Complex Mobility Concepts and Equipment

Date: Wednesday,  October 29, 2025
Intended Audience: PT, PTA, OT, OTA
Course level: Introductory
Check in time: 4:30-5:00 pm 
Course time: 5:00-8:00pm 
Location: Acute Rehab Center 
 2512 South 7th Street Minneapolis, MN 55454
5th Floor Dining Room

Total Contact hours: 5.0 (3.0 Live Course and 2.0 Hybrid/Prework)

PT: Live Course of 3.0 hours will be submitted to the MN Board of PT for approved credits. (Submitting credits through the MN Board of PT does not guarantee full credits will be approved by the board)
Hybrid/Prework will be submitted for 2.0 hours to MN Board of PT (Submitting these credits through the MN Board of PT does not guarantee full credits will be approved by the board)

These hours will be submitted separately to MN Board of PT. 

OT: You will receive a certificate of course completion with total CE contact hours. M HEALTH Fairview is not an approved provider through AOTA and has never been for distance learning. You may still submit the hours towards your licensure and receive a certificate of completion with all information provided to submit.  For additional information about CE requirements for license, please see MN Statute 148.6443: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.6443
MN statutes 143.6443, subdivision SUBD.2 “Standards for determining the qualified education activities” will continue to be utilized in determining appropriate OT related CE courses.

(Submitting credits through the organizations does not guarantee approved credits or the full credits. All participants will receive a certificate of completion which you may be able to use towards your professional license).

Cancellation Policy:  Cancellation Fee will apply.

Instructors:

  • Linda M. Tripp graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in Biology and Spanish in 2002. She completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the College of St. Catherine in 2007. Since then, she has been working with inpatient adults at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, East Bank. She has presented on developing a therapy program for patients with Blood and Marrow Transplants with Eva Gold at CSM 2010, on Compressionand Post-thrombotic Syndrome at MN Lymphedema Roundtable in 2015, Pathologic Fracture at MN APTA 2015 Spring Conference, Venous Thromboembolism at Fairview in 2016, and Complex Mobility at Fairview in 2023. ​

  • Laura Riley-Chiabotti graduated from the University of MN-Twin Cities in 2008 with a MS in OT. She worked as a casual OT at M Health for 5 years, floating to Acute Rehab and a Neuro Outpatient Clinic within the same system.  She has been with M Health for over 17 years, focusing on the cardiac, step-down, and ICU units. She also works with students through contract work for St Kate's OTA, University of MN MOT, and OTD programs. 

Financial Disclosures: Laura Chiabotti and Linda Tripp receive a fee for speaking and instructing on this topic. 
Non-Financial Disclosures: Laura Chiabotti and Linda Tripp have no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

 

Course Description

This course is designed for inpatient physical and occupational therapy staff to provide effective mobility progression and safety-focused care to patients in the hospital or rehabilitation setting. The primary focus is treatment and equipment considerations in complex adult and adolescent populations including, but not limited, to obesity, multiple limb involvement, prolonged hospitalization, proximal muscle weakness, spinal cord compression/injury with additional factors such as anxiety, pain management, skin integrity issues, and orthostatic hypotension. The main objective will be to teach effective strategies for complex transfers, positioning, and gait to promote independence with mobility and ADLs. This course will include a hands-on lab component designed to guide participants in the operation of available system equipment to facilitate complex mobility progression. It will also discuss prioritizing activity progression for complex discharge planning. Both new and experienced staff are welcome to attend and participate in a collaborative learning experience. This course is an excellent opportunity to learn how to overcome common safety barriers and navigate equipment difficulties often faced in the acute setting.

* Please wear loose comfortable clothing for the lab portion of this course.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:​
  • Identify lifting equipment options, pros & cons​
  • Implement Care plan, environmental set up, & progression of activity​
  • Recognize impaired functional mobility -associated comorbidities​
  • Identify common interventions for bed mobility, transfers, and ambulation to promote independence with ADLs & functional mobility​
  • Identify outcome measures​
  • Incorporate Applied learning to case studies​
  • Select & safely use equipment during lab sessions​
  • Recognize department steps for success​

  • Identify available resources

 

Pre-work/Hybrid Learning to be completed prior to course date:

10 Minutes:  Read and Comprehend lifting equipment literature
20 Minutes: Pre-Test to be completed
10 Minutes: Review and understand the common associated comorbidities
10 Minutes: Identify ways to partner with your patient and caregiver
5 Minutes:  Identify Environmental Requests
10 Minutes: Outcome Measures

55 Minutes: Watch video and be able to understand concepts of functional mobility

 

Agenda:

4:30-5:00PM Check in

5:00-5:10PM Intro and Pre-work remarks

  • Lifting and Equipment literature
  • Common associated comorbidities
  • Partner with your patient and caregivers
  • Environmental requests

5:10-5:45PM Bed mobility interventions and lab

5:45-6:45PM ADL and Transfer interventions and lab

6:45-7:30PM Ambulation interventions and lab

7:30-8:00PM Apply learning to case studies

  • Department and Resources
  • Review and questions

REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE