Purpose, Presence, and Power: NABPT Synergy Summit 2025 Reflections
By Dr. Devon Morris, PT, DPT, OCS
I arrived at the NABPT Synergy Summit carrying the weight of a full clinic day, mentally tired but genuinely excited to be in a room full of people who looked like me, spoke with purpose, and cared deeply about our profession. I didn’t know it at the time, but I wasn’t walking into just another professional development event. The sessions I engaged in sharpened my vision for how I want to lead, show up for my patients, and create change that reaches beyond the clinic walls. What follows are the takeaways that most stuck with me and how I’ve already started applying them to my work and life.
Leadership requires connection.
Dr. Brandon Mines, MD, opened the summit with a reminder that leadership is changing. As healthcare becomes more automated and AI starts replacing tasks, our ability to build real trust with patients is more important than ever. People need to feel connected to their provider. That connection is what makes a difference.
He also highlighted the unspoken tools many of us already carry. For example, code-switching is often something we do out of necessity, but it also sharpens our emotional intelligence. It teaches us how to read the room and adjust in real time. Those are skills we need in leadership, especially as we face cultural and generational shifts in healthcare.
It reminded me of why Holly Brown, SPT, one of my fellow Rizing Tide scholars, and I chose to speak at CSM next year about generational differences in clinical teams. When we understand how each generation operates, communicates, and receives feedback, we can build more effective teams and serve our patients better.
Leadership starts early.
One of the key messages throughout the summit was that leadership doesn’t begin when you get a title. It begins when you’re a student, a resident, or someone who shows up consistently to serve. Pathway programs that focus on teaching, service, and scholarship help build those skills early.
Students and trainees can lead right now. Whether it’s through working in community health clinics, mentoring in student organizations, volunteering in local schools, or organizing a service event, each experience adds up. These efforts help close representation gaps and prepare the next generation of professionals to step into leadership with confidence.
Sustainability is part of leadership.
This message hit home for me. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you won’t be able to lead others for long. Especially for those of us navigating family responsibilities on both ends, it’s important to plan ahead.
At the summit, we were encouraged to think about our financial health as much as our clinical skills. That means making a real financial plan, getting the right people around you like a CPA or financial advisor, and making sure you have the right insurance and savings in place. It also means building in time for rest and recovery. You can’t pour into others if you’re constantly running on empty.
Define your mission and let people see it.
Dr. Monique “Mo” Caruth, PT, DPT, spoke about the importance of having a clear purpose. Patients trust providers who are consistent and transparent. They also connect more deeply with people who share their stories and show the full picture, not just the results.
She talked about the value of building your mission and vision, and showing up in ways that align with them. That includes documenting well, following up with patients, and using platforms like blogs, podcasts, or social media to scale your impact. She introduced the CARE method, which stands for Connect, Align, Rehabilitate, and Educate. That framework has already changed the way I approach my content and how I share educational posts.
Patients remember how you made them feel, and they’re more likely to refer others when they feel supported and seen. That credibility matters. Dr. Caruth emphasized that when you’re rooted in purpose, people feel it. And when you’re consistent, clear, and credible, patients remember it.
Plan from clinic to camera.
Dr. Rebeca Segraves, PT, DPT, encouraged us to look at how we can make our private work public. As healthcare providers, we already do meaningful work every day. But if no one sees it, the reach stays limited. She outlined three clear steps:
- Capture: Package your ideas so they’re clear and valuable to others.
- Connect: Share them in a way people can relate to and understand.
- Circulate: Keep the conversation going by creating community around your message.
It’s not about performance. It’s about service. When your patients or your peers see themselves in your work, they remember it. When your message creates value, people start to ask for it. That’s how we build momentum around ideas that matter.
Visibility has power.
One of the biggest things I’ve taken action on since the summit was learning to use my voice publicly. Dr. Caruth and Dr. Seagraves talked about how important it is to share your message, not for attention but for influence. And more importantly, it’s crucial to share it in a way that aligns with the care you provide.
Right after the summit, I created a TikTok video using the “Problem, Process, Promise” format we talked about. I talked about my paper that was recently published in JOSPT Cases on how DVTs are often missed in darker-skinned patients, and how the Wells’ Criteria doesn’t always capture the full picture. The process involved educating clinicians on genetic differences in African Americans versus Caucasians, and identifying how we can make more equitable clinical assessments. The promise was clear: If we catch these cases early, we can save lives. That video reached more people than I expected, but what mattered most was that it reached the right people.
That’s when I really understood the impact of pairing your purpose with storytelling. When people understand what you care about, they’re more likely to pay attention and share your message.
Learn to lead in different settings.
Dr. Bhupinder Singh, PT, PhD presented a powerful lesson on reframing leadership. If we’re going to advance equity and representation in physical therapy—particularly for Black clinicians—we must be capable of “frame-switching” across four domains:
- Structural: Focused on strategy, systems, and clarifying roles
- Human Resource: Centered on relationships, mentorship, and community development
- Political: Engaged in negotiation, resource allocation, and strategic alliances
- Symbolic: Rooted in values, culture, and storytelling
Most physical therapists, myself included, naturally lean toward the symbolic frame. We care about connection and purpose. But policy change often happens in the political space. Knowing how to switch frames when needed helps us lead more effectively in academic, clinical, and organizational settings.
Dr. Singh closed with a salient reminder: life is about alignment and connection. If we do not equip ourselves to lead across these frames, we risk being excluded from the decisions that shape our profession’s future.
This summit did more than inspire me—it gave me clear next steps and reminded me why I do what I do. I left with a deeper sense of purpose and a stronger belief that we don’t need to wait to be invited into leadership. We can lead right where we are, using the tools and experiences we already have.
I’m already applying what I learned through my content, through patient care, and through conversations with other providers. Leadership happens in those everyday moments — when we speak up, when we show up, and when we take what we’ve learned and turn it into action.
This was more than just a conference. It was a reminder that the work we do matters, and that our voices have power.
