Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS

Martha Acosta, Ph.D., received her 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, she went on to pursue a masters degree in Healthcare Administration from Southwest Texas State University. She was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Preventive Medicine and Community Health (Rehabilitation Sciences).

She has worked in a variety of settings including acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient, long-term care, skilled nursing facilities, psychiatric hospital and home health. With approximately 35 years of clinical practice, she brings an abundance of expertise and clinical application to the academic setting to enhance student learning of clinical concepts. She has taught previously at the University of Texas at El Paso where the focus of her teaching responsibilities included management of the adult patient with neurological impairments. She also taught Management of Health Care Systems for Physical Therapists as well as Geriatric Elective courses and Hippotherapy.

She was awarded her clinical specialist certification by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GCS). Subsequently, she served as the Item Writer Coordinator supervising the item writers and Content Experts who generate items for the Geriatric board certification exam. She then served as the Chairman of the Geriatric Council. For the upcoming year she will serve as the MOSC (Maintenance of Specialization and Certification) liaison for the Geriatric Council.

Her 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 her teaching philosophy, she strives 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.

She was awarded her clinical specialist certification by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GCS). Subsequently, she was appointed by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) to serve as an item writer for the APTA’s Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy, followed by service as Item Writer Coordinator, mentoring new item writers.  That was followed by appointment as Content Expert for the Geriatric Academy. Additional appointments to the Geriatric Council of ABPTS included roles as Chairman of the Geriatric Academy and MOSC (Maintenance of Specialization and Certification) liaison.

Her current responsibilities include teaching clinical foundation skills to first-year physical therapy students and topics related to aging across the lifespan for third-year physical therapy students. With regards to her teaching philosophy, she strives to inspire students to actively seek out new evidence for better decision-making, empower students to feel ownership of professionalism and lead by example as students learn to value their role as a qualified, competent healthcare provider.

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2007 - PhD - Biomedical Sciences - University of Texas Medical Branch
  • 1991 - Master of Science - Health Professions - Southwest Texas State University
  • 1973 - Bachelor of Science - Physical Therapy - University of Texas Medical Branch
  • 1972 - Bachelor of Science - Pre-Medicine - University of Southwestern Louisiana

  Training

  • 1973 - Bachelor of Science - Physical Therapy - University of Texas Medical Branch

  Appointments

  • 9/2019 - Associate Professor - UT Health, Physical Therapy, San Antonio

• Instruction & Training

  • 1/2010 - Present, Human Development Across the Lifespan, The University of Texas Health Science Center
  • 5/2009 - Present, Management of the Complex Patient, The University of Texas Health Science Center
  • 1/2008 - Present, Clinical Foundations II, The University of Texas Health Science Center
  • 8/2007 - Present, Clinical Foundations I, The University of Texas Health Science Center

• Publications

  Book Chapter

  Acosta, Martha
  Piernik-Yoder, Bridgett
  Clegg, Autumn
  Lehman, Cheryl. Technology and Adaptive Equipment in the Rehabilitation Setting. In: Lehman, Cheryl (editor)
  . The Specialty Practice of Rehabilitation Nursing. Chicago, IL: Association of Rehabilitation Nurses; 2015. p. 165-196.

  Journal Article

  Gibbs KA, Rohde RE, Sanders B, Acosta M, Wild DL. Staphylococcus and MRSA Prevalence on Laboratory Plinths in Physical Therapist Education Programs: Are Students at Risk? Journal of Physical Therapy Education 2018 Jan;32(1):66-69.