Heidi Ackerman, PT is what you might call a Twin Boro all-star. She has been with Twin Boro Physical Therapy for 35 of the 40 years we’ve been in operation, making her the longest-standing physical therapist at our practice. Over her impressive tenure, Heidi has come to be recognized as one of our premier therapists, with a vast skill set and unwavering dedication to helping her patients restore their abilities and achieve their goals.
Heidi knew from an early age that she wanted to work in the healthcare industry, but wasn’t sure what field was right for her. That all changed when she started volunteering at a hospital in her local community of, NY. Her volunteer work allowed her to learn about a variety of healthcare specialties, and after first being introduced to physical therapy, she immediately fell in love with the profession.
This passion led Heidi to obtain a physical therapy degree from The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, and she then went on to relocate to Westfield, NJ. This would prove to be Heidi’s home base for both her family and work life, as she soon started providing therapy services at Twin Boro’s Westfield clinic on a part-time basis while running a private practice of her own. She eventually became a full-time physical therapist at this Westfield location and has remained there ever since. Living and working in a town that she loves and being able to provide rehabilitation services to her community gives Heidi great pride and is a source of motivation.
Heidi also finds joy in the investigative work that’s needed in caring for patients. When a patient first comes in, she’s very interested in discovering exactly what issues are responsible for their symptoms, and she then uses this information to figure out the best ways to help them achieve their goals as quickly as possible. Heidi selects from a variety of interventions—including myofascial techniques, joint mobilization, the McKenzie Method, and the Mulligan Concept—and applies those that are most appropriate for the patient’s condition and abilities. She treats patients of all ages and sees a wide range of conditions, but particularly appreciates the chance to manage individuals that are recovering from surgeries of the shoulder or knee. To Heidi, it’s gratifying to watch patients progress from a point where they have difficulty just performing daily activities, and then getting them back to life and doing all the things they enjoy.
Throughout her career, Heidi has continued to maintain and advance her education by taking numerous continuing medical education classes and seminars. These have included courses on the shoulder, knee, aging hip, and aging shoulder to name a few, and she’s completed every Great Lakes seminar over the past seven years. Heidi has incorporated these lessons into her practice plan, and is always striving to find ways to expand her skillset and improve her capacity to provide optimal care for her patients.
When Heidi is not actively rehabilitating patients at the Westfield clinic, she enjoys working out, and spends most of her free time with friends, husband, and two daughters. One of her most exciting pursuits right now is helping her daughter plan for her upcoming wedding in October.
