Susan Pitzel, DPT
Associate Professor
Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences
Program: Physical Therapy (DPT)
Phone: (973) 972-8511
Email: paparesu@rutgers.edu
Office location:
Stanley S. Bergen Building
65 Bergen Street, Room 714B
Newark, NJ 07107
About
Dr. Paparella-Pitzel PT DPT M.S. earned her post-professional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Rutgers/UMDNJ in 2005, an advanced Master of Science degree in Health Sciences from SHU/UMDNJ in 1999 and her Baccalaureate degree in physical therapy from SUNY Stony Brook in 1990. She is presently an Associate Professor in the entry-level DPT program, Rutgers SHP- Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science (Newark), teaching the Exam and Intervention course. Her areas of scholarship include the use of standardized patients as a teaching tool in physical therapy and cultural competency education.
Dr. Paparella-Pitzel is the Director of the Rutgers Community Participatory PT Clinic (CPPTC), a student-run community clinic. Additional areas of service and scholarship include curriculum design and integration of community service within the DPT curriculum; as well as implementations of inter-professional education (IPE) case writing and inter-professional collaborative practice (IPCP) clinics within Rutgers-RBHS.
Education
B.S., SUNY
M.S., Seton Hall University
DPT, UMDNJ-SHRP
Professional Achievements
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (UMDNJ) School of Health-Related Professions 2012 Service Award, 2012
APTA’s PT 2007 Annual Conference and Exposition Abstract Recognition of Excellence in Education: “Survey: The Use of Standardized Patients in Physical Therapy Programs”, 2007
Research
Dr. Paparella-Pitzel is involved in two areas of educational scholarship. She studies the use of standardized patients as a teaching tool in physical therapy and medical programs, and the integration of community service learning and interprofessional education into health professions curricular. Her educational research informs ongoing standardized patient programming and interprofessional educational strategies for entry-level PT education.
Dr. Paparella-Pitzel is the Director of the Rutgers Community Participatory PT Clinic (CPPTC), a pro-bono student-run community clinic. Dr. Paparella-Pitzel incorporates her Standardized Patient work and curriculum design into inter-professional education (IPE) initiatives and inter-professional practice (IPP) clinics within Rutgers-RBHS.
Publications
| Title | Authors | Where and When | ||
Collaborative Care through a Participatory Student-Run Clinic |
Paparella-Pitzel, S |
Nexus Summit – Nexus Fair Resource Exchange Station. Abstract and Presentation Minneapolis MN 2018 |
||
Synergy: Coordinating communication and documentation of a group program within a student-run clinic |
Andre, D., Hoehlein, B., Paparella-Pitzel, S |
PT Pro-Bono Network Eastern Conference Oral Presentation PA 2018 |
||
SPT Student Board documentation: a Participatory and Iterative process |
Kreda, D., Torkel, E., Paparella-Pitzel, S |
PT Pro-Bono Network Eastern Conference Oral Presentation PA 2018 |
||
In healthcare education systems, what factors break down barriers in IPE training for attitudinal and organizational changes to occur? |
Corpuz, M. Desvousges, P. Lenihan, J. Shafik, S. Snyder, R. Williams, E. Paparella-Pitzel, S |
APTANJ Spring Conference Poster NJ 2017 |
||
Implementation of an Administrative Host Role within the Clinic |
Alexis DeSa, SPT and S.Paparella-Pitzel |
Presented at PT Pro-Bono Network Eastern Conference Oral Presentation Platform PA 2017 |
||
Expanding Synergy beyond the Clinic |
Annie Cosentino, SPT, Deena Gilboa, SPT and Paparella-Pitzel |
PT Pro-Bono Network Eastern Conference Oral Presentation PA 2017 |
||
Case Study Submission. Fostering Clinical Skill Development through Student Board Initiatives in a Pro-bono |
Ayesha Mustafa and S. Paparella-Pitzel |
Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) Poster TX 2017 |
