Meet the West Health Accelerator Team: Sarah Daly, PT, DPT

Sarah Daly is a senior physical therapist in Inpatient Rehab at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

She believes being part of the West Health Champions program will allow her the opportunity to work with others to improve outcomes for hospitalized seniors and improve patients’ overall quality of life.

Q&A

Why are you passionate about caring for older adults?

Sarah Daly: As an inpatient clinician, I am acutely aware of how complex the healthcare system is to navigate for patients and families. As a physical therapist, I am always looking to improve patients’ autonomy and maintain their independence for as long as possible, and to offer resources to patients and their loved ones as they navigate the aging process.

What’s one small change that can make a big difference in the care of older adults?

SD: I think one of the most important things we can do is improve our interdisciplinary communication. That’s what I love about the West Health Champions program — it gives us the ability to bring all our specialty lenses together. We're each one piece of the puzzle, and when we put it all together, we're able to look at the patient as a whole and have a better understanding of how we can provide tailored care to seniors, both in the hospital and back out in the community.

What do you hope to achieve in the West Health Champions program? 

SD: I’m hoping to work towards the development of standardized processes that can be implemented across disciplines to improve our patients’ quality of life. I’m also hoping this program will help to reduce readmissions and lengthy hospital stays, which will ultimately improve patients’ function and independence.