Perspectives on Concussion Management
Zachary Mestelle, PT, DPT, OCS; Colleen Sleik, PT, DPT, NCS; Jesse Peterson, PsyD

Concussion management depends upon the profession, setting, and resources. This webinar will be presented by two physical therapists and a neuropsychologist sharing their expertise and experience in concussion management. Zac Mestelle,PT, DPT, OCS, is an orthopedic physical therapist working primarily with athletes as a member of an integrated multidisciplinary team. Dr. Mestelle will lead discussion on the effects of concussion on the autonomic nervous system. Colleen Sleik, PT, DPT, NCS, is a vestibular and neurologic physical therapist working in a rural clinic. She and her colleagues are often the first to recognize that the patient’s symptoms of dizziness, neck pain, and headaches are likely due to a concussion sustained in a slip and fall or MVA. Dr. Sleik will offer insights into recognizing vestibular and visual symptoms of concussion. Jesse Peterson, PsyD, is a neuropsychologist who finds his role in evaluation and making recommendations for management of patients with protracted recovery from concussion. Dr. Peterson will discuss the importance of recognizing that concussion is more than what happens to the brain: we must also consider the brain that it happens to! All three professions will share clinical pearls from their unique specialties of orthopedic, vestibular and neuropsychology, as they discuss their perspectives on concussion management and their role in the multidisciplinary team.

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize the autonomic changes that can occur at rest and with activity following a concussion.

2. Recognize the effects of concussion on the vestibular system.

3. Understand the role of neuropsychology in concussion management.

Zac Mestelle PT, DPT, OCS, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a residency-trained board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. Dr. Mestelle currently works at Bellin Health’s Titletown clinic where he treats a high volume of sports medicine patients. A large portion of this caseload includes rehab following ACL-R and other arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgeries. Additionally, he is also a member of Bellin’s throwing team which includes management of the injured thrower as well as performance-based assessments. Perhaps his greatest passion, Dr. Mestelle has led Bellin Health’s interdisciplinary concussion management team for the past several years. This team includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and works intimately with the referring providers and school athletic trainers in order to provide optimal care for patients who have suffered a concussion. Dr. Mestelle graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2017. It was on one of his terminal rotations where he initially gained exposure to evaluating and treating post-concussion patients as his clinical instructor was the lead physical therapist for the adolescent mild TBI team at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals. It was the challenge and uniqueness that comes with each post-concussion patient that led to Dr. Mestelle’s passion for treating these patients. Since then, he has worked diligently to gain a mastery in treating this specific patient population, through both formal continuing education courses as well as frequent review of the literature.

Dr. Mestelle completed his Orthopedic Residency through Evidence in Motion and Bellin Health in 2020. While only a portion of patients with concussion require traditional orthopedic care, this residency helped Dr. Mestelle master the patient response model which has proven valuable for managing post-concussion patients.

Dr. Mestelle’s purpose in teaching is to share the passion he has for this underserved patient population in an effort to improve patient outcomes and lead to a shorter and fuller recovery. He strives to instill the balance between high quality evidence-based information with pragmatic, experience, and application-based information in order to provide a well-rounded learning experience.

Colleen Sleik, PT, DPT, NCS, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Neurologic Clinical Specialist specializing in the treatment of patients with vestibular disorders. She has treated patients with vestibular disorders in a variety of settings over the years, including outpatient clinics, acute care, home health, skilled nursing facilities and private practice. Dr. Sleik currently works at Bellin Health in Iron Mountain, MI where her caseload consists of patients with dizziness, balance problems, post-concussion syndrome, neck pain and headaches. She was instrumental in developing Bellin’s Vestibular Specialty track. She developed coursework and training to establish baseline vestibular clinical competency for all new physical therapists in the organization and offers mentoring to support therapists throughout the health system. She is also an active member of Bellin Health’s concussion specialty track.Dr. Sleik graduated from The College of St. Catherine with a Master of Physical Therapy in 2003. She earned a transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree through The University of St. Augustine, Florida in 2010. In 2010, she completed the Competency-Based Vestibular Rehabilitation course through Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and has continued her education by attending advanced vestibular rehab courses through the University of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and regularly attends the International Conference on Vestibular Rehab. Dr. Sleik is a board-certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist 2017-2027 and was previously a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist 2012-2022. She is a member of the Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA) and the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapists and the Vestibular Special Interest Group.

Dr. Sleik lives and works in a small, rural community in Michigan where it is not uncommon for patients to drive several hours to access her specialty vestibular rehabilitation services. This need inspired her to begin teaching vestibular rehabilitation continuing education courses. She has been teaching national-level seminars in vestibular rehabilitation since 2015. Her goal is to increase clinicians’ knowledge and skills in vestibular rehabilitation, ultimately improving patient access to quality vestibular care. Dr. Sleik is pleased to have this opportunity to share her passion for treating this special population and guiding your journey in providing specialty care in vestibular rehabilitation.

Jesse Peterson, PsyD, is a Doctor of Psychology practicing neuropsychology at Bellin Health in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Dr. Peterson’s interest in concussions and cognition began while playing DIII college football at Lawrence University in Wisconsin when the team completed its cognitive “baseline testing” during preseason camp.  After reading the writing on the wall, which clearly indicated that slow, short running backs with bad hands had no opportunities to continue playing football after college, Dr. Peterson quickly transitioned into graduate school with a special interest in neuropsychology.  Dr. Peterson earned his PsyD at Wheaton College, writing his dissertation on the performance validity indicators of a popular concussion assessment tool, and completed his predoctoral internship at the University of Missouri wing of the Missouri Health Sciences Psychology Consortium.  He went on to complete postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Missouri and University of Wisconsin to gain broad experience with adult neuropsychology patients, conducting outpatient and inpatient evaluations for patients experiencing traumatic brain injuries of all severities, dementia, stroke, epilepsy and other neurologic disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and psychiatric complications.  Though a neuropsychological generalist, a large portion of Dr. Peterson’s current patients includes individuals experiencing the subacute and chronic cognitive effects of traumatic brain injuries, including concussions.

1 CE credit available to AAPMD members