If you love your job, you won’t work a day in your life. We’ve all heard that quote before, but sometimes work is work and your co-workers and your supervisor make (or break) the environment. Tina describes what she desired in a leader and how she worked hard to embody that for her team. 18 years later, it is safe to say Tina loves her job.

In this episode, Dr. Burriesci chats with Dr. Fields, the physical therapy supervisor and residency director of the University of Michigan Health. They burrow in deep on leadership ideals and what that looks like on the “Cards” team. They discuss how Tina has helped foster great culture in the PT department and across the hospital system. She describes acknowledging the “small things,” while also always having her therapist’s back and empowering the strengths and knowledge of her staff. The goal is to provide great care and make an impact on patients’ lives, while also being safe in a very medically complex environment. The only way to do that is by practicing at the top of your license. She states, “You can be the Ferarri or you can be the Pinto….”

They dance through ideals, discuss specifics on competencies, spend time discussing the complexities of specific patient populations and they round out the episode by talking about what the University of Michigan’s Cardiovascular and Pulmonary residency program looks like, including application timing, salary, and the opportunities available in the residency.

In This Episode:

• How to foster a great culture in a physical therapy department
• Ideals of leadership
• The importance of practicing at the top of your license
• The extensive nature of competencies in a complex hospital environment
• Important considerations for your LVAD (left ventricular assist device) patient
• The discontinuation of the Syncardia Total Artificial Heart
• University of Michigan’s Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Residency program

Enjoyed this episode? 

Find Rachele at:

Podcast: Talking All Things Cardiopulm

IG: @all_things_cardiopulm


Website: www.allthingscardiopulm.com