Dr. Kenneth Harwood is Director of the Health Care Quality Program and Director of Research for the Program in Physical Therapy at The George Washington University. Prior to his being at The George Washington University, he was the Vice President of Practice and Education for the American Physical Therapy Association where he oversaw Association efforts and activities designed to improve and enhance the state of physical therapy education and practice. Dr. Harwood has held academic positions at Columbia University, New York University and SUNY, Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn. He earned his bachelor’s in Physical Therapy from the State University of New York at Downstate Medical Center and his master’s and PhD degrees from New York University’s Biomechanics and Ergonomics Program. He has published and presented nationally and internationally in the area of physical therapy, occupational health, low back pain care and prevention, safe patient handling and movement, health care policy and quality, and leadership. In this interview, Dr. Harwood discusses his study of the benefits of direct access to physical therapy and the effects that direct access has on health care costs, emergency department visits, and opioid use.
