Faculty
and Staff

Kimberly Veirs, MPT, Ph.D., ATC

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Biography

Dr. Veirs joined Oklahoma City University in 2021 as a full-time core faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy. She is a licensed physical therapist and certified athletic trainer with more than 20 years of clinical experience working with patients with Musculoskeletal disorders, and specializing in dance and sports medicine. Her work experience includes providing preseason dance screens and physical therapy services to the Oklahoma City Ballet, and in-services to local dance studios. Dr. Veirs leads the collaboration between the Department of Physical Therapy and the Ann Lacy School of Dance and Entertainment, which focuses on developing strategies for injury risk reduction through annual pre-participation dance screens, injury surveillance of university dancers and physical therapy intervention for those injured in performance. This mutually beneficial partnership serves as an experiential learning experience for students in the OCU DPT Program, where they learn the unique culture of dance, how to properly care for performing artists’ needs and gain real-world experience working with a highly competitive patient population.

Dr. Veirs’ well-defined, ongoing scholarly agenda aims to develop strategies for injury prevention and physical therapy intervention for those injured in performance. She has published numerous research findings in peer-reviewed journals and presented them at annual international, national and regional conferences. Active in several professional organizations, Dr. Veirs is currently on the research committee for the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), the Nominating Committee of the Performing Arts Special Interest Group (PASIG) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and the education committee of the Performing Arts Athletic Trainers' Society (PAATS). Dr. Veirs is passionate about mentoring Doctor of Physical Therapy students in her areas of expertise and welcomes interested students to assist her in her research and community outreach activities. These efforts align with the program’s mission of positively impacting individuals' health and well-being through scholarship.

Education and National Certifications

• 2019: Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
• 1999: Master of Physical Therapy, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
• 1997: Bachelor of Science, Exercise & Sport Sciences, University of Florida
• 1995: Dance Performance, Butler University
   
• Preparing Future Faculty Certification, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, May 2018
• Polestar Pilates Certified Rehabilitation Specialist, 2005
• National Athletic Trainers Association Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), 1997-present

Teaching Interest

• Orthopaedics
• Musculoskeletal dysfunction
• Adult Service Learning
• Research Critical Inquiry and Appraisal

Current Research/Scholarly Interest

• Oklahoma City University Dancer Screen for Injury Risk Reduction and Surveillance: Phase I (Ongoing IRB-approved study)
  • Pre-season dance screens of university dancers
  • Dance Injury Surveillance for injury risk reduction
  • Description of experiential learning of DPT students working with university dancers
• Dance Medicine
  • Pointe readiness factors
  • Biomechanics of the foot and ankle specific to dancers
  • Dance-specific physical therapy interventions
  • Study of interpersonal communication between dancers, healthcare practitioners, instructors and choreographers
• Effectiveness of Physical Fitness Programs for Collegiate Esport Athletes

Awards, Recognition and Service

Oklahoma City University Campus Service

• Dancer Health and Wellness Screens and Injury Surveillance – Coordinate collaboration between the students in the OCU Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the Lacy Ann School of American Dance and Entertainment, Fall 2022
• Esports physical fitness program - Coordinated collaboration between the OCU Esport teams and students in the OCU Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Summer 2021 to Spring 2022
• Undergraduate Research Day 2022 Judge – Health & Natural Sciences Division
• Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, 2021, 2022 - Main medical tent volunteer and student DPT faculty supervisor
• Presented at the Patient Perspective Lunch-n-Learn: The Show Must Go On! Communicating with performers about pain and injury, 2021
• Assisted the Athletic Training Department with pre-season physicals for collegiate athletes, Fall 2021
• Undergraduate Research Day 2021 Judge – Performing Arts Division

Community Education and Service

• Oklahoma City Ballet - School of Dance, 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive
• Oklahoma City Ballet - Company members' pre-season dance screens
• Oklahoma City Ballet – Summer Intensive dance students, Inservice presentations
• Oklahoma City Ballet - School of Dance, Inservice presentations
• Local pre-professional dance studios – Inservice presentations

Academic Honors and Awards

• OUHSC College of Allied Health Alpha Eta National Allied Health Honor Society, 2018
• OUHSC College of Allied Health Research Day The Rudeen Research Enhancement Award for Excellence in Research Award, 2018
• OUHSC Graduate College GREAT Symposium Bill and Charlene Wilson Award for Innovation in Research $1,000 Travel Award, 2018
• OUHSC College of Allied Health Dean’s Honor Roll, Spring 2017
• OUHSC Leadership HSC, Class of 2016 Selected member, 2016
• Nominated by the College of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Graduate College for the 2020 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation, 2020
• OUHSC College of Allied Health Dean’s Honor Roll
• OUHSC College of Allied Health College of Allied Health Sciences Dean's Graduate Student GRA Scholarship, 2015
• College of Allied Health, Bill Elam Graduate Student Scholarship, 2014

Professional Organization: Service

• Performing Arts Athletic Trainers Society (PAATS)
  • Education committee member
• Performing Arts Special Interest Group (PASIG) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) -
  • 2020 Nominating committee member - Elected December 2020, serving through 2023
  • Dance screen committee member
  • Research committee member
• Manuscript reviewer
  • Journal of Dance Medicine and Science (JDMS)
  • Medical Problem of Performing Artists (MPPA) journal of the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA)
• Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) - 2022 Symposium Research Committee activities
  • Poster judge
  • Chaired Research Committee meeting June 25, 2022
• Research committee member - June 2020 to present
• Symposium abstract reviewer - 2019, 2020, 2022
• Completed the Essentials of Performing Arts Medicine Course - August 2020

Professional Organization: Memberships

• American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); Orthopedics Section member: Performing Arts Special Interest Group (PASIG) and Foot and Ankle Special Interest Group; Sports Section member
• International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS)
• Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA)
• Performing Arts Athletic Trainers Society (PAATS)

Contact Information

Room 121B
Loeffler Building
Oklahoma City, OK 73106