Author Bios

Chris Petrosino, PT, PhD

Dr. Chris Petrosino, PT, PhD is Chair of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences at Sacred Heart University. He is the Director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and oversees programs in athletic training, exercise science, and post-professional residency education. Chris has been actively engaged in occupational health since 1990 and has extensive experience in program development, delivery of injury prevention programs, and therapy services for large employers. He has successfully designed and implemented a full scope of direct-to-employer services, as a Manager of Industrial Medicine in his early career, and continues to provide consulting services to employers, providers, and clinicians for over 26 years. Chris is a passionate advocate for direct-to-employer services as a future frontier for physical therapist practice. He is energized by educating occupational health clinicians on services to meet the needs of employers and create a healthy community.

Alison B. Helmetsie, PT, DPT, OCS

Dr. Alison Helmetsie PT, DPT, OCS received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree from Ithaca College in 2007 and transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Temple University in 2014. She is currently enrolled in a PhD program in Systems Science / Ergonomics in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science at Binghamton University (State University of NY). She is board-certified in Orthopaedics by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, and she has taken extensive continuing education courses in ergonomics, functional job analysis, and worksite therapy services for the industrial setting. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, Occupational Health Special Interest Group, and APTA New York Chapter. She has practiced in several outpatient orthopaedic PT clinics since 2007 and has provided on-site services for a variety of industrial clients since 2009. She is currently employed as a physical therapist for the Occupational Health section of Guthrie Medical Group, PC, in Ithaca, NY, and as an instructor in Ithaca College’s DPT program.

Gwen Simons, Esq, PT, OCS, FAAOMPT

Gwen Simons, Esq, PT, OCS, FAAOMPT is a health care attorney at Simons & Associates Law in Maine. She is also an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist and a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. In her law practice, Gwen works with private practitioners on practice management and compliance issues. She has advised PTs on how to develop ADA, GINA and FMLA compliant consulting services, including post-offer screenings and employer-sponsored wellness programs. As a PT in the past, Gwen consulted with numerous companies on injury prevention and performed job analyses. She still provides functional capacity and PT examinations as an expert witness in personal injury, workers’ compensation and disability cases. She has authored several publications on legal issues in functional capacity evaluations and post-offer screenings. Gwen has also been a strong advocate for physical therapy practice, serving as President of the Kentucky and Maine Chapters in the past and lobbyist for the Maine Chapter currently.

Drew Snyder, PT, DPT, Esq

Drew Snyder, PT, DPT, JD is a corporate attorney with a focus on commercial contracting, regulatory compliance, and government relations. After graduating with his DPT from Youngstown State University in 2017, he attended Case Western Reserve University School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor degree with a concentration in Health Law. Drew is an APTA and OHSIG member where he currently serves as the Vice Chair of the OHSIG Practice Committee.

Richard Wickstrom, PT, DPT, CPE, CME

Dr. Rick Wickstrom, PT, DPT, CPE, CME is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Professional Ergonomist, and Certified Medical Examiner. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the Ohio State University, completed graduate coursework in occupational ergonomics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and obtained his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Alabama State University. As President and owner of WorkAbility Systems and WorkerFIT, Dr. Wickstrom has consulted in occupational health and ergonomics for over 30 years. He has published many articles and technical papers related to functional capacity evaluation, work disability prevention and ergonomics. He regularly testifies as an expert on matters concerning the extent of physical disability, job analysis, fitness-for-duty and job accommodation. His diverse clinical practice includes transitional work-site therapy, functional capacity evaluation, worker accommodation studies, ergonomic job analysis, development of worker fitness screening and transitional work programs, product design, research, and training. Dr. Wickstrom has dedicated his career to preparing employers and occupational health professionals with skills and tools needed to assess job demands, evaluate worker fitness-for-duty, resolve worker performance barriers, and promote physical wellness. He currently serves as AOPT President of the Occupational Health SIG in the American Physical Therapy Association and as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Chapter of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP).

Steve Allison, PT, DPT, CME

Dr. Steve Allison, PT, DPT, CME is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and he currently serves as the chief executive officer of Functional Capacity Experts, LLC and Disability Management Group, LLC located in Bossier City, Louisiana. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Louisiana State University Medical Center in 1993, a Master of Health Sciences degree in Physical Therapy from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in 1998, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences in 2007. He was an ABPTS board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist from May 2002 to May 2022, and he has been listed on the National Registry of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as a Certified Medical Examiner qualified to perform U.S. Department of Transportation physical examinations to determine fitness for duty of commercial truck/bus drivers since 2015. He was the lead author of Current Concepts in Functional Capacity Evaluation: A Best Practices Guideline adopted by the American Physical Therapy Association in 2018, and he has authored and/or contributed to numerous other articles related to FCEs, job analysis, and occupational health PT practice. Dr. Allison has been accepted as an expert witness in various Federal, State, and Workers’ compensation court jurisdictions in the areas of orthopedic physical therapy, functional capacity evaluations, and job analyses. He currently serves as the OHSIG Vice-President/Education Chair of the AOPT and serves on the Board of Directors for the Rehabilitation and Disability Case Management Section of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP).