Robert W. Nithman, PT, PhD, DPT, GCS

Robert W. Nithman, PT, PhD, DPT, GCS

Program Dean/Director & Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Contact Information

Education

  • PhD Nova Southeastern University, 2018
  • t-DPT Chatham University, 2005
  • MPT Duquesne University, 1997
  • B.S. Duquesne University, 1996

Biography

Dr. Nithman joined WCU in 2021. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania where he graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Health Sciences and a Master of Physical Therapy from Duquesne University. He then returned for his post-professional Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (t-DPT) from Chatham University. From there, he went on to achieve Board Certification as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GCS) in 2006 (recertified in 2016), as well as own and operate a rehab staffing company and a Medicare-certified home health agency. Dr. Nithman began full-time teaching in 2009 which led him to pursuing additional professional development and ultimately earning his PhD from Nova Southeastern University.

Drawing from his experiences in business start-up, interprofessional practice management, consulting, formal post-professional education, and 25+ years of experience across the healthcare continuum, Dr. Nithman’s teaching focus is in outcomes management, interprofessional education & practice management, healthcare policy, law, and ethics, reimbursement systems including value-based healthcare, geriatric rehabilitation, health & wellness of older adults including fall screening and prevention. Dr. Nithman’s expertise in Prospective Payment System (PPS) and in-home assessment and reimbursement procedures are exemplified by his Certification as an Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) Specialist (COS-C) in 2005-2021.

Dr Nithman has consulted for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Harvard Medical School in addition to numerous private healthcare businesses. Dr Nithman has over 40 peer reviewed scholarly products with most recent works focusing on a Clinical Practice Guidance Statement and a Delphi consensus-based document for the physical therapist’s management of patient / clients with low bone mass, the acceptance/feasibility/reliability/validity of remote fall risk screening, value-based health care, the CDC’s STEADI algorithm, and telerehabilitation. Dr. Nithman has presented to national and international audiences on telerehabilitation, fall screening & prevention, interprofessional rehabilitation and prognostic tools, risk and strategic planning with business entity selection, high-fidelity simulation, technology in home healthcare, case management in prospective payment systems, predictive validity of admissions interviews, as well as critical thinking and debate-style learning.

Dr. Nithman is very engaged professionally. Notably, he is the current Chair of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) Geriatrics Specialty Council which oversees the Geriatrics Specialty Exam (GCS). He has served the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) as an item writer, coordinator, and was ultimately appointed to the National Physical Therapist Exam (NPTE) Development Committee. Dr Nithman is a former elected and founding Board member of American Council of Academic Physical Therapy’s (ACAPT) National Inter-Professional Education Consortium (NIPEC), and has recently been appointed by ACAPT to the newly formed Advocacy Committee where he represents DPT programs from CA and HI. Dr. Nithman is a member of the APTA’s Academies of Education, Geriatrics, and Health Policy & Administration along with a number of special interest groups.

View all Doctor of Physical Therapy faculty.

Publications

Hartley GW, Roach KE, Nithman RW, Betz SR, Lindsey C, Fuchs RK, Avin KG. “Physical therapist management of patients with suspected or confirmed osteoporosis: a clinical practice guideline from the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy.” J Geriatr Phys Ther. Vol 45 – Issue 2; April/June 2022, p E106-E119. doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000346

Avin KG, Nithman RW, Osborne R, Betz SR, Lindsey C, Hartley GW. “Essential components of physical therapist management of patients with osteoporosis: a Delphi study.” J Geriatr Phys Ther. Vol 45 – Issue 2; April/June 2022, p E120-E126. doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000347

Nithman RW. “The Attitudes and Beliefs About Telehealth Adoption Among Older Adults – a Randomized Control Study.” Innovation in Aging (PENDING)

Nithman RW, Vincenzo JL. “How Steady is the STEADI? Inferential Analysis of the CDC Fall Risk Toolkit.” Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Volume 83, July–August 2019, Pages 185-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2019.02.018

Nithman RW, Hill CJ, Cheng MS, Lee ACW. “The Use of a Telerehabilitation System for Fall Risk Screening.” ProQuest Dissertation Publishing. 2018; record number 10934144.

Nithman RW. Discharge Planning and Case Management, Chapter 30. Physical Therapy for the Older Adult: Examination and Intervention: An Evidence Based Approach by Carole B. Lewis; Wolters Kluwer Health. e-Book 2017.

Nithman RW, Spiegel, JJ, Lorello D. “The Effect of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Physical Therapy Simulation on Student Perceived Readiness for Clinical Education.” Journal of Acute Care Physical Therapy. 2016; 7(1), pages 16-24.

