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Dr. Russ L'HommeDieuDoctor of Physical Therapy, Educator, Speaker, Consultant
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Russ L'HommeDieu
MAPT, DPT, ATP  |  EdD Candidate  |  C-AAIS
6312 Lake Sunrise Drive, Apollo Beach, FL 33572
(813) 867-3372
docrusspt@gmail.com

Education

2027 est.
Doctor of Education (EdD), Health Education & LeadershipNebraska Methodist College, Omaha, NE · GPA 4.0
2006
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)Touro College, Bayshore, NY
1990
Master of Arts in Physical Therapy (MAPT)Touro College, Melville, NYDistinguished Student Award
1989
B.S. Health ScienceTouro College, Melville, NY
2026
Higher Education Teaching CertificateHarvard University, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

Academic Appointments

Adjunct Faculty, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
2023–Present
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
  • Taught wound care, physical modalities, musculoskeletal assessment, and biomechanics.
  • Supported course design, student assessment, and professional development initiatives.
Adjunct Faculty, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
2023–2025
Nova Southeastern University, Tampa, FL
  • Co-developed and co-led the Patient Care I course within the DPT curriculum.
  • Created and hosted the Nova Innovations podcast, interviewing leading innovators in physical therapy.
  • Instructed in musculoskeletal/orthopedic assessment, biomechanics, acute care, patient safety, home safety assessment, technology in healthcare, and lifestyle medicine.
  • Delivered hybrid learning experiences: classroom, immersive lab, and distance education modalities.
  • Conducted student assessments including written and practical exams, case studies, and video assignments.
  • Provided academic feedback aligned with CAPTE accreditation standards.
  • Led the NSU Tampa Bay DPT "Patient Experience" weekend, an immersive in-person lab intensive bringing real patients to campus for hands-on clinical skill application in Neuromuscular Physical Therapy.
Per Diem Instructor, Physical Therapy Program
1992–2008
Touro College, Melville, NY
  • Taught Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, and Therapeutic Exercise.
  • Served as clinical instructor and education coordinator through VA medical center partnerships.

Doctoral Scholarly Project

Doctoral Scholarly Project · Nebraska Methodist College · In Progress
The Effect of a 30-Day Loving-Kindness Meditation Program on Burnout, Self-Compassion, and Job Satisfaction Among Rehabilitation Therapists in a Skilled Nursing Facility
This project implements and evaluates a 30-day Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) program among physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists in a skilled nursing facility. Using a single-group pre-test/post-test design with three-month follow-up, the study assesses changes in burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory). The project extends recent randomized controlled trial findings on LKM with ICU nurses to the rehabilitation therapy population, offering a practical, high leverage, scalable, low-cost intervention model aligned with the U.S. Surgeon General's 2022 Advisory on Health Worker Burnout.
Additional Research Interests

Creating fall risk predictive analytics using micro-Doppler based fall detection, IoT-enabled mobility devices, and machine learning.

Exploring how the Mentor Mindset (high expectations with high support) can transform feedback and student growth in hybrid DPT education.

Understanding the evolving role of AI in hybrid education to improve teaching, student assessment, mentorship, inquiry, and human connection.

Animal-assisted interventions as adjunctive tools in healthcare education and patient rehabilitation settings.

