Healthcare Heroes at Stony Brook Medicine: Jennifer Reinhardt

“I grew up dancing. I performed from four years old all the way through my twenties. I always loved movement and the human body. When I was 16, I hurt my knee pretty badly and had to stop dancing for a while. My doctor put me in physical therapy, and that was when I first learned about PT. Over time, I learned that there were so many things you could do in the field, and that really interested me. Looking back, though, I’m not surprised I ended up in healthcare. Not only was my Mom a nurse, but I also volunteered at a hospital, and I loved it. Plus, I was always very good in science class, so that didn’t hurt!

I’ve been at Stony Brook for 11 years now. I love being at a large hospital - especially one that is a Level 1 Trauma Center. I did home care for a while, but I missed the hospital setting. I really enjoy the acuity and working with patients who are more critically ill. And the camaraderie and teamwork here are unmatched. We also collaborate with other teams quite often, such as Social Work and Care Management, and that’s something I really enjoy, as well – working together to help our patients as best as we can.

As physical therapists, we work as a team to make sure our patients stay mobile. We work with babies in the NICU all the way through to geriatrics. And for the past five years, I’ve been on the cardiothoracic service, working with patients who have had open heart and other vascular surgeries. It’s critical for patients who are very sick to get moving asap so they don’t lose the strength that they do have and to regain the strength that they once had. I find it so rewarding to be involved in the first steps of a patient’s recovery.”

-Jennifer Reinhardt, MS, PT (Senior Physical TherapistPhysical and Occupational TherapyStony Brook University Hospital)