MGH Department of Physical Therapy



		Jackie Mulgrew, PT, CCS Clinical Specialist, Inpatient Service I have been a practicing physical therapist for 15 years and I worked in four different hospitals prior to my move to MGH. As a staff person when I came here, I was extremely impressed with the diversity of the years of experience amongst the inpatient and outpatient staff. Read more...



		Marie Brownrigg, PT, MS Clinical Specialist, Outpatient Service I love my patients and my work out in the community. This is what being a Physical Therapist at the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center means to me. I was studying for my Master’s degree in Physical Therapy at the MGH Institute of Health Professions when I started working with MGH’s PT group as part of a hip fracture study. Read more...



		Elizabeth Cole, PT, CLT-LANA Senior Physical Therapist, Outpatient Service Opportunity is what drew me to MGH—new opportunities to learn and grow, to participate in the treatment of patients with challenging and complex medical problems, to pursue my passion for helping others, to expand and share my knowledge with experts in their fields. I was an experienced professional when I came to MGH three years ago. I had trained as a Physical Therapist in England and practiced both in England and Switzerland. In 1982 I came to the US, took and passed my Massachusetts PT license exam and worked in private practice while my children were still at home. As the children moved on in their own careers, I was ready for new career challenges and growth myself. I was ready for MGH. As a large teaching hospital, MGH offered a huge range of outpatient opportunities to work with patients with more unusual conditions than you might encounter in a community-based setting. It offered continuing education, access to the latest in medical technologies and research…opportunities to expand and improve my extensive orthopaedic knowledge and skills…opportunities for professional affiliation, recognition, advancement and more. I liked the exciting in-services the hospital provided, the collaborative teamwork, active involvement in medical decision-making and shared commitment to the best in evidence-based patient care. At MGH, I found that a whole new world existed. I found a plan for learning presented in an individual, personalized way. I took advantage of the opportunity for training and achieved certification in lymphedema therapy. In addition to excellent instruction and clinical resources, MGH gave me an accelerated chance to utilize my new skills in practice with patients with lymphedema. With my manager’s encouragement and support, I accepted an invitation to apply for recognition as an Advanced Clinician through the Clinical Recognition Program. The cornerstone of MGH’s Patient Care Services’ professional development program, CRP is unique nationwide. It invites you to reflect upon the ways in which you treat your patients and to evaluate how effective your methods are. You then have the opportunity to explain to others how your ideas worked in a specific situation. In order to apply for the clinical recognition program, the applicant prepares a portfolio that includes peer letters of support, a resume and a narrative relating to one example of your current practice. CRP is designed to recognize and support excellence in patient care. It provides a rewarding path to professional growth and recognition. Today, I am a Senior Outpatient Therapist at the MGH West site in Waltham. One of five satellites in the Greater Boston area, the expanding MGH West practice provides outpatient therapies in all orthopaedic specialties. We’ve grown from one full-time therapist to three full-time therapists, one part-time clinical specialist and an aide in the past three years. In June there will be space to grow to twelve therapists. Being at MGH can be a little overwhelming initially, but staff members are extremely friendly and helpful. Case presentations are one way our staff interacts as a whole. Together we have opportunities to share and discuss ideas with our colleagues…to learn from each other’s patients and specialties. MGH also offers opportunities to consult with colleagues for patient care to contribute one’s own expertise. For me, MGH offers the opportunity to use my skills in consultation for patients who are pregnant or young mothers and patients who have some edema. It’s my opportunity to “give back” to the MGH healthcare community. What else do I like about being at MGH? I like walking into the hospital—the hustle, the mix of patients and staff as you walk into the main entrance, the background smell of fresh brewed coffee from the “Coffee Central”...the many ways we are supported in our work both within the PT services and the hospital as a whole. And if asked what I say to a potential candidate for MGH’s PT program? I say, “Go for it!” The opportunities are wonderful. Whether you are a new graduate or an established professional when you join us, MGH will help you reach your highest goals.



		Edgar (Garth) Savidge, PT, MSPT, DPT Senior Physical Therapist, Outpatient Service Ask me what first drew me to MGH and I’d say it was the hospital’s strong reputation for quality patient care and the in-depth knowledge of its medical team. MGH seemed like a good place to jumpstart my career. Read more...



		Jennifer Miraglia, PT, MSPT Physical Therapist, Inpatient Service Fresh out of school, my professional career began with the challenging and exciting task of finding a position as a physical therapist. Throughout the interview process and when first starting my new job, I was extremely apprehensive about not knowing everything. In the brief time that I have been at the Massachusetts General Hospital, I have come to learn that not having all of the answers is not such a "roadblock." Read more...