Super SHEro - Laura Sytnyk, DPT '03

Laura Sytnyk, MSDA Class of 2003, is a Physical Therapist at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and works in the surgical intensive care unit. In her role at the hospital, in the days before COVID19, Laura was focused on helping critically ill patients regain their mobility and recover from complex surgeries and solid organ transplants. In the days of the pandemic, Laura is treating patients in the hospital's dedicated COVID ICUs. Commenting on what a typical day at work is like now, Laura notes; “I am helping patients build strength and function after lengthy courses of life support treatments (i.e.: mechanical ventilation and/or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)).”

When contemplating what she is experiencing and feeling in her role as a healthcare provider in the days of COVID19, Laura shared, “It is terrifying to see how debilitated people can become from this virus. For patients who become critically ill because of this virus, the long-term functional deficits are potentially devastating.” Thank you, Laura, for providing the critical therapies needed to help COVID19 survivors begin to regain their strength after the battle of their lives, setting them on the path toward their long-term recovery.