||
Integrating a budget and risk “friendly” student run pro bono clinic into the curriculum |
S. Pitzel, N. Kirsch, S. McErlean |
2-hour program Presented at APTA Combined Section Meeting (CSM) CA 2016 |
||
Growth at the CPPTC: Advancing the Synergy Program and Fostering Clinician Development |
Jaclyn Giangrande, SPT, Esther Kim, SPT, Ayesha Mustafa, S. Paprella-Pitzel |
Presented at Widener Student Pro-Bono Clinic Conference Oral Presentation PA 2016 |
||
Comparison of Teaching Strategies for Cultural Competence |
Paparella-Pitzel, S., Kaplan, S., Eubanks R. |
Journal of Allied Health 45(2): 139-148, 2016 |
||
A Particpatory Service Model- Facilitating IPE and Modeling Collaborative Practice |
Paparella-Pitzel, S |
Platform CAB (Collaborating Across Boarders) Conference VA 2015 |
||
Developing a Standardized Patient Experience for Inter-professional Education |
Paparella-Pitzel, S. Schwenkler, J |
PAEA Conference Washington DC 2015 Section Presentation |
||
The Community Participatory Physical Therapy Clinic (CPPTC): Enhancing Physical Therapist Education through Service Learning |
SPaparella-Pitzel, TJ Janicky |
Platform Presentation Widener Student Pro-Bono Clinic Conference. PA 2014 |
||
For health professional students attending a university-initiated service clinic, is there evidence on improved student learning outcomes? |
Cespedes, G., Dave, P., Gomez, M., Mattina, D., Samuel, J., Smith, C., & Paparella-Pitzel, S. |
Poster Widener Student Pro-Bono Clinic Conference. PA 2014 |
||
Comparative Effectiveness of Two Methods of Interdisciplinary Case Delivery- Virtual and Live |
K. Huhn., SPaparela-Pitzel., A, Heuer., J.Schwenkler |
Team Poster Presentation UMDNJ SHRP Research Day NJ 2014 |
||
Enhancing Physical Therapist Education through Service Learning |
Paparella-Pitzel, S. |
UMDNJ Ellen Ross Memorial Lecture Platform Newark 2013 |
||
Topical Drugs and Treatments Used in Wound Management |
Paparella-Pitzel, S and Morritt Taub, L |
In Gladson, B. Pharmacology for Rehabilitation Professionals. Second Edition. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders, 2011:437-447 |
||
Comparison of Teaching Strategies for Cultural Competence |
Sue Paparella-Pitzel DPT; Co-Investigators Dr Robin Eubanks, Dr Sandra Kaplan |
Platform Educational Leadership Conference (ELC). Florida. 2011 |
||
Comparison of Teaching Strategies for Cultural Competence |
Paparella-Pitzel, S. Eubanks, R., Kaplan, S |
Allied Health Conference. Charlotte, NC. 2010 |
||
Survey: The Use of Standardized Patients in Physical Therapy Programs |
Paparella-Pitzel, S., Edmond, S., DeCaro E.C. |
Journal of Physical Therapy Education. 23(2), 2009 |
||
Survey: The Use of Standardized Patients in Physical Therapy Programs |
Paparella-Pitzel, S. Edmonds, S |
APTA Annual Conference Denver CO. 2007 PLATFORM Note: Recipient of Abstract Recognition of Excellence Award |
||
Introducing Second-Year Medical Students to the Interdisciplinary Health Care Team: A Case-Based Approach |
Geisler,S., Birkman,J., Degli-Antoni,K., Fydryszewski,N., Heurer,A., Keohane,E., Langevin,D., O’Sullivan-Maillet,J., Paparella-Pitzel,S., Salmond, S |
Annual Conference- Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions. Chicago, Il. 2006 |
||
Massage |
Anderson, EZ., Paparella, S |
In Loue & Sajatovic (eds). Encyclopedia of Women’s Health. London: UK, Springer, 2004 |
||
Massage |
Anderson, EZ., Paparella, S |
In Loue & Sajatovic (eds). Encyclopedia of Geriatric Health. London, UK: Springer, 2005 |
Copyright © 2025, Rutgers School of Health Professions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. All rights reserved.
Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to: accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Provide Feedback Form.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. All rights reserved.
Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to: accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Provide Feedback Form.