Sean Griech ’11 Awarded Ph.D. for Research in Social Determinants of Health
Sean Griech ’11 (Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program) has earned his Ph.D. from Alvernia University with his dissertation entitled, “The Role of Ethical Leadership in the Clinical Decision Making of Physical Therapists in Caring for Patients of Differing Socioeconomic Status and Race with Low Back Pain in the United States.” Portions of his research have been published in both the Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal and the Health Policy & Administration-Physical Therapy Journal (HPA section), as well as presented at both regional and national physical therapy meetings.
Dr. Griech has long been an esteemed member of the Shenandoah University family. Having earned his post-professional DPT degree at SU in 2011, he was quickly approached to come aboard as a capstone mentor for the TDPT program. He is widely recognized by faculty members and students for his expertise in orthopedic practice and dedication to fostering advanced clinical thinking and professional development in the students he mentors. Griech holds the position of Assistant Professor for the DeSales University entry-level DPT program and has recently joined the TDPT program as an adjunct faculty member, teaching a course in Differential Examination and Diagnosis in PT Practice. His contributions continue to help the practicing PT advance their evidence-based approach to patient management.
Griech’s research in social determinants of health (SDOH) is an ever-emerging area of concern and focus for PT practice, with his work specifically aimed to link the ethical underpinnings of practitioners’ obligation to not only screen for SDOH, but the need to address them. There is a great deal of research evidence about the harm caused by SDOH, but less is known about who should screen, identify, & deliver programs to reduce these harms, whether it’s individually or at the societal level. This mindset aligns with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) mission and vision statements of “transforming society.”
