Top of Scope on the Navajo Nation: ED PT, Ultrasound, and Rural Healthcare Innovation

Episode Summary

What does it look like to practice truly at the top of scope in one of the most rural healthcare settings in the country?

In this episode, Dr. Rebekah Griffith sits down with John VanEyk, PT, an embedded Emergency Department Physical Therapist at Tséhootsooí Medical Center on the Navajo Nation. John shares his journey from consult-based care to a fully embedded ED role, discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of serving a tribal community, and explains how innovative approaches—including musculoskeletal point-of-care ultrasound—are helping transform patient care.

🗣️ Featured Guest

John VanEyk, PT

Emergency Department Physical Therapist

Tséhootsooí Medical Center | Fort Defiance, Arizona

With more than 30 years of clinical experience, John has helped build and expand ED physical therapy services on the Navajo Nation and is a leading advocate for top-of-scope emergency practice in rural healthcare settings.

🧭 Key Takeaways

Building an ED PT Program

Lessons learned from consult-based, hybrid, and fully embedded models

Why finding clinicians who want to work in the ED matters