The Henry O. and Florence P. Kendall Practice Award honors individuals who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to physical therapy practice.  

BY JOHN HOBBS MA ’14

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL PHYSICAL THERAPY STEPHANIE WOELFEL has earned a Henry O. and Florence P. Kendall Practice Award from the American Physical Therapy Association for her work primarily in the specialty of wound care management. 

The award is meant to acknowledge individuals who have made outstanding and enduring contributions to the practice of physical therapy.

“Dr. Woelfel’s vision is to leave the profession better than she found it,” said Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy Jennifer Tanaka in her nomination letter. “She continues to ‘pay it forward’ through guidance and mentorship to eager students and ambitious clinicians as she had once received as a novice clinician.”

Nominees must demonstrate accomplishments in four major areas including:

• Their effect on shape, scope and quality of physical therapy practice
• Their effect on other physical therapists’ ability to practice
• Their effect on the development of physical therapy as a caring profession 
• Quality and quantity of contributions to the APTA

Woelfel began her physical therapy career in 1999 after earning a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marquette University. She went on to earn a doctor of physical therapy degree from the College of Saint Scholastica. 

In 2013, she joined USC’s faculty, where today she serves as an associate professor of clinical physical therapy. Woelfel, a wound care physical therapist, has a dual appointment within the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.  

Advancing the scope and quality of physical therapy practice

At USC Physical Therapy’s clinics within Keck, Woelfel leads a team of physical therapists spanning both the inpatient and outpatient settings.    

She has worked tirelessly to advocate for the role of physical therapists in the field of wound care management, striking up partnerships with physicians and serving as the first physical therapist in Keck’s limb salvage clinic, where wound care physical therapists work alongside podiatric and vascular physicians in an interdisciplinary wound clinic. 

“Dr. Woelfel has developed a powerful alliance with medical physicians,” Tanaka said. “This partnership has enabled her to herald physical therapy expertise and reveal how patient care is enhanced when [it’s] added to the patient’s plan of care.”

She has also overseen the development and accreditation of the USC Wound Management Physical Therapy Residency, the nation’s third such residency.

Empowering other physical therapists

Outside of USC, Woelfel has served in various capacities within the APTA’s Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management (ACEWM), culminating with her current role as president.

“Stephanie is well-respected, leading with integrity, compassion and altruism” says ACEWM Vice President Pamela G. Unger. “She brings passion for success, her understanding of the APTA mission and values, and her ‘be better’ leadership style to the Academy, encouraging the executive team to engage in what is best for the profession.”

Additionally, she has been an integral part of the Symposium for Advanced Wound Care, an interprofessional meeting aimed at educating all wound care professionals and payers. 

“This effort assists with improving awareness of the physical therapist as a member of the interprofessional wound care team,” Unger said. 

Woelfel has also demonstrated a tireless desire to mentor other physical therapy professionals.

“For over 20 years, I have had the privilege of being a student, colleague and friend of Stephanie,” Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy Edwin Monroy said. “As I reflect on the transition through the different periods of my own professional and personal life, I realize how impactful she has been not only to me but to the other therapists and patients she has guided along the way.”

Further developing the caring profession

Woelfel’s academic contributions have also helped propel the profession forward. She has numerous published articles, seven book chapters and more than 60 national presentations, according to her curriculum vitae. 

In addition to serving in the APTA House of Delegates, Woelfel has earned a number of APTA awards, including the Professional Merit Award (2012), the ACEWM Recognition for Exceptional Service (2018), the ACEWM President’s Award (2020) and two Recognition for Distinguished Service Awards as a Reviewer of the Journal of Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management (2024 and 2025).

She also represents physical therapy on the Board of Directors for both the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel and the Post-Acute Wound and Skin Integrity Council. 

Woelfel is also active in the payment, policy and reimbursement realm, working to insure appropriate payment for physical therapist services in the future. She has served as a subject-matter expert on Noridian’s Contractor Advisory Committee, represented APTA on Medicare’s Episode-Based Cost Measures Workgroup for Non-Pressure Ulcers and was recently appointed to represent physical therapy on the American Medical Association’s CPT Health Professionals Advisory Committee. 

“Stephanie’s ability to leverage her extensive knowledge to understand patients’ impairments, consider their medical comorbidities and utilize the latest available technology has been key to ensuring the healing of wounds,” Unger said.

She will be officially recognized for the award at the APTA Honors and Awards reception in mid-July in Washington D.C.