Dr. Panzarella is driven by the crisis of avoidable medical errors leading to the third cause of death in the US and believes that training and education in collaborative care is a worthwhile solution. Her research focuses on interprofessional education through the use of healthcare simulation. She strives to facilitate the transition from the academic world to the real-life clinical environment for optimal patient care and safety utilizing team-based approaches. Dr. Panzarella is a Full Professor at D'Youville, a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator and a TeamSTEPPS master trainer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, a master’s degree in exercise physiology and a PhD in Educational Psychology all from the University at Buffalo. She has over thirty years of experience as a healthcare clinician, including owning her own private practice and more than twenty years as an educator. She instructs courses in physical therapy education on professional development, advocacy, and aging, and supervises clinical education and practices in subacute rehabilitation.
Education & Training
BS, Physical Therapy, University at Buffalo, 1987
MS, Exercise Physiology, University at Buffalo, 1995
PhD, Educational Psychology, University at Buffalo, 2003
Awards & Honors
Woman’s Achievement Zonta Organization of Grand Island; for making a difference in the lives of others
Excellence in Health Care Award Buffalo Business First; extraordinary professionals in medical and health fields from among 86 nominations. (2022)
Distinguished Fellow National Academies of Practice, Physical Therapy (2019)
Stanford Award; American Physical Therapy Association, to recognize the author(s) of a manuscript containing the most influential educational ideas published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Education for the calendar year 2016. (2017)
UUP Scholar of the Year, DYouville College (2015)
Faculty of the Year , DYouville College, Physical Therapy (2013)
Social Responsibility Award, American Physical Therapy Association, Combined Sections Meeting (2013)
“40 Under Forty Awards” Business First (1994)
Research Interests
Interprofessional Education
Simulation Based Training
Collaborative Practice
Publications
B., Whelan, M., Butterfoss, K., Russ, L., Case, A., Brian, S., Ferro, H., DeMarco, L., Dunford, D., Schmitz, K., Kittleson, H., Kennedy, M., Brzykcy, D., Pownall, L., and Reddington, M., “Using Actors as Simulated Patients for Interprofessional Education”, Medical Science Educator, October 2013: 23(3S).
Panzarella, K., “The Integrated Standardized Patient Examination”, Directory and Repository of Educational Assessment Measures (DREAM), Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) MedEdPORTAL (http://www.mededportal.org/dream), Spring 2013.
Silberman, N., Panzarella, K., and Melzer, B., “Using High Fidelity Human Simulation to Prepare Physical Therapy Students for Acute Care Clinical Practice,” Journal of Allied Health, Spring 2013, Vol 42 (1): 25-32.
Panzarella, K., “Beginning with the End in Mind: Evaluating Outcomes of Cultural Competence Instruction in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Programme,” Disability & Research, 1464-5165, Vol. 31 (14), 2009: 1144-1152.
Panzarella, K., and Manyon, A., “Using the Integrated Standardized Patient Examination to Assess Clinical Competence in Physical Therapist Students,” Journal of Physical Therapy Education, Vol. 22 (3), Winter 2008: 24-32.