Professional Experience

Founder & CEO
2022–Present
Practical Innovations, Tampa Bay, FL
Healthcare technology and education consulting practice specializing in product development, market strategy, government (VA) business development, predictive analytics, and educational content development.
WellAware Care · Clinical Innovation & Education
Lead technology adoption strategy for AI-powered remote monitoring and predictive analytics systems; design modular training (videos, micro-learnings, workshops) for executives, managers, and frontline staff.
Nuvio Mobility · Clinical Mobility Specialist & Consultant
Provide clinical education for smart mobility technology; translate complex AI features into accessible learning materials for diverse stakeholders. Product development on novel mobility assessment platform with predictive analytics capability.
Cybercare Enterprises · Healthcare Technology Consultant
Advise on VA business strategy, product development, and micro-learning content for technology launches.
Cornell Tech Product Studio · Clinical Advisor
Guided students through end-to-end product development including ideation, validation, and de-risking of an AI solution for clinical documentation. Provided strategic and technical input on Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications in healthcare.
Per Diem Physical Therapist
2022–Present
Multiple Tampa Bay clinical sites
Maintain active clinical practice across acute rehabilitation, long-term care, and outpatient settings; documentation meets Medicare and Joint Commission standards.
Florida Rehabilitation Hospital at Tampa · Temple Terrace, FL
Evidence-based PT in acute inpatient rehabilitation for neurological, orthopedic, and medically complex patients; interdisciplinary team collaboration in a CARF-accredited inpatient rehab setting.
Westminster Suncoast · St. Petersburg, FL
Evaluations and treatment across long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation, and outpatient settings within a Life Plan Community.
Plaza West Health Center · Sun City Center, FL
Per diem PT services in a skilled nursing and rehabilitation setting serving a senior-focused active retirement community.
Owner / CEO
1995–Present
Northeast Restorative Physical & Occupational Therapy Services PLLC, Aquebogue, NY
  • Founded and manage a rehabilitation staffing and department implementation company serving sub-acute and long-term care facilities.
Home Safety Coordinator, PM&R & Home-Based Primary Care
2011–2021
Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), Northport, NY
  • Directed home safety and fall prevention initiatives across the medical center and four CBOCs serving all of Long Island.
  • Pioneered a program integrating consumer technologies (Alexa, sensors, automated lighting) into veteran home safety programs.
  • Initiated research on advanced fall detection technologies as an extension of the safety improvement program.
Founder & Program Developer
2007–2020
The Betterness Institute, National (Remote & In-Person)
  • Founded a wellness and behavior-change platform; developed and published Lose Weight for Good®, a nationally recognized weight-loss program.
  • Developed I Love You To Health, a program designed to help couples get healthier together.
  • Authored dozens of articles on lifestyle medicine, weight loss, and relational health (WLS Lifestyles Magazine, Healthy Exchange/WCBS).
  • Built an innovative physical therapy and lifestyle medicine office model with dedicated coaching space, group exercise including yoga and tai chi, and a demonstration kitchen.
Founding Consultant
2010–2011
Net Claims Now (NCN), netclaimsnow.com
  • Served as founding consultant to NCN, a SaaS startup serving the property restoration industry. The company has since grown to 250+ team members and 500+ clients nationally.
  • Advised on corporate structure and entity formation.
  • Conceptualized the virtual office UI for the contractor-facing workflow on a proprietary platform built from scratch.
  • Developed initial marketing strategy and built the company's education arm, producing structured content and onboarding curriculum for restoration contractors.
Director of Sports Rehabilitation
1997–2001
Eastern Long Island Hospital, Southold, NY
Founder / CEO, Peconic Therapeutics
1993–1997
Peconic, NY Orthopedic physical therapy private practice; sold to Eastern Long Island Hospital
Staff Physical Therapist
1990–1993
Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, NY
  • Varied clinical caseload; clinical instructor; coordinator of PT career exploration program; co-coordinator of education for the Northeast Regional Medical Center.

Publications & Scholarship

In Progress · 2026
L'HommeDieu, R. The Effect of a 30-Day Loving-Kindness Meditation Program on Burnout, Self-Compassion, and Job Satisfaction Among Rehabilitation Therapists in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Doctoral Scholarly Project, Nebraska Methodist College.
1990
L'HommeDieu, R. The effects of spontaneous visual and verbal training versus verbal training alone on posture in Parkinson's disease. Touro College. (Unpublished master's thesis)
2013
L'HommeDieu, R. (2013). Lose Weight for Good!®: Re-Train Your Brain and Never Have to Diet Again. Lulu Press, 192 pp. Companion print journals (Two-Week Journal; One-Week Journal; Lulu Press, 2016). Behavior-change program applying brain science, accelerated learning, and habit-formation principles to sustainable weight loss; grounded in the author's sustained 200+ pound weight loss. Core methods include habit stacking through the Betterness coaching system, radical self-honesty in eating behavior, and motivation through personal mission and energy management.
2007–2017
L'HommeDieu, R. Lose Weight for Good, Operating Systems Update (www.loseweightforgood.org). Companion to the Lose Weight for Good behavior-change framework, free for general audiences.
2007–2017
Published articles on lifestyle medicine, weight management, and integrative wellness in WLS Lifestyles Magazine and Healthy Exchange (WCBS NY).
2013–2017
L'HommeDieu, R. Jack and Jeannie comic strip. Serial publication on Facebook (facebook.com/JackandJeannie).
2023–Present
Co-Author, The Adventures of Daisy children's book series (with Karen L'HommeDieu, LMSW). Three Paws Publishing. Teaches emotional regulation and social-emotional learning. Currently implemented in multiple elementary schools including Belmont Elementary and Edison Elementary. threepawspublishing.com

