefits of Dance Dance Revolution, the prevalence of patient education within physical therapy sessions, and two studies specific to evidence-based practice. Stacie has presented internationally at the World Confederation of Physical Therapy (Washington, D.C. and Vancouver, British Columbia) and at an international conference in South Africa. She has also given a variety of platform and poster presentations nationally and at the state level. Stacie completed doctoral research through a qualitative and quantitative exploration of physical therapy practice in the emergency department which represents her current focus of research. She has been awarded over $20,000 in grant money through the University of Indianapolis to complete research and scholarly projects.

Click to view Dr. Fruth's publications, including Fruth, S. Fundamentals of the Physical Therapy Examination: Patient Interview and Tests & Measures, Jones and Bartlett Learning, Burlington, MA .

Education for Service:
Tanzania 2009
In December 2009, ten Doctor of Physical Therapy students and two faculty members (Renee VanVeld and Stacie) participated in a service-learning trip to provide medical and educational services to the underserved population of Pommern, Tanzania. Goals were for the participating DPT students to return to the U. S. with a renewed enthusiasm for service, increased creativity for solving problems with few resources, a heightened appreciation for cultural differences and a newfound appreciation for medical resources in the U. S. The KSPT trip to Tanzania was the first of its kind as it incorporated a formal qualitative research study involving students on campus as well as those traveling abroad. DPT Students traveling to Africa applied skills learned in the classroom when performing physical therapy services with the villagers in Pommern. In addition, students assisted in the rudimentary medical clinic with conditions including malaria, tooth extractions and HIV/AIDS. Students conducted well-baby clinics for mothers who travel great distances in order to have their children weighed and vaccinated in order to reverse striking national statistics of infant mortality and malnutrition. Students taught in a local school, assisted with local construction projects and participated in cultural sharing. A qualitative research study has been completed on the students who traveled to Tanzania to determine what changes occur with regards to cultural understanding and appreciation, the level of interest in international service, resource management and personal struggles encountered. This study was presented at the 2012 APTA Combined Sections Meeting and the 2012 International Service Learning Symposium in Ningbo, China, and is being submitted for publication. Stacie’s goal is to be directly involved in CHS’s involvement in a sustained international service program that will incorporate regular service-based trips involving PT and OT students.