Geriatric PT Residency Program
Siskin Hospital & University of Tennessee Chattanooga
Siskin Hospital and UT Chattanooga’s Geriatric PT Residency program prepares therapists to provide our neurologic patients with the highest standard of care. Using the most current evidence-based practices achieves better outcomes and improves patient satisfaction with the therapy services they receive.
Program Mission
The Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation and UT Chattanooga DPT Program’s Geriatric Residency program will provide advanced education, mentorship, and clinical experience through diverse and varied opportunities to clinicians seeking to become specialists in the field of Geriatric Physical Therapy. By committing to continuous improvement, our program aims to educate residents to provide specialized care and advocate for the well-being of geriatric patients in the Greater Chattanooga area.
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The resident will provide patient care as a part of our outpatient clinical staff with a focus on patients that present with geriatric conditions listed in the Description of Specialty Practice and Description of Residency Practice (DRP). They will participate weekly in four hours of scheduled mentored treatment time, two hours of preparation to create an outline for patient treatments during mentored hours and weekly goals and four hours per week of didactic experiences (competencies, planning presentations, development of case study/research, online coursework).
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Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation uses the program developed by MedBridge as the main didactic component of the program. The curriculum includes online educational modules developed to provide education on the items identified in the Description of Residency Practice and Description of Specialty Practice; multiple practice examinations; and various onsite learning experiences with Siskin Hospital and UT Chattanooga. The facility will cover the cost of the online curriculum, but all travel expenses for any off-site weekend courses will be covered by the resident. Included in the online curriculum is content that focuses on the most current evidence-based practice, integration of knowledge into practice, leadership, statistics and critical inquiry, and information on geriatric conditions listed in the primary health conditions chart in the DRP. It will also provide at least one practice examination, which will be completed in preparation for the GCS Examination.
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The resident will have the opportunity to shadow a PT/OT team in specialty movement clinics and area hospitals (ALS, and HD).
Acute Care Simulation Lab (UTC)
MBSS shadowing experience
Botox/Dysport shadowing experience
Serial Casting Lab
Seating and Positioning Lab
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The resident will complete an educational presentation on the topic of their choice to a local organization (i.e. Support groups for Brain Injury, Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Spinal Cord Injury, Multiple Sclerosis). The resident will be required to attend one meeting for each local support group. The resident will assist in facilitating lectures/labs in the geriatric coursework with the UT Chattanooga DPT program.
The resident will complete an on-site lunch-and-learn presentation on a topic of their choice to provide education to other clinicians or support staff.
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Research is important to the growth and development of the field of physical therapy. Siskin Hospital promotes research by requiring the resident to conduct a case study during their residency. The resident will identify a case subject during their first clinical experience in order to complete a case report by the completion of the residency program.
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An external candidate resident will be paid a rate equivalent to an entry-level physical therapist salary at the facility. Internal candidates will maintain their current salary and benefits.
The resident will be offered benefits of a full-time employee including health insurance coverage and PTO, and will be on a one-year contract.
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Program development underway as of January 2025.
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Jody Nix, MBA,
Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Administrative Officer
Kyle Binkley, PT, DPT, GCS
Director of Outpatient Therapy
Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinical Mentor
Matt Annessi, PT, DPT, NCS
Program Director
Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinical Mentor
Stephanie Eton, PT, DPT, GCS
Program Coordinator, UT Chattanooga Liaison
Application Process
Acceptance to the program will be based on the candidate’s ability to provide exceptional patient-centered care, advanced critical thinking skills, and dedication to continued learning and clinical growth. Qualified applicants will have demonstrated professional investment and development through research exposure, evidence-based practice and leadership opportunities. Flexibility, time management and communication skills are highly valued, as is the versatility to work in varying environments with a multidisciplinary team.
In-person interviews are required.
We will not sponsor Visas for international applicants.
Please submit two letters of recommendation via mailing address listed below. Supplemental content (resume/CV/cover letter) can be emailed directly to the program director.
Submit application to geriatricresidencyprogram@siskinrehab.org
Please submit:
Resume, cover letter, and CV
Two Letters of Recommendation
Send to:
Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation
Geriatric Residency Program
Attn: Matt Annessi, Program Director
1 Siskin Plaza
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Program Duration: 12 months
Accreditation: Under development status as of January 2025
Application period: December 1, 2024 - March 1, 2025
On-site Interview Date: TBD
Admission decision: Following completion of review of candidates and interviews
Program start: July 28, 2025
Online curriculum begins: June 2025
Prerequisites: The applicant must be a graduate from an accredited physical therapy program, have a valid Tennessee physical therapist license, or acquire license prior to residency start date.
The program director may be contacted for further information at: geriatricresidencyprogram@siskinrehab.org or mannessi@siskinrehab.org