Nithman RW. “Gait Speed: An Interprofessional Tool to Guide Prognosis and Referral.” The Arizona Geriatrics Society Journal. 2015;(20)1: pages 3-6.

Nithman RW. “The Relationship Between Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion and Elderly Fall Risks.” The Arizona Geriatrics Society Journal. 2014;(19)1: pages 16-21.

Presentations

Nithman RW, Heitzman J, Horn L, Neely L, Kolodny R. Becoming a Change Agent: Academic Role in Teaching Advocacy to the Next Generation. Educational Session at the Educational Leadership Conference (ELC), American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), Milwaukee WI; October 2022.

Hartley GW, Avin KG, Nithman RW, Betz SR, Lindsey C. APTA Geriatrics Evidenced-Based Guidelines for Osteoporosis Educational Session American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting, San Antonio, TX; February 2022.

Nithman RW. Home Health Value-Based Payment (HHVBP) & Telerehabilitation: Remote Strategies for Improving Patient Function!  Invited Speaker, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) / OASIS Answers Live Webinar Event, July 2021.

Nithman RW. Telehealth Foundations: Applications Across Professions. Invited contributor in partnership with Harvard Medical Center / MGH Institute of Health Professions, July 2020.

Nithman RW. Telehealth and Distance Fall Screening: Reliability, Validity, and Acceptability of the CDC’s STEADI at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, IL; November 2019.  

Lee AC, Landers MR, Nithman RW, Chokshi A. Telehealth in the Tri- State. Invited Program Presentation at the Tri-State Physical Therapy Conference (California, Nevada, Arizona), Las Vegas, NV; October 2019.  

Nithman, RW. The Feasibility, Reliability, Validity, & Acceptability of Telehealth as a Fall Screening Tool. Symposium Presented at the Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA; November 2018. 

Vincenzo JL, Nithman RW, Patton SK, Gell N, Winwood M, Renfro M. Expanding Perspectives on the STEADI Toolkit: Adherence, Telehealth, & Education. Symposium Presented at the Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA; November 2018.

Nithman RW, Vincenzo JL. How Steady is the STEADI? Interferential Analysis of the CDC Fall Risk Toolkit, Program Presentation at the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM), American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), New Orleans, LA; February 2018.  

Brown D, Resnik C, Brown SK, Nithman RW, Ritzline P. Integrating and Assessing the New CAPTE Interprofessional Education Standards in the Clinic, Platform Presentation at the Educational Leadership Conference (ELC), American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), Phoenix, AZ; October 2016.  

Nithman RW, DeSoto J, Ellsworth R, Dankberg T, Garner G, Hardy E, Lueck L, Martin M. Mobility and Fall Risk Characteristics of Older Adults Residing in Assisted Living Facilities, Poster Presentation at the Exercise and Physical Activity in Aging Conference (ExPAAC II), Indianapolis, Indiana July 26-28, 2016.  

Nithman RW. Adoption of Telerehabilitation by Older Adults…the Validation of a Survey Instrument, Poster Presentation at the Telemedicine & Telehealth Service Provider Showcase, Phoenix, AZ June 21-22, 2016.

Resnik, C, Nithman RW, Kirsch N, Fitzsimmons A, Brown D. Preparing Students for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, Platform Presentation at the Educational Leadership Conference (ELC), American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), Baltimore, Maryland; October 4, 2015.   

Nithman RW, Spiegel, JJ, Lorello D. The Effect of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Physical Therapy Simulation on Student Perceived Readiness for Clinical Education, Platform Presentation at the Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association, Indianapolis, Indiana; February 6, 2015.

Turner DS, Potter P, Nithman RW, Gagnon K, Vreeman D, Wilkinson SG, Latz R. Technology Trends in Home Health Care, Program Presentation at the Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association, Indianapolis, Indiana; February 5, 2015.

Nithman RW. Quantification of Debate-style Learning, Presentation at the 34th International Conference on Critical Thinking and Educational Reform, Berkley CA; July 2014.

Nithman RW. The Relationship between Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion and Elderly Fall Risks in patients with Dementia. Poster Presentation at the 16th Annual Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium Conference, Mesa, AZ; June, 2014.

Lee A, Billings M, Elrod M, Greenfield B, Loehne H, Nithman RW, Russell T, Stout KA. Are You Ready for Telehealth? Best Lessons of Innovation and Integration from Models of Care, Program Presentation at the Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association, San Diego CA; January, 2013.