Karin Schumacher, PT, BSPT, MPT
This award is to recognize a member of HPA the Catalyst’s Global Health Special Interest Group whose contributions and actions have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of social responsibility, locally and or globally, through service, scholarship
and/or advocacy. This year, HPA the Catalyst is pleased to honor Karin Schumacher, PT, MPH.
Following a stint in the Peace Corp in the Philippines early in her career, Karin Schumacher stimulated her personal interest in international assistance work. She astutely noted a particular lack of awareness of people with disabilities, which contributed
to her desire to become a Physical Therapist.
Ms. Schumacher earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Vermont, a B.S in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University, and an MPH from the University of Michigan. She is a native of NY and Burlington VT, and resides in Denver, CO.
Karin’s clinical work has been primarily in adult rehabilitation, with a special interest in stroke, but also includes inpatient, sub-acute, long term, home health and community-based settings. She has provided short-term volunteer physical therapy clinical
care and/or teaching in Armenia (Project HOPE), Vietnam (Health Volunteers International), the Philippines, and India.
In 1985, Karin founded the Cross-Cultural/International PT Interest Group (CCIIG) and was Co-Chair, along with Ronnie Leavitt, until 2001, at which time she adopted a 4-year-old girl from India. The CCIIG evolved successfully into the
Global Health SIG of the Health Policy and Administration (HPA) Section.
In 1988, Karin was a co-founding member with an Occupational Therapist, of the Disability Forum of the American Public Health Association. Later it became known as the Disability Section, which celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2018. This
Section promotes education, advocacy, research, public policy, and accessibility issues for and with persons living with disabilities, researchers, teachers and health care professionals.
Karin is semi-retired and practices part-time in the home health field in Denver. She hopes to pursue more short-term rehab opportunities abroad as soon as her daughter finishes college!
HPA the Catalyst is honored to present Karin Schumacher with the Ronnie Leavitt Award. Please join me in thanking Karin for her many contributions to the field of physical therapy!
