Stephanie Woelfel has spent her career focused on wounds and other ways to improve physical therapy.

BY KATHARINE GAMMON

STEPHANIE WOELFEL HAS BEEN SELECTED to serve on the American Medical Association’s Health Care Professional Advisory Committee.

With 26 years’ experience, the associate professor of clinical physical therapy says she feels a pull to help the larger profession thrive. The committee provides input on procedure coding and nomenclature, making sure that the code set accurately reflects the services provided.  “I think that it’s important to have physical therapy as a strong voice in these types of conversations,” Woelfel said.

She first heard about the opportunity through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), which made a call for an advisor to serve on the advisory committee. She was curious about it, so she asked for more information — and APTA ended up recommending her for the position.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” she said, “because it really gives me an opportunity to advocate for the physical therapy profession on a national level.”

Woelfel will start as an alternate, giving her a year to “learn the ropes.” Afterward, the position requires at least a three-year commitment, with a handful of in-person meetings every year.

Giving Back to the Profession

The role will also positively impact the students she teaches at USC, Woelfel said. “We are one of the top programs in the country, so for me, as a faculty member, to be serving in this capacity, it helps us stay at the forefront and teach our students the absolute latest and greatest and most current.”

Woelfel was inspired to become a physical therapist after a tennis injury sidelined her during high school. Her career path eventually led her to specialize in wound care management, earning certifications and establishing a wound management physical therapy residency program at USC.

Her goal on the committee is to improve physical therapy coding and reimbursement practices, aiming for clear and effective future codes. One of her passions is making sure that therapists are paid for the work they do providing patient care.

It’s not the first time Woelfel has served her community. In 2022, she was elected to the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel Board of Directors.

“To me, it’s just another way of paying it forward,” she says about her new role. “I’ve learned a lot over my career, and I feel like the knowledge and the skill set that I have now allows me to give back.”