Dzierzynski certified as sports medicine specialist

Kelly Dzierzynski, the director of Illinois Valley Community Hospital’s Center for Physical Rehabilitation and Aquatics, has achieved the highest level of sports medicine certification granted by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPT).

Dzierzynski completed the requirements to become an ABPT-certified sports medicine physical therapy clinical specialist, an achievement that requires at least 2,000 hours of direct patient care as a licensed physical therapist treating athletic injuries. Other requirements include CPR certification and becoming certified as an emergency medical responder in addition to successfully passing a 200-question exam.

The ABPT reports there are fewer than 1,500 sports medicine physical therapy clinical specialists nationwide and only 17 in Illinois.

Dzierzynski came to IVCH in 2005 after having worked as a physical therapist in Florida, first at Florida Hospital in Orlando and later for the Orlando Sports Medicine Group. She had been the IVCH rehab center’s outpatient physical therapy supervisor before being named physical rehab director earlier this year.

Dzierzynski received her doctorate of physical therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine in 2008. She received her master's and undergraduate degrees from Marquette University in Milwaukee. She is a resident of Cherry.