Dr. Rebecca (Becca) Pham is a Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Instructor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions (IHP), an acute care physical therapist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and a passionate advocate for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).
Dr. Pham founded and formerly co-chaired the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in BWH’s Rehabilitation Services Department. At IHP, she integrates JEDI principles into her teaching and course content, serves on JEDI-focused committees, and engages in scholarship at the intersection of JEDI and health equity.
Her primary areas of interest include racial, disability, and body size/fat justice. Her scholarly work also explores barriers to physical therapy access and strategies to advance care for individuals from minoritized backgrounds and/or those with chronic cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions. Additionally, she is committed to supporting mentorship for acute care clinicians and facilitating the transition from student to professional practice using principles of adaptive expertise.
Dr. Pham is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Professions Education at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Beyond her academic and clinical roles, she partners with organizations that create affinity spaces for minoritized communities through adaptive dance, adaptive climbing, and dance fitness.
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2014
Bachelor of Arts, Dance, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2014
Doctor of Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health
Professions, Boston, MA, 2017
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
- Acute Care
- Critical Illness
- Health Equity
- Racial Justice
- Weight Stigma
- Mentorship
Some of Dr. Pham's titles are highlighted below. You can view a complete listing of her publications in her CV.
Confronting Weight Stigma: A Call to Action for Physical Therapy Educators. Journal of Physical Therapy Education.
Comparison of Telehealth and Onsite Supervised Maintenance Exercise Programs for Adults With Chronic Lung Disease: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Feasibility Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Investigating Disparities in Physical Therapy Utilization: An Intersectionality Perspective. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation.
In addition, Dr. Pham regularly presents at conferences and industry events. Please see her CV for a complete list of presentations.
Social Justice, Health Equity and Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy: A Natural Alliance. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Anaheim, CA (Education Session Presentation).
Challenging Size Bias in Physical Therapy Education and Practice. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Anaheim, CA (Education Session Presentation).
Comparison of Telehealth and Onsite Supervised Maintenance Exercise Programs for Adults With Chronic Lung Disease: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Feasibility Trial. APTA Massachusett’s Annual Conference, Norwood, MA (Platform Presentation)
Navigating the Clinical Gray Zones: Mentoring for Clinical Reasoning. APTA Massachusetts’s Annual Conference, Norwood, MA (Education Session Presentation).
Bridging the Clinical Gray Zones: Mentorship for Enhanced Entry-Level Practice. ACAPT Education Leadership Conference (ELC), Oakland, CA (Education Session Presentation).