UTHSCSA Faculty Profiles v1.0
Acosta, Martha Marie
School of Health Professions
Physical Therapy
(210) 567-8753
acostamm@uthscsa.edu
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SELF DESCRIPTION:
I received my Bachelors degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas after receiving a Bachelors degree in Pre-Medicine from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. After working several years as a clinician, I went on to pursue a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from Southwest Texas State University. I was awarded a PhD from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Preventive Medicine and Community Health (Rehabilitation Sciences). I have worked in a variety of settings including acute care, rehabilitation, out-patient, long-term care, skilled nursing facilities, psychiatric hospital, and home health. With approximately 35 years of clinical practice, I bring an abundance of expertise and clinical application to the academic setting to enhance student learning of clinical concepts. I have taught previously at the University of Texas at El Paso where the focus of my teaching responsibilities included management of the adult patient with neurological impairments. I also taught management of health care systems for Physical Therapists as well as geriatric elective courses and hippotherapy. I was awarded my clinical specialist certification by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GCS). Subsequently, I served as the Item Writer Coordinator supervising the item writers and Content Experts who generate items for the Geriatric board certification exam. I then served as the Chairman of the Geriatric Council; for the upcoming year I will serve as the MOSC (Maintenance of Specialization and Certification) liaison for the Geriatric Council. My current teaching responsibilities include topics of clinical foundation skills for first-year physical therapy students and aging across the lifespan for third-year physical therapy students. With regards to my teaching philosophy, I strive to inspire students to have a curiosity about learning new information, empower students to feel ownership of professionalism and encourage students to value their role as a qualified, competent healthcare provider.
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| 8/2007 - Present |
Assistant Professor |
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Physical Therapy, San Antonio, TX |
Content Expert -
Appointed by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS) upon the recommendation of the Specialty Council in Geriatric Physical Therapy, for another two-year term -- Charged with writing items for the National Geriatric Board examination (for Physical Therapists) |
Geriatric Clinical Specialist -
Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist; certification awarded by the American Physical Therapy Assocition |
Physical Therapist -
Licenced Physical Therapist in the state of Louisiana from 1973 - 1974. |
Physical Therapist -
Licensed Physical Therapist in the state of Texas. After practicing in many different settings, I chose to focus on one area, geriatrics. Within this specialty, my primary area of interest is frailty in the older adult. |
| Date |
Description |
Institution |
# Students |
| 2/2012 - Present |
Individual Instruction |
UTHSCSA |
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| 4/2009 - Present |
Invited Speaker for Geriatric Symposia |
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio |
40 students |
| This Geriatric Symposia was developed by myself and Ms. Helen Sorensen, Respiratory Therapy faculty. As co-presenters, we provided information to the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) students on the impact of aging and age-related issues within healthcare environment. Topics included biological and cognitive changes in older adults with aging, as they pertain to the CLS member of the healthcare team. An informal quiz on aging was done initially to start the conversation among participants about myths and beliefs of age-related topics. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were administered to the audience to confirm that new knowledge was attained. This presentation is done every year to date. |
| 2/2008 - Present |
Invited Speaker - PHYT 7019 |
UTHSCSA |
40 students |
| I was invited by Dr. Yolanda Rangel, Course Director for Neuroscience II (PHYT 7019), to do a presentation to first-year Physical Therapy students on the examination of cranial nerves. The presentation was both didactic and experential, with students actively participating in the assessment with a role-play situation. We supplied the diagnostic tools used for this type of assessment, then had the students assess each others cranial nerves. This clinical applicability built in to the didactic course helps with bridging science information to actual patient application. This presentation is done every Spring semester in the Neuroscience II class. |
Book Chapter |
| Acosta MM. Frailty in Older Persons. In: Kauffman, Timothy L.
Barr, John, O.
Moran, Michael L. Geriatric Rehabilitation Manual. London, England: Elsevier; 2013. p. 1-25.
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Abstract |
| Burns, Cheryl A
Smith, Linda A
Sorenson, Helen M
Acosta, Martha M. A Novel Approach to Addressing Geriatrics in the Clinical Laboratory Science Curricululm; 2010 Jan. (Cilnical Laboratory Science; vol. 23, no. 2).
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Not Specified |
| Sorenson H, Acosta M. The Development and Implementation of Symposia to Increase Knowledge of Geriatrics/Gerontology in Allied Health Students TSAHP 32nd Conference and Annual Meeting 2009 Sep;.
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Other |
| Acosta MM. Course Portfolio - Faculty Learning Community Faculty Learning Community 2010 Sep;N/A:N/A-N/A.
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