Digital Platforms & Projects

Occupational Distress Syndrome (ODS)
occupationaldistresssyndrome.com
Public scholarship platform presenting the ODS framework, grounded in Ryff's eudaimonic well-being model, addressing occupational distress among healthcare workers.
C.O.R.E. Framework
coreframework.org
Instructional design framework (Concise, Organized, Relevant, Engaging, Synthesize) with companion teaching and research statements for academic faculty.
Compassion Solution
compassionsolution.org
Synthesis of peer-reviewed evidence on compassion in healthcare, extending the work of Trzeciak and Mazzarelli to rehabilitation and SNF contexts.
Compassion Clinic
compassionclinic.app
Interactive web application supporting compassion cultivation training and self-assessment for healthcare clinicians.
Data Walker
datawalker.app
Proof-of-concept device demonstrating that a clinically relevant tool for measuring gait distance and walking speed can be developed using readily available hardware combined with innovative yet straightforward programming.
Practical Innovations Academy
practicalinnovations.academy
Learning management system built on Backward Design instructional methodology, with AI-coached Apply and Reflect modules, structured Unit/Module/Section architecture, and certificate programs with continuing education units (CEUs).
Full Documentation
Three Paws Publishing
threepawspublishing.com
Independent children's book imprint co-founded with Karen L'HommeDieu, LMSW; publishes SEL-aligned titles featuring Daisy, a three-legged rescue dog.

Professional Speaking

Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation"From Empathy to Compassion: Combating Burnout Through Sustainable Caring," a 3-hour workshop for 140 managers
Harvard Institute of Lifestyle MedicineActive Lives Conference, lifestyle medicine and behavior change
Harvard Medical SchoolPractical Approaches to the Treatment of Obesity, Patient Panel
U.S. Veterans AdministrationMOVE Program, weight management and behavior change
Hillsborough County SchoolsPresentations to social workers on The Adventures of Daisy SEL curriculum
WLIU / NPR 88.3 FMRadio essayist
WCBS RadioExpert commentator, Integrative Medicine
APTA Acute Care AcademyInvited presentation to acute care physical therapy clinicians
Topics include: compassion vs. empathy, burnout prevention, patient safety, fall prevention, clinical education, lifestyle medicine, behavior change, humor in medicine, animal-assisted intervention, communication in healthcare, and organizational team building.

Additional Accomplishments

  • Earned RESNA Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification, passing the ATP exam in September 2026.
  • Completed Harvard Derek Bok Center Higher Education Teaching Certificate (99% grade).
  • Earned Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist (C-AAIS) credential through AAAIP.
  • Completed Stanford University 8-Week Compassion Cultivation Training Program.
  • Taught sailing to differently abled and non-disabled youth and adults; adaptive sports program (VA): kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing.
  • Long-Distance Kayaker. Celebrated a 200-lb weight loss 10th anniversary by kayaking 270 miles around Long Island in 8.5 days (2013). Watch on YouTube.
  • Experience as a stand-up comic and member of improv comedy troupes; taught improv comedy to business professionals and couples to improve listening and communication.
  • Founding member of The Humor Practice, providing educational programs to health professionals on appropriate use of humor in medicine (1999–2012).
  • Founded and operated multiple non-clinical entrepreneurial ventures across specialty manufacturing and retail/food service industries.
  • New York State Volunteer EMT-D, Suffolk County fire departments (1989–2014).

References available upon request   Russ L'HommeDieu, MAPT, DPT, ATP

Updated September 2026