Fayetteville Physical Therapist Displays Passion for Neurologic Care
| When Austin Miller, PT, DPT, walked across the stage to receive his doctorate in physical therapy, he knew he wanted to dedicate his career to helping patients with neurologic conditions.
His passion became deeply personal years earlier, when his best friend was left paralyzed after an accident. Miller served as a caregiver during his friend’s recovery, traveling long distances to find the level of rehabilitation his friend needed.
“That experience showed me how much of a gap there is in access to specialized neurologic rehab in Arkansas,” Miller said. “It was disappointing to see how far people had to travel for quality care, and it motivated me to be part of changing that.”
Today, Miller is doing just that at the UAMS Health Outpatient Therapy Clinic in Fayetteville. He recently became a board-certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy. One of only two physical therapists in Arkansas to earn the distinction this year, he is one of only 19 total across the state of Arkansas to hold this certificate.
With Miller’s achievement, the UAMS Health Outpatient Therapy Clinic in Fayetteville is now home to three board-certified specialists in neurologic physical therapy, including Miller, Jesse Edwards, PT, DPT, and Sean Stone, PT, DPT. This makes the clinic one of the most highly credentialed therapy teams in the state for neurologic rehabilitation.
“Our clinic is truly unique,” Miller said. “Patients with neurologic diagnoses who are referred here will be evaluated by PTs with the highest-level specialty credentials in our field.”
The clinic sees patients with a wide range of neurologic conditions, including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, vestibular disorders and cerebral palsy. Miller and his colleagues have even tailored their focus to meet diverse needs: Edwards often treats movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, while Miller specializes in concussion, vestibular and balance cases. Stone, though he has primarily shifted into a faculty role for the UAMS DPT program, continues to treat concussion and vestibular diagnoses in the outpatient therapy clinic.
Some clinic patients travel from Missouri, Fort Smith and Clarksville to receive care in Fayetteville. “It’s unfortunate that geography can be such a barrier,” Miller said, “but it speaks to the quality of care people experience here compared to what they might find in their immediate area.”
The certification process is rigorous, requiring thousands of hours of direct patient care and passing a demanding national exam. Specialists must also maintain their credentials through ongoing education and clinical work. For Miller, the achievement reflects years of dedication but also signals something bigger: the growth of a clinic that combines neurologic, orthopaedic and speech therapy services under one roof.
“Our clinic is tremendous,” Miller said. “We’re one of the few places in the region where patients can access this level of expertise across multiple therapy disciplines. That’s something I’m proud to be part of — and something I’d love more people to know about.”
Looking ahead, Miller hopes to see the clinic expand as more patients seek out its services.
“My goal is for us to become so well known that demand pushes us to grow — whether that’s adding more specialists, opening new therapy areas or even new clinics. The more people who know about what we offer, the more we can help.”
Find out more about the UAMS Outpatient Therapy Clinic in Fayetteville by calling 479-713-8630, or go online at uamshealth.com/location/outpatient-therapy-fay.