Dana McCarty (left) and a colleague visit with a NICU patient.

What happens when physical therapist services in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, are no longer confined to a schedule? Too often, physical therapists arrive for scheduled interactions only to hear, "You just missed the parents."

Dana McCarty, PT, DPT, PhD, is leading a study to test this new approach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research examines an immersive physical therapy model in which PTs are continuously present in the NICU, collaborating with care teams in real time and connecting with families as opportunities arise.

The goal is to understand whether greater PT presence, embedded within an interdisciplinary team, can improve infant development and provide greater support for parents.