Congratulations to Our 2026 Award Recipients!

February 12, 2026

Posted By: Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy in Academy News, Member Spotlight,

The Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy proudly recognized the outstanding individuals and organizations whose leadership, scholarship, service, and collaboration continue to elevate our profession.

2026 Award Recipients

Our award recipients were recognized at the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy's annual Awards Ceremony in Anaheim, California, on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at the Marriott Anaheim.

Outstanding PTA: Adria Barchi, PTA, MLD-C, LMT

This award recognizes a Physical Therapist Assistant whose curiosity, compassion, and commitment to growth embody the very best of pelvic health care. In just a few short years, this clinician has pursued advanced training across disciplines—continually expanding skills, deepening knowledge, and blending the science and art of healing to better serve patients. Beyond the clinic, this individual has quickly emerged as a leader—bringing energy, kindness, and thoughtful insight to professional communities and uplifting peers through mentorship and service. Patients describe feeling seen, supported, and hopeful. Colleagues describe someone who is driven, generous, and unstoppable. This PTA represents the future of pelvic health and the mission of APTA Pelvic Health in action.

Distinguished Mentor Award: Tess Treinen Swake, PT, DPT, MTC

This year’s Distinguished Mentor Award honors someone who has fundamentally shaped how future clinicians discover, learn, and commit to pelvic health physical therapy. For years, this mentor has created opportunities well beyond formal job responsibilities—bringing specialized pelvic health training directly to students and community clinicians, often on personal time, and opening doors that change career trajectories. Their mentorship extends far past the classroom. Students are brought into research, advocacy, and leadership work—learning not just what pelvic health physical therapy is, but how to advance the profession through scholarship, service, and evidence-based care. One of her former students said, "This individual has always been someone you can count on when action needs to be taken—a reliable leader, an incredible sounding board, and an overall amazing mentor. She has guided me through major life decisions and created opportunities for me to grow, including networking opportunities and practicing my public-speaking skills through APTA. As a former student, I can attest that she consistently challenged me to be the best I can be. She fosters a safe, welcoming environment where her students can participate without fear of judgment, and she makes learning genuinely enjoyable. I’m grateful for her support, her wisdom, and the confidence she helps her students develop. Her passion for research—especially in pelvic health—is inspiring to witness, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity she has given me to be involved in research focusing on marginalized populations.” This mentor doesn’t just teach pelvic health—they cultivate future leaders.

Education Excellence Award: Erica Holland, PT, DPT, PWCS

This year’s Education Excellence Award recognizes an educator who has spent years shaping curriculum, elevating academic and clinical standards, and ensuring that pelvic health education remains rigorous, inclusive, and human. Learners consistently describe a classroom that feels safe, engaging, and empowering—where complex material becomes accessible, humor is welcomed, and professionalism is modeled at the highest level. They raise the bar for what pelvic health education can be. Beyond teaching, this individual has led major curriculum updates, helped revise and create educational content for the Academy's CAPP-Pelvic program, mentored faculty, TAs, and volunteers, and stepped into leadership roles during pivotal transitions—always with steadiness, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Top JWPHPT Manuscript Reviewer: Christine A. Cabelka, PT, MA, PhD, PWCS, CLT

This award recognizes a reviewer whose behind-the-scenes contributions are essential to the quality, integrity, and impact of our journal. Peer review is thoughtful, time-intensive work—and this year, one reviewer stood out for both quantity and quality. This individual consistently provided timely, thorough, and constructive feedback—earning a perfect reviewer rating score. Their commitment reflects a deep dedication to advancing evidence-based practice and supporting authors in strengthening their scholarly work.

Research Award: Rachel Worman, PT, DPT, PhD

This award recognizes a researcher whose work has fundamentally advanced how our profession understands pelvic floor function—and how we translate science into clinical care. This individual addressed one of the most debated and fragmented areas in pelvic health research by bringing clarity, rigor, and methodological innovation to the study of pelvic floor muscle tone. Through landmark systematic reviews, the development of standardized research criteria, and pioneering use of objective measurement techniques, this work has helped shift pelvic health physical therapy toward more precise, evidence-based practice. Beyond publications, this researcher’s impact is felt globally—through invited presentations, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship of emerging scholars, and leadership that strengthens the Academy’s research mission. This body of work has not only changed current practice but has also laid the foundation for the future of pelvic health research.

Top 2026 CSM Poster Award: Effects of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in Children with Functional Constipation: A Meta-Analysis

Claudia Hannah Koerner, SPT
Margaret Geiger, SPT
Koraima Rodas, SPT
Kimberly Meyer Morelli, PT
Kara Alison Strauss, PT, DPT
Super Human Therapy (Atlanta, GA)

Top 2026 CSM Platform Award: Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory

Denise Hartzell Leggin, PT, DPT, BSPT, MBA (Penn GSPP Trooper, PA)
Brian G. Leggin, PT, DPT (Penn Therapy and Fitness Philadelphia, PA)

Collaboration Excellence Award: American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS)

The Collaboration Excellence Award recognizes individuals or organizations that meaningfully advance pelvic and abdominal health physical therapy through partnership. This award was recently rebranded from the "Friend of the Academy Award" to better reflect the Academy’s commitment to building intentional, cross-disciplinary collaborations with organizations that share our mission and values. The Collaboration Excellence Award honors partners who demonstrate a shared vision, mutual respect, and a commitment to advancing the profession through meaningful collaboration. This award was given to the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) for its demonstrated commitment to bridging professional gaps and collaborating with the Academy to help elevate pelvic health care. Dr. Tanaz Ferzandi, AUGS Immediate Past President, accepted the award on behalf of AUGS.

Volunteer of the Year Award: CAPP-OB Committee

With more than 200 dedicated volunteers supporting the Academy’s work each year, this Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual or group whose exceptional commitment of time, energy, and expertise has meaningfully advanced the mission of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. This year’s Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes a group whose collective commitment, collaboration, and resilience transformed a bold vision into lasting impact. Over the past year, this volunteer team took on an ambitious challenge—completely restructuring the CAPP-OB program, a core educational program, under a tight timeline, while balancing full professional and personal responsibilities. Through creativity, grit, and countless volunteer hours, they strengthened the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of obstetric physical therapy education—launching revamped course titles, restructured webinars, revising dozens of modules, and modernizing course formats to better serve clinicians worldwide. Their work has created a legacy that will shape obstetric education for years to come and exemplifies volunteerism within the Academy.

- Alexis Gillett, PT, DPT, EdD
- Caitlin Smigelski, PT, DPT
- Gina Kelly-Elliott, PT, DPT, PWCS
- Ginger Leibfritz, PT, DPT, Cert. DN
- Janelle Hayes, PT, DPT, OCS
- Jennifer Niemeyer, PT, DPT, PWCS
- Jessica LeJeune, PT, DPT
- Sandra Gallagher, PT, DPT, PWCS

Top State Representatives: North Carolina, Oregon, California

Through their passion, time, and energy, these individuals have hosted local membership events, advanced advocacy initiatives, supported the translation of patient education resources, and meaningfully engaged members across their states online or in-person. This marks the first year the Academy has offered this award category, created to highlight and celebrate the impactful work of State Representatives serving under the Membership Committee.

North Carolina State Representative: Ginger Garner, PT, DPT, ATC-Ret
Oregon State Representative: Tess Treinen Swake, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC
California State Representative: Yuhang “Doris” Cai, PT, DPT

Elizabeth Noble Award

We sincerely thank everyone who submitted nominations for the Elizabeth Noble Award this year. After careful consideration, the Academy has decided not to present this award in this cycle.

2027 Awards Information

To submit a nomination for one or more of our award categories, please visit our Awards page to learn more. The 2027 Award nominations are due on October 15, 